Noodle Journey Episode 134: Marutai Oita Chicken Paitan Ramen

Marutai Oita Chicken Paitan Ramen is the newest entry in Marutai’s “Local Series” of stick ramen, released for the 15th anniversary of the line. This product replaces the Miyazaki Chicken Shio and Oita Chicken Yuzu Shoyu flavors, both of which appear to have been discontinued since I reviewed them. Those were solid entries very typical of Marutai’s quality, but they were on the lower end of my rankings compared to the rest of the series, so I’m excited that Marutai introduced something that should be more interesting in their place. This recipe is from Oita and features a creamy chicken paitan broth, which marks a contrast with Marutai’s previous clear chintan-style chicken offerings.

I picked this up from Yamibuy for $4.50, and each pack contains two servings. You may also find it on other import sites, in some Asian grocery stores, or even at Walmart in Canada. Like most Marutai products, sodium is extremely high, well over 100% of your daily intake per pack. Inside are two servings of Marutai’s classic three-minute straight noodles, a broth packet, and a seasoning oil. The broth contains chicken, pork, and seafood extract, milk for thickening, soy sauce, green onions, and yuzu pepper. The seasoning oil includes rendered chicken fat.

When prepared, the broth powder had a chicken and soy aroma with scallions visible. The oil added a layer of richness with the flavor of chicken fat.

Noodles:
Firm, perfectly textured, and excellent at clinging to the broth. These remain my favorite Japanese instant noodles.
• 10/10

Spiciness:
No chili heat here. The only pepper is white pepper, which adds a light zest without any real spice.
• 0/10

Overall:
The broth is thick, rich, and fatty with a slight gaminess that adds character. It’s salty, balanced with a touch of soy, and lifted by a mild citrus zing from a subtle addition of yuzu pepper. The white pepper note ties in smoothly with just a mild zing. The result is a creamy, comforting chicken soup with remarkable depth. The only drawback is the very small amount of green onions, especially compared to some other Marutai packs that include more garnishes, but it’s easy enough to add your own. The texture and consistency of the broth make it one of the most satisfying and hearty instant noodles I’ve had, and despite the garnish shortfall, this earns a perfect score.
• 10/10

Notes since filming:

I haven’t found any chicken ramen better than this one. If you like chicken soup, I urge you to do whatever it takes to buy this.