Next in this year’s Marutai Marathon with a style of ramen I’ve never reviewed on the channel before, which is always exciting. This time around, it’s Marutai Yokohama Soy Sauce Tonkotsu Ramen, a product based on iekei-style ramen that originated in Yokohama. This is part of Marutai’s long-running Local Series, where they attempt to replicate famous regional ramen styles from across Japan, and it appears to be a newer entry in that lineup.
Read more: Noodle Journey Episode 206: Marutai Yokohama Soy Sauce Tonkotsu RamenI had to do some homework on iekei ramen before filming this review because the recipes vary slightly depending on who you ask, but the core idea seems to be this: Iekei ramen is built on a very rich pork bone base, often combined with chicken bones, and finished with soy sauce. Sometimes the soy sauce is added directly, and other times it is blended with a separate shoyu broth. It is also common for this style to include an additional layer of chicken fat to boost richness and umami, which this instant variety also does. Conceptually, the style sits somewhere between Hakata-style tonkotsu and Tokyo-style shoyu, and it traces its roots back to Yokohama, specifically to a shop called Yoshimura-ya. On paper, that combination sounds right up my alley.
Marutai’s Local Series products do show up in Asian grocery stores outside of Japan, but they need to be specially imported by the store. They are also fairly easy to find online, though newer flavors like this one are not quite as ubiquitous yet as some of Marutai’s long-established varieties. With all of that context out of the way, it was time to see what this one actually brings to the table.
Like most Marutai products, this pack contains two full servings. Inside are two portions of thick ramen noodles that take five minutes to cook, two broth packets, and two seasoning oil packets. The broth contains pork and chicken extract, soy sauce, green onion, and unspecified spices. The seasoning oil is made from rendered, seasoned chicken fat, which is not something I’ve personally encountered before in an instant ramen product.
The sodium content for the entire serving is very high, coming in at approximately 2440mg, so that is something to be aware of. Once cooked, the noodles absorbed a substantial amount of water, even when prepared with 450ml as directed.
Noodles:
These are very thick noodles with a slightly flatter profile than other five-minute Marutai noodles I’ve had in the past (Hokkaido Sapporo Miso and Hokkaido Asahikawa Shoyu). They cook up perfectly al dente, with an exceptional chew and a thick gauge. The texture feels intentionally matched to a bold, heavy broth, and they held up without softening or breaking down.
• 10/10
Spiciness:
Not spicy at all.
• 0/10
Overall:
This is one of the most impressive broths I’ve ever seen from Marutai, and that is saying a lot given their track record. The consistency is extremely rich, with a visible layer of oil floating on top that measures a few millimeters thick. That oiliness might be off-putting to some, but it is very much a defining feature of this bowl. The aroma from the seasoning oil is unmistakably real chicken fat. It smells like the drippings left behind after cooking a chicken thigh skin-side down in a skillet, not like artificial chicken oil you might see in something like Mama’s products. Flavor-wise, the broth delivers a powerful combination of pork, soy sauce, and what tastes like a touch of ginger smoothing things out, all backed by an intense chicken richness. It does not resemble any other tonkotsu flavor I’ve had before, and that distinctiveness really stands out. I have never had iekei ramen at a restaurant, so I can’t say how closely this mirrors an authentic bowl from Yokohama. What I can say is that it is absolutely delicious and completely unique within Marutai’s lineup. The broth is bold enough to stand on its own, and minimal toppings would be more than sufficient here. The only real caveat is the oiliness. If a very rich, oily finish is something that genuinely bothers you, this may not be a good fit. Otherwise, this is an immensely satisfying eating experience.
• 10/10
