I Tried The Famous Ichiran Ramen Instant Noodles From Japan

I came across the famous Ichiran Ramen Instant Noodles when I was shopping around Don Don Donki Singapore recently. I’ve tried the actual Ichiran ramen in Tokyo before, so I decided to buy a packet of this Japanese instant noodles to see how it compares.

Ichiran Ramen Instant Noodles

Ichiran is a famous ramen chain in Japan known for their delicious tonkotsu ramen. It is very popular with both tourists and locals.

Other than serving dine-in ramens, they also sell an instant ramen called Ichiran Tonkotsu Ramen. It comes in a flat rectangular box and usually consist of three or five sets.

Each set of instant noodles consists of just three ingredients: noodles, soup base, and spicy seasoning powder.

The noodles are not the usual type of curly instant noodles. Instead, they come in a form similar to uncooked spaghetti sticks.

Where to Buy

1. Don Don Donki – This mega Japanese discount store in Singapore sells Ichiran Instant Ramen in packs of three for $35.

2. Local Resellers – It is also possible to buy from Shopee, Lazada and Qoo10. They come in packs of five and cost between $30 to $35. Therefore it’s much cheaper to buy from these resellers than from Don Don Donki.

3. Japan – You can buy Ichiran Ramen instant noodles easily in Japan at Ichiran restaurants, Japanese supermarkets, and the Japanese discount store Don Quijote. They are usually sold in packs of five for around ¥2,000 each.

How to Cook

It is really easy to cook the noodles. You just need to follow the simple instructions on the packaging:

Step 1: Boil 450ml of water.
Step 2: Add noodles and cook to preferred firmness. For medium hardness, cook for around 2.5 minutes. Turn off heat and add soup base.
Step 3: Add desired amount of the spicy seasoning powder.

Taste Test

The noodles had a nice slippery texture. I had cooked them for about three minutes so they were very soft, which was the way I like it. The wife cooked the noodles for only one minute, and they had a significantly harder bite.

The tonkotsu broth was tasty with a pleasant meaty flavour.

The “Original Spicy Red Seasoning” powder added quite a bit of heat to the noodles, which was great because I enjoy eating spicy food. However, make sure you do not add too much if you can’t take spiciness!

The instant ramen is quite plain, so I added Japanese soft-boiled eggs (bought from 7-Eleven) and pork collar. You can also add other toppings like spring onions, pork slices, seaweed, etc.

These extra ingredients gave the dish extra flavours and texture, making it much more enjoyable.

Conclusion

Overall, the Ichiran Ramen Instant Noodles was decent but I wouldn’t say it was mind-blowing. And it definitely wasn’t as good as the actual tonkotsu ramen served at the restaurant. That said, it is a quick and convenient way to get your ramen fix when you’re having a craving for Japanese ramen.