Noodle Journey Episode 128: Sapporo Ichiban Tokyo Chicken Momosan Ramen

Sapporo Ichiban Tokyo Chicken Momosan Ramen is one of two collaborative flavors developed in collaboration between Sapporo Ichiban and Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto, promising a unique take on chicken ramen. I just reviewed Sapporo Ichiban’s standard chicken flavor as a baseline to compare this one against, and I’m expecting something much more complex here. I’ve actually been to Morimoto’s Philadelphia restaurant (still the most expensive and best meal I’ve ever had) so I’m holding this to a high standard. Momosan, Morimoto’s more noodle-centric venture, is behind these packaged offerings, and this Tokyo Chicken flavor claims to be an exclusive Morimoto recipe.

These have been incredibly hard to find since they started showing up around late 2020. I paid $2.29 each at Yamibuy as soon as I got a restock alert, and they sold out the next day. You can occasionally catch them on Amazon, SayWeee, or in local Asian markets, but be warned: third-party sellers like to slap on a ridiculous markup. Normal price should be in the $2 to $3 per pack range if you can get them. Each pack contains an air-dried noodle block, soup powder, and a liquid seasoning oil. Sodium is very high at 1960mg, which is about 90% of your daily intake.

The ingredient list is vague, with artificial chicken broth flavors like yeast and garlic, plus leeks and a mention of fish, though it doesn’t specify the form. It’s not clear whether there’s real chicken here, unlike the regular Sapporo Ichiban chicken flavor, which uses chicken extract. As I was stirring in the soup base, a distinct miso aroma came through of something rich and fermented, and possibly layered with rice wine. The scent reminded me more of miso soup than any chicken soup I’ve had before, with an oily, dark broth and flecks of dried green onion.

Noodles:
These are not the typical fried noodles from Sapporo Ichiban – these are better. They’re bouncy, clean, and have a great air-dried texture with no oily aftertaste. They remind me of Maruchan Gold or Maruchan Seimen noodles. Best noodles I’ve had from Sapporo Ichiban.
• 9/10

Spiciness:
There’s no perceptible heat here. The packaging doesn’t specify chili content, and I didn’t taste any.
• 0/10

Overall:
This completely surprised me. If you’re expecting standard chicken ramen, you’re going to be thrown by how deep this broth is. The flavor is a bold combination of soy sauce, onion, miso, some kind of wine, garlic, and oil. It’s complex, layered, and savory. Whether it’s artificial or natural, the chicken flavor is intense and cohesive with the rest of the ingredients. Easily one of the best chicken-flavored broths I’ve ever had in an instant noodle. That said, it’s a little sparse on solid ingredients. For a premium Iron Chef-endorsed product, I would have liked some larger add-ins – shiitake mushrooms or bigger onion pieces would have taken this even further. Still, between the excellent noodles and punchy broth, this absolutely earns a high score.
• 9/10