#34Spicy Taiwanese Style Ramen

Today’s noodle is Taiwan Spicy Hot Ramen.

June21.2016 BY Japanese instant ramen shop owner, Sakura.

[Area]: Nagoya,　Aichi, Japan
[Flavor]: Spicy ramen
[Japanese Name]: Taiwan ramen Piri-kara Hishio(台湾ラーメンピリ辛醤)
[English Name]: Spicy Taiwanese Style Ramen
[Product Page]: http://jmyths.com/spicy-taiwanese-style-ramen.html

It says Taiwan, but it’s made in Japan. It seems this noodle was made by a Taiwanese cook who changed the taste of the soup so that people in Nagoya like. That’s why this is called Taiwan noodle. In Taiwan, there are Szechuan spicy noodle, but there are no similar spicy noodles like this. (If you know anything regarding this, please make some comments.) In the 1980s, this noodle became popular because of the popularity of super spicy food. And it’s still popular now as one of the Nayoya’s instant noodles.

Let’s start cooking. It contains non-fried noodle, liquid soup, and powdery soup with seasonings. The plastic container keeps the noodle from falling apart.　

The back of the package explains how to make this noodle. Boil 550ml of water and add the noodle to it. Keep boiling it for 3 mins. Remove it from heat when the noodle is ready and add the packet of the soup. Stir them well and put them in a bowl. This is the tip to make the noodle even better. Put a teaspoon of oil in the frying pan and stir some minced meat, beau sprout, and red pepper. Add some salt and pepper. Putting them on top of the noodle makes it much more delicious.

I added sliced pork and chopped leek. Sliced pork matches the spicy soup very much. It was spicy enough for me, but if you like it to be spicier, adding some red pepper might be nice. This is rather everyday noodle than expensive ones.

[Product Page]: http://jmyths.com/spicy-taiwanese-style-ramen.html
[Owner's online shop]: Jmyths.com

#33Hakata Chinese Style Ramen

Today’s lunch is Chinese Style Ramen from Hakata, Kyushu, Japan.

June9.2016 BY Japanese instant ramen shop owner, Sakura.

●Area: Fukuoka, Kyushu, Japan
●Flavor: Soy sauce flavor
●Japanese Name: Hakata Chuka soba(博多中華そば)
●English Name: Hakata Chinese Style Ramen
●Product Page: http://jmyths.com/hakata-chinese-style-ramen.html

This instant ramen includes noodle and soup. The noodle is straight, not thick, not thin. On the soup packaging, Flying fish is printed.

Cook soup and noodle separately. Boil the noodle for 3 minutes and need 250cc-300cc of hot water. To make it much more delicious, you can add some leek, Chashu and some vegetables you like. I added leek, cabbage and sliced pork.

This ramen is very simple taste of soy sauce ramen. This instant noodle is good to make your debut on soy sauce ramen.

●Product Page: http://jmyths.com/hakata-chinese-style-ramen.html
●Owner's shop: Jmyths.com

#32 Be Aware of Cub Ramen Butter Soy Sauce

Ramen I’ll introduce today is Butter and Soy sauce Ramen.

June6.2016 BY Japanese instant ramen onlineshop owner, Sakura.

[Area]: Asahikawa, Hokkaido, Japan
[Flavor]: Butter and Soy sauce
[Japanese Name]: Koguma Shutubotsu Chui butter Shoyuaji Ramen(小熊出没注意バター醤油らーめん)
[English Name]: Be Aware of Cub Ramen Butter Soy Sauce
[Product Page]: http://jmyths.com/be-aware-of-cub-ramen-butter-soy-sauce.html

I normally encounter lots of Miso Butter Ramen, but Soy Sauce Butter would be unordinary. The design of a small bear is so cute. The bear has nothing to do with the noodle. You feel liking grabbing this without thinking much. It’s cute that much. This instant noodle is produced by the company which sells souvenirs of Hokkaido. And it is made by a noodle making company in Hokkaido. There are also series of ramen saying “Beware of bears”.

This product only includes noodle and soup.

Another small bear appears on the back of the package, too. The recipe is put 600ml of hot water and boil the noodle for 4 and half minutes. When the noodle is ready, remove the pot from heat and add soup and stir. Move it to a bowl and add some toppings as you like. This is the same procedure as the normal instant noodles. On the back of the package, it says some info about small bears. Brown bear is one of the big and dangerous wild animals living in Hokkaido. Mother bears are always next to small bears, so it’s better not to get closer to small ones because it’s dangerous. This is Hokkaido souvenir. I wonder they chose bear because of Hokkaido.

The noodle is yellow and the back of the noodles are slightly transparent. In the middle of the noodle, there is some firmness. Thant’s why I like this. The soup really has the butter taste, but once you swallow it, you taste soy sauce, too. The soup smells slight butter.

Not so many people know this, but butter and soy sauce are good match. The tasty soup makes you swallow the whole soup. You cannot imagine this is the instant noodle. This is the real taste. You should try this.

Product Page: http://jmyths.com/be-aware-of-cub-ramen-butter-soy-sauce.html
Owner's online shop: Jmyths.com

#31 Country Style Tonkotsu Ramen

Yummy Tonkotsu instant ramen!

June3.2016 BY Japanese instant ramen shop owner, Sakura.

Today’s Ramen is Tonkotsu Ramen from Fukuoka, Kyushu, Japan.

Area: Fukuoka, Kyushu, Japan
Flavor: Tonkotsu flavor
Japanese Name: Inaka Tonkotsu ramen(田舎とんこつラーメン)
English Name: Country Style Tonkotsu Ramen
Product Page: http://jmyths.com/country-style-tonkotsu-ramen.html

I like this simple packaging. It doesn’t have ramen pictures on it, but it looks good.

It contains noodle and soup powder. The noodle is fried and curly.

The recipe is on the back of the package. Boil the noodle for 3 minutes with 500ml of boiling water. Stir the noodle sometimes. When the noodle is ready, add the powder soup and stir it well. Put the noodle and soup into a bowl.

This instant noodle is simple Tonkotsu ramen taste, not too light, not too rich, it's just right for me. I added an egg and chopped scallions. This is from Ukiha city of Fukuoka prefecture where is the three major noodle making of Kyushu area.

Product Page: http://jmyths.com/country-style-tonkotsu-ramen.html
Owner's shop: Jmyths.com

#30Island Red Pepper Miso Ramen

June1.2016 BY Japanese instant ramen shop owner, Sakura.

Today’s Ramen is Spicy miso Ramen from Tokyo.

Area: Tokyo,Japan
Flavor: Miso flavor
Japanese Name: Shimatougarashi Miso ramen(島とうがらしみそラーメン)
English Name: Island Red Pepper Miso Ramen
Product Page: http://jmyths.com/island-red-pepper-miso-ramen.html

I’ll introduce the noodle from Hachijojima Island. Hachijojima locates the 287 km north of Tokyo. The address is Tokyo, but it takes about 50 minutes by the jet even from Haneda Airport. It has warm and beautiful sea, deep nature. You can enjoy mountains with rare plants, fresh seafood and fruits, outside bath with nice view, and so on. It is one of the islands I want to visit. Shima Red Pepper is one of the most popular souvenir of Hachijojima.

Soon I checked the package. It contains only words, no pics of ramen. But this is indeed instant ramen. The white letters explain “When I looked it from the coast, I thought it was a devil island, but once I came here, Hachijojima is the island of sympathy”. I don’t know exactly what that means, but I think it as “Once you visit the place, you know it’s a nice place”. The yellow letters say mixing Hachijojima’s red pepper with the noodle. Looking forward to that. The picture of the devil is cute, but I don’t know why the devil is used here.　

The back of the package has “how to make this” section. This noodle is what you need to cook soup and noodle separately. Boil the noodle for 2 minutes and need 270cc of hot water. It says you need to break the noodle into two pieces, but I put the noodle as it is because I don’t understand the meaning of breaking it into two.

The content is the noodle and the soup. The noodle is a bit brownish and has some black spots. This might be red pepper. The soup is spicy miso and yummy. I might be addicted to this spiciness. The noodle is straight and thin.

It costs lots of time and money to go to Haachijojima, but you can enjoy this noodle anytime anywhere. It is difficult to get this ramen even in Japan. Similar to this, there is Ashitaba Ramen. The feature of that is “Ashitaba, green and yellow vegetable, is blended in the noodle. It makes your body happy. “Ashitaba is the strong leaf that grows tomorrow even that is picked up today. It becomes well-known for its super nutrient natural food. The color of the noodle is green. You can see clearly the noodle contains the leaves of Ashitaba. You can enjoy this being rather healthy noodle than so called ramen. Please try Ashitaba ramen as well.

Product Page: http://jmyths.com/island-red-pepper-miso-ramen.html
Owner's shop: Jmyths.com
Ashitaba ramen page: http://jmyths.com/ashitaba-ramen.html
About Hachijojima: http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/location/spot/natuscen/hachijo-island.html

#29Hachiya Soy Sauce Ramen

#29Asahikawa Hachiya Soy Sauce Ramen

May 30.2016 BY Japanese instant ramen shop owner, Sakura.

Today’s instant ramen is Soy Sauce Ramen from Asahikawa, Hokkaido.

Area: Asahikawa,Hokkaido,Japan
Flavor: Soy Sauce flavor
Japanese Name: Asahikawa Hachiya Shoyu Ramen (旭川名物醤油ラーメン蜂屋)
English Name: Asahikawa Hachiya Soy Sauce Ramen
Product Page: http://jmyths.com/asahikawa-hachiya-soy-sauce-ramen.html

Today’s instant noodle is soy-sauce noodle being made by the established restaurant called “Hachiya”. The restaurant is the representative of Asahikawa in Hokkaido prefecture. The restaurant was in Shin-Yokohama Ramen Museum before. The package already shows the tasty ramen.

I opened it very quickly. Inside, there are noodle and liquid soup. The pouch of the soup also says Asahikawa ramen soup.　

The recipe is on the back of the package. This is what you cook noodle and soup separately. You might feel it would be a little troublesome to do this way, but this should make the instant noodle much more delicious. Boil the noodle for 4 to 4 and half minutes. Stir the noodle sometimes. Prepare a small pot, too. Put the packet of the soup and 350cc of water into it and stir them well. Let it boil once again depending on the readiness of the noodle. Drain hot water and then put the noodle into a bowl.

The taste is so much better than you expect normal instant noodle should taste like. Mild, two different kinds of soup and the grilled lard, which adds the extreme individuality, are the only taste that you can experience with this noodle. Fish flakes and special grilled lard make this outstanding. Maybe because of the grilled lard, it taste like miso rather than soy sauce. This ramen ranks the second in the ranking of the instant noodles that Japanese ramen enthusiasts chose. The noodle is thick, so it matches with the thick soup. Its flavor is thick fish taste, so I cannot recommend this to someone who doesn’t like seafood. If you don’t have any problems with the taste of fish, this is recommended.

Product Page: http://jmyths.com/asahikawa-hachiya-soy-sauce-ramen.html
Owner's shop: Jmyths.com

#28Vietnamese instant noodles

#28Vietnamese instant noodles (Spinoff)

May 27.2016 BY Japanese instant ramen shop owner, Sakura.

Today’s instant noodle is from Vietnamese.

A trial eating of Vietnamese pho shrimp and crab taste. There’s a sticker pasted on it saying they are rice noodles, Vietnamese pho, shrimp, crab and 253kcal. Pho is familiar in Japan, too.It’s more like eating at a Vietnamese restaurant than cooking at home type. The label sticker pasted on the packet has Japanese writing and it says Made in Vietnam, however it also says it is manufactured by contract in Taipei city. Are they really made in Vietnam then? Anyway, let’s cook these up now.

There are a block of noodles, two seasoning sachets and herbs inside the packet. The cooking method is either cooking in a pot or pouring hot water on, so I chose the easiest way. I put seasonings, noodles and herbs in a bowl first, poured 400ml of hot water and waited three minutes. I wanted to put something on, so I topped it with boiled sprouts and an egg.

The spice was a little interesting. The taste was very light. I didn’t really taste the shrimps and crabs, but the noodles were slippery and delicious, so this may be perfect when you want to eat light food. I also tried a chicken flavor of the same type.

It think the chicken flavor suits Japanese people’s taste. It’s cheap and lasts long, so it may be a good idea to stock this for emergency occasions.

Owner's shop: Jmyths.com

#27Momotaro Tomato Noodle

May 25.2016 BY Japanese instant ramen shop owner, Sakura.

Today’s Ramen is Miyazaki Tomato Ramen.

Area: Miyazaki, Kyushu, Japan
Flavor: Tomato flavor
Japanese Name: Momotaro Tomato men(Tomato麺)
English Name: Momotaro Tomato Noodle
Product Page: http://jmyths.com/momotaro-tomato-noodle.html

The black package is a good match with the drawings of the red tomato. The white thin line shows the shape of Miyazaki prefecture. It says it uses tomatoes from Takachiho in Miyazaki. Takachiho has the Gauge called Takachiho Gauge which has columnar joint of precipice. It is one of the most popular sightseeing spots in Miyazaki. Let’s cook it.

It has noodle, soup and small amount of sliced and dried tomatoes.

Follow the instruction on the back of the package. Boil 500 ml of water and boil the noodle for 2 and half minutes. Remove it from heat and put the powdery soup. Blend the powder with the hot water well, and then move it to a bowl. Then powder the sliced tomatoes on top and it’s completed. To make it much more delicious, you can add some raw tomatoes, grated cheese and some vegetables you like.

This time I added half of a tomato. I also added some leek to have something colorful. Now it’s yummy. Because this is soo good, I’m selling this. Being tasty is the essential element of course. When I ordered a tomato ramen at a restaurant, it cost me 1200 yen. So it’s surprising that I can eat tomato ramen for less than half price of that. You cannot believe this is the instant noodle because it’s too good. You won’t even try leaving any soup.

That is how delicious this noodle is. The taste is somewhat similar to the minestrone. The soup suits the curly noodle. The tomatoes on the top of the noodle also suit the soup. It would be nice with fried minced onions, too. You definitely need cheese. Since it was a waste to enjoy such a delicious noodle alone, I offered some to my colleagues. Their comment was “Oh? What? How delicious this noodle is!” They were satisfied with the noodle. This noodle can be a nice present. People who like tomatoes should try this.

Product Page: http://jmyths.com/momotaro-tomato-noodle.html
Owner's shop: Jmyths.com

#26Miyazaki Spicy Ramen

May 23.2016 BY Japanese instant ramen shop owner, Sakura.

Today’s noodle is Miyazaki Spicy Noodle.

Area: Miyazaki, Kyushu, Japan
Flavor: Spicy
Japanese Name: Miyazaki Karamen (宮崎辛麺)
English Name: Miyazaki Spicy Ramen/ Miyazaki Spicy Ramen
Product Page: http://jmyths.com/miyazaki-spicy-ramen.html

I chose this because I wanted to eat something spicy very much. The big golden letters on the package of the noodle says “Spicy Noodle”. You cannot miss this noodle if you like spicy food.

It contains noodle, powdery soup, and dried Chinese dive. The noodle is fried and frizzled.

The back of the package says “how to eat this in a more tasty way”. The recipe is same as normal instant noodles. Boil 500 ml of water in a pot and put noodles in it. Keep boiling for 2 minutes as you stir. Remove it from heat and add powdery soup and accompanying Chinese chive to it, then stir. When they are ready, put them in a bowl. When you cook the noodle, it is recommended to add some minced meat too. After putting the powdery soup, add a beaten egg to it and then boil for 10 seconds. That makes the ramen much more delicious.

I added bean sprout, leek and egg. When I put the noodle in the bowl, I realized I had forgotten the egg. So I added the egg at that moment. I don’t complain even the egg is still raw. What’s great is the combination of the soup from Miyazaki chicken and soy sauce, and more so with the combination of garlic and chili. This is really the local food from Miyazaki because Chinese chive is considered as the feature of Miyazaki and spiciness. The noodle itself is nice. The taste of the soup lingers on.

I don't think this ramen is so spicy, but tasty. Spicy hot. I recommend you to try this ramen especially in this summer. It’s the Miyazaki way to add some minced meat and egg. Please try it as well. Adding some rice to the remaining soup is also recommended. You can eat all of that without wasting anything. This noodle has the similar product, “Miyazaki Spicy Spicy”, which I’ll introduce to you in the future.

Product Page: http://jmyths.com/miyazaki-spicy-ramen.html
Owner's shop: Jmyths.com