Noodle Journey Episode 20: Sapporo Ichiban Soy Sauce Flavor Ramen Bowl (US Version)

This is my first time reviewing a Sapporo Ichiban product, despite the brand being one of the most recommended and widely available ramen options in the US. These are made by a company called Sanyo. and this flagship soy sauce flavor dates back to 1966 and is often compared to the old “Oriental” (their word, not mine) flavor from Top Ramen or Maruchan, though I never really loved either of those, so hopefully this has more going on than those do. I’ve been aware of Sapporo Ichiban for a long time but never actually tried any of their products until now.

This bowl version cost me around $2 and includes a dried vegetable garnish packet, unlike the standard pillow packs which go for closer to $1–$1.50. Oddly enough, the bowls contain less product by weight than the packs, so you’re paying more for the convenience and the added veggies. The sodium clocks in at 2,170 mg per serving, which is about what you’d expect from a soy-based broth.

Noodles:
These look like the same bleached, thin noodles you’d expect from other budget brands, but they’re noticeably better. They cook up with a nice medium chewiness and avoid that mushy texture that plagues cheaper products. They fit the broth well and outperform their price bracket.

• 7/10

Spiciness:
There’s no spice to speak of here. No chili, no heat, nothing hiding in the powder packet. Perfectly mild.

• 0/10

Overall:
This was more enjoyable than I expected. While soy sauce broth isn’t my favorite, this one is flavorful, comforting, and balanced with some actual onion and ginger presence to round things out. The dried vegetable packet—containing bok choy, cabbage, carrot, corn, and leek—adds texture and color instead of disappearing into the background, and that makes a big difference. I’d probably give the pillow pack version of this a 6 or 6.5, but the added garnish here nudges the bowl up to an even more solid score.

• 7/10

I’m glad to see that Sapporo Ichiban’s original flavor mostly lives up to the hype. I probably won’t keep this specific flavor in my regular rotation, but I’ll happily eat it once in a while. I’ve got their other bowl varieties – Miso, Shio, and Tonkotsu – all detailed in future reviews.