I’m continuing my annual December Marutai marathon with another tonkotsu variation (Marutai’s specialty, one could argue), this time Marutai Soy Sauce Tonkotsu Ramen. In the last review, I covered a very straightforward yatai-style tonkotsu, and this one builds on that foundation by adding soy sauce as a central flavor element. On paper, this might sound redundant next to other Hakata-style soy sauce tonkotsu options Marutai already sells, but I still expected this to be both flavorful and well-executed based on their track record.
Read more: Noodle Journey Episode 183: Marutai Soy Sauce Tonkotsu RamenI picked this one up online as a random Amazon find for about $5. Like most Marutai packs, this contains two full servings, which makes the price much easier to justify. Sodium is on the high side, with a salt equivalent of 5.4g per serving, translating to about 2125mg of sodium. That’s not surprising for a soy sauce–based pork broth, but it’s something to be aware of going in.
Inside the pack are two servings of straight wheat noodles, a powdered broth packet, and a seasoning oil. The broth is a blend of pork broth and soy sauce with some additional flavorings you might not expect, including chicken, vegetables, scallops, kelp, garlic, and assorted spices. The seasoning oil appears to be largely sesame oil with some congealed fat mixed in, plus a faint hint of garlic. Before adding the oil, the broth already showed a rich, cloudy consistency with lots of green onions and sesame seeds.
Noodles:
These seem to be Marutai’s standard three-minute air-dried noodles found in other products, slightly thicker than their Hakata-style noodles and a bit less wheaty in texture. They’re still excellent, with good bounce and a structure that allows the broth to cling nicely. This is exactly the kind of noodle Marutai consistently gets right.
• 10/10
Spiciness:
There is no heat here at all.
• 0/10
Overall:
This is a deeply satisfying bowl of ramen, no surprise there. The combination of savory pork broth and soy sauce works extremely well without tipping into excessive saltiness or becoming overly soy-forward. The flavor has a rounded, nutty quality from the sesame oil, with a gentle garlicky note that was missing from the yatai tonkotsu I reviewed previously. While kelp and scallop are clearly contributing to the umami, they never push the broth into seafood territory or add any distracting sweetness. White pepper makes another appearance here, giving the broth a subtle extra layer of flavor that keeps it interesting. The sesame seeds and green onion flakes add just enough texture and visual appeal, even if I wouldn’t have complained about a bit more onion. This may look simple, but there’s more going on than it first appears, and everything comes together in a very cohesive way. It’s a well-balanced, richly flavored tonkotsu that delivers exactly what I was hoping for.
• 9.5/10
