In addition to the popular instant ramen, Japan also has many premium instant ramen products.
Premium instant ramen pursue authentic taste by using high-quality ingredients, or reproducing the taste of famous ramen restaurants throughout Japan.
In this article, I will introduce 7 famous premium instant ramen in Japan.
If you are looking for really delicious Japan instant ramen to enjoy at home or as a gift after your trip to Japan, please refer to them.
Iida Shoyu Ramen
・Type: soy sauce ramen
・Name in Japanese: 飯田商店 ワンタン入りしょうゆらぁ麺
Iida Shoten is an extremely popular ramen restaurant located in Kanagawa Prefecture.
This ramen restaurant is famous not only for its quality but also for its difficulty in getting in, as it only takes online reservations once a week and is often fully booked.
But don’t worry, you can enjoy Iida Shoten’s ramen at home with Iida Shoyu Ramen instant noodles.
The sweet soy sauce soup is made from pork and chicken, combined with noodles that are as chewy as fresh noodles, and soft and juicy char siu (roasted pork fillet), which will definitely make you exclaim “Delicious!” after trying it.
Ippudo Akamaru
・Type: Tonkotsu ramen
・Name in Japanese: 一風堂 赤丸新味 博多とんこつ
Ippudo Akamaru instant noodles are easy-to-eat tonkotsu ramen.
Basically, the pork bone soup still has a characteristic fatty taste but is perfectly balanced by soy sauce and spicy miso, bringing a rich and deep flavor.
Not only in flavor, the product is also very neat in appearance when attached with char siu (roasted pork fillet), wood ear and green onions, giving you the feeling of enjoying it at a restaurant.
Santoka Tonkotsu Shio
・Type: Tonkotsu ramen
・Name in Japanese: 山頭火 旭川とんこつ塩
At the time of writing, Santoka Tonkotsu Shio instant noodles are my favorite. The first time I tried it, I drank all the soup, which has never happened before when I ate pork bone soup ramen.
The smooth pork bone soup combined with the rich seafood flavor, almost like milk but not too fatty, it is really addictive and makes you want to eat forever.
Another plus point of Santoka Tonkotsu Shio instant noodles is the rich toppings. Besides char siu (roasted pork fillet), wood ear, pickled bamboo shoots, naruto (fishcake), there is also a pickled plum to help soften the taste in the middle. A thoughtful product of Japanese standards, right?
Ichiran Tonkotsu
・Type: Tonkotsu ramen
・Name in Japanese: 一蘭 とんこつ
A product of ICHIRAN – an extremely famous tonkotsu ramen restaurant chain with more than 90 branches in and outside of Japan.
Ichiran Tonkotsu instant noodles were launched by ICHIRAN in 2021 and have sold more than 10 million servings.
The product is unique in that it does not come with toppings (such as char siu, green onions, etc.) like some other high-end instant noodles, but only includes noodles, soup mix powder and secret sauce. It’s that simple, but once you try it, Ichiran Tonkotsu instant noodles will definitely not disappoint you.
Sumire Sapporo Noko Miso
・Type: miso ramen
・Name in Japanese: すみれ 札幌濃厚味噌
A product from Sumire, a famous miso ramen restaurant in Hokkaido.
In addition to miso, the rich aroma is also reproduced by the oil extracted from stir-frying vegetables and meat in lard. Sumire Sapporo Noko Miso Instant Noodles is considered to perfectly reproduce the restaurant’s famous flavor. A product not to be missed if you want to enjoy authentic miso ramen at home.
AFURI Yuzu Shio
・Type: salt ramen
・Name in Japanese: AFURI 柚子塩らーめん
If you are looking for a refreshing instant ramen, AFURI Yuzu Shio is a suggestion.
This product is characterized by a golden broth and the fragrant, refreshing flavor of yuzu.
The broth is made from chicken and seafood, rich in flavor but incredibly clear. The yuzu peel is included in the seasoning packet, so just add boiling water and the yuzu aroma will fill the room.
This is an instant ramen that stimulates the taste buds on hot summer days, or helps change the taste when you are a bit bored with other types of ramen.
Moko Tanmen Kara Uma Miso
・Type: spicy miso ramen
・Name in Japanese: 蒙古タンメン中本 辛旨味噌
This instant ramen is a re-creation of the classic “Moko Tanmen” from the famous spicy ramen restaurant “Moko Tanmen Nakamoto”.
The secret to the spicy and rich flavor is the spicy oil “Kara Uma Oil” with the garlic flavor preserved, giving the broth a flavor almost like in a restaurant.
The thick and chewy noodles are also a plus because they bring a feeling of extreme satisfaction when enjoyed.
If you like spicy food, you should definitely try Moko Tanmen Kara Uma Miso.
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