Myojo Charumera Yuzu Shio Yakisoba Review | Noodle Journey

Myojo Charumera Yuzu Shio Yakisoba is a refreshing new flavor originally released back in October of 2025. With my recent review of Nissin’s Chilled Cup Noodles done, I wanted to do at least one more summertime-friendly flavor, and I think a citrus shio sounds perfect. There is a cup ramen version of this flavor with a broth as well, but this version of the recipe I find far more interesting (hence why I bought it), as it is a yakisoba noodle with a yuzu salt sauce. Myojo says that the yuzu in this is sourced from Kochi Prefecture in Japan, which is the largest producer of yuzu in Japan.

The Verdict:

I’ve had yuzu shio instant ramen before, sometimes with deadly pufferfish in it, but having it in this form as a yakisoba is very new to me. I know yuzu isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but I enjoy it and find it refreshing. To me, it’s a flavor somewhere between a lemon and a grapefruit, and it gives a nice citrusy finish when it’s paired with a salty, savory noodle dish.

I got this from Yami.com for $3.29 after it had been out for a little while, and you should also be able to find this on other Japan-related noodle sites, and of course on store shelves in Japan. This might be a seasonal item, as I’ve seen older versions in different packaging that still appear to be the same recipe, but I cannot confirm that as I write this.

Inside the tray, there’s a block of fried wheat noodles, sauce, cabbage topping, and furikake seasoning. The sauce contains sugar, soy sauce, chicken fat & extract, scallop extract, yuzu peel powder, and bonito. The seasoning contains sesame seeds, yuzu peel, and seaweed. Sodium amount is roughly 1614mg.

Noodles:

While these are under the “Charumera” branding, they feel an awful lot like the same noodles I have enjoyed from the Ippei-chan product line. Which is to say, some of my favorite fried noodles I’ve had in my noodle journey. They have a wonderful chew and a slightly wheat-forward finish. A perfect gauge for a yakisoba-style instant noodle product.

• 10/10

Spiciness:

While it is certainly zesty with citrus, there is nothing spicy in this.

• 0/10

Overall:

This is incredibly flavorful, but make no mistake that it is quite citrus-forward as advertised, which I know may be a turn-off for some people. Whenever I review something with a lot of citrus, I like to mention whether or not it tastes like what I imagine wood cleaner would taste like – thankfully, this does not! The yuzu flavor is strong but it doesn’t feel artificial. But yuzu flavor alone cannot carry an instant noodle bowl such as this, and thankfully the other ingredients balance it out really well. There’s a strong umami backbone to this from the soy sauce and chicken, and I’m sure the scallop and bonito helped too, but I didn’t get anything too fishy or smoky on my tastebuds. I also detected just a little bit of sesame flavor in the sauce itself that elevated this well above just a salt/yuzu combo. The cabbage had a nice light crunch to it after cooking, and the furikake topping also added some nice texture and contrast. My only complaint is it felt like there was something missing, maybe another dried ingredient or textural element or even just more cabbage, because this was uncharacteristically (for Myojo) light on the cabbage and furikake. All in all, a very flavorful yakisoba and a refreshing flavor profile that didn’t sit too heavy with me by the time I was done.

• 8/10

Note:

After noting my initial thoughts for this review, I threw some leftover fried chicken pieces into this for additional protein, and that combination of crispy chicken with this yuzu sauce made for an excellent combination. Highly recommended if you buy this and want an additional topping!

Continuing the Journey:

• Marutai Setouchi Lemon Tonkotsu Ramen is another citrus-forward Japanese noodle with a savory base.
• For another Myojo yakisoba, try Myojo Ippei-Chan Yakisoba with Garlic Mayonnaise.
• Nissin U.F.O. Japanese Sauce Yakisoba will give you a more classic yakisoba preparation.