Noodle Journey Episode 137: Marutai Nagasaki Shikairo Champon

Marutai Nagasaki Shikairo Champon is the third of Marutai’s restaurant-supervised products I’m reviewing in a row, and the first Japanese champon I’ve reviewed. Champon originated in Nagasaki in 1899, created by a Chinese restaurant called Shikairo, which still operates today and directly supervised this instant version. Unlike its spicy Korean counterpart, jjampong, this Japanese champon uses a mild, creamy meat and seafood broth and is typically topped with stir-fried pork, seafood, and vegetables.

I paid a little over $5 at Yamibuy for this single-serving pack, though it can sometimes be found in Asian markets. Sodium is extremely high at 2880mg, about 117% of your daily intake. The instructions actually call for stir-frying your own meat, seafood, and vegetables before combining them with the noodles and broth, but for this review I skipped that step to evaluate only the base product, which is how I review things as you may well know. Inside are noodles made with Kyushu flour, plus two liquid broth packets. The broth base contains chicken, pork, and seafood extracts, spices, and alcohol (likely sake, mirin, or Shaoxing wine).

When prepared, the broth was thick, rich, and creamy with strong aromas of soy sauce, onion, and shrimp extract.

Noodles:
Thick, chewy, and al dente with excellent texture. Among the best noodles I’ve had from Marutai.
• 10/10

Spiciness:
Completely mild. This is a non-spicy Japanese champon.
• 0/10

Overall:
This is one of the thickest and richest broths I’ve ever had from a packaged product – silky, smooth and full-bodied. The flavor combines deep umami from soy sauce and multiple meat extracts with a distinct shrimp-forward seafood profile. It’s delicious if you enjoy a stronger seafood taste, though it could be overwhelming for those who prefer something lighter. The lack of garnishes in the pack isn’t a flaw, since the product expects you to provide your own stir-fried toppings, but it does mean the bowl feels incomplete without them. It’s kind of a catch-22 here: most people buy instant noodles for the sake of convenience, but having to go through the extra cooking step here is a fair bit of work, but then by omitting that step you won’t get the intended experience of this package. As-is, the noodles and broth are phenomenal, but it’s not the most convenient or budget-friendly option compared to other instant noodles. With added seafood and vegetables, it could easily become a restaurant-level meal. Without them, it’s still a unique and very good experience, but the cost and prep expectations keep it just shy of perfect.
• 9/10 (10/10 if prepared with the full stir fry as instructed)