tokachi nitsu miyabi yakishoyu: is not your grandfather's noodle
Every now and then a product comes along that truly is that great leap forward. Like a 300 mpg hybrid car, you know it when you come across it, that the future is now, and nothing will ever be the same again.
Instant noodle technology has been around for a half-century, ever since Momofuku Ando flash-fried his first brick of Nissin Chikin Ramen. Countless improvements on the formula have been made ever since, but short of vacuum-packing fresh ramen noodles into a styrofoam bowl (a la Nissin Raoh), nothing really has come all that close to truly replicating the taste and texture of nama noodles served at ramen shops across Japan.
Nothing, that is, until now, with the arrival of Tokachi Nitsu as a bold new player in the instant noodle game. Their noodle cakes are just a little bit different; at first glance, ripped from a package of Menya Miyabi Yaki Shoyu ramen, they seem insubstantial, lacking in heft. The nutrition facts on the packaging denote a significantly reduced amount of saturated fat content than usual (1%?!) , and I’d initially figured that was due to the use of animal-friendly ingredients found in their nana vegetarian ramen. Little did I suspect it could have more to do with the actual process of dehydration they use, a presumably different method of drying noodles that, quite frankly, has resulted in the most realistic rehydrated ramen I’ve ever fished out of a styrofoam bowl.
The noodles aren’t perfect, and they’re a touch too close to spaghetti in texture, but they definitely taste real, and best of all, they lack that oily mouth-feel that is a considerable source of guilt for three-minute slurpers the world over. Tokachi Nitsu must be using some state-of-the-art processes; couple their noodle with a pleasantly deep if fairly straightforward “grilled shoyu” ramen from am actual, respectable Hokkaido ramen shop (part of an instant series from Sapporo’s “Ramen Kyowakoku” stadium!), complete with vacuum-packed, fall-apart tender and fragrantly aromatic chashu and all, and you’ve got yourself one hell of a deal for five bucks from your local Mitsuwa.
And yes, i did say Mitsuwa. This stuff’s currently available in the States. Perhaps the ban on Japanese meat products has been lifted? I don’t know, and I can hardly stop to ask. I’m too busy scooping up these bowls as they’re sure to fly off store shelves as soon as they’re stocked.
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Excellent stuff. Bought one of each of the two varieties available when I visited family in L.A. Hadn’t seen them before but my friend said this was high-quality stuff. I saved them for special occasions—I even whipped out the premium shochu I had that I brought with me from L.A. as well. I sure wish I got more.
Are they still around or is it yet another of those all-too-often situations where it quickly disappears after being introduced into the U.S. market? I didn’t see them at Mitsuwa or Nijiya—just the Marukai in Gardena (the membership one).