Noodle Journey Episode 41: Sapporo Ichiban Shio Ramen Bowl

I’m revisiting the world of Sapporo Ichiban with their Shio ramen bowl, the third member of their original flavor trio alongside shoyu and miso. Despite being the most basic of the three on paper, the ingredient list caught my attention. I’ve reviewed the shoyu bowl before and really enjoyed it, so I was curious whether the shio version could hold its own.

I paid $2 for this bowl version at my local Asian market. The packet version costs about the same and is widely available nationwide, either individually in Asian stores or in bulk on Amazon. Sodium comes in at 2210mg (100% daily value), which is about what you’d expect from something labeled “salt” flavor. This version includes Sapporo Ichiban’s usual noodles and two packets: a soup base and a garnish packet. The soup base surprisingly does not contain chicken even though it does resemble chicken broth. Instead, it includes bonito (dried tuna), onion powder, sesame seed, garlic powder, and other spices. It’s not vegetarian, but it is pescatarian, at least in this bowl form. The garnish packet includes five kinds of vegetables: bok choy, cabbage, carrot, corn, and leek. These vegetables are only found in the bowl version, not the pillow pack.

Noodles:
Same as in their other bowl products: thin, a bit flat, medium firmness, and surprisingly good for the price. They’re not showstoppers, but they’re satisfying and reliable.
• 7/10

Spiciness:
No spice whatsoever. This is a very mild, clean broth.
• 0/10

Overall:
The broth smells and tastes like garlic and onion, and the vegetables contribute a ton of flavor. Everything rehydrates nicely, especially the leek, bok choy, and cabbage. The corn doesn’t do much for me – it’s fine but forgettable – but the rest are great. I don’t taste any fishiness from the bonito, just a nice underlying umami that adds depth. It’s salty but not overpowering, and the broth is surprisingly rich for something so simple. I enjoy this a lot more than I expected to. For two bucks, this is a good portion with a nice variety of vegetables and a flavor that really delivers on what a warm, clear salt broth should be.
• 7.5/10

Notes since filming: A little peek behind the curtain of the YouTube channel here. Normally I’m a planner. I do research before each episode/review and schedule which review I want to do pretty well in advance. The day I ended up filming this review was complete unplanned; it was the same day I’d tried the Buldak Corn flavor. After the Corn review wrapped, I tried to finish it but just couldn’t get past that burnt popcorn flavor, and so, still being hungry, I ran to my pantry and, looking for something that was the complete opposite of that damn corn flavor, I grabbed this bowl at random. Thankfully this one turned out way better.