Noodle Journey Episode 54: Marutai Saga Gyu Shio Ramen

This regional offering from Marutai is inspired by Saga Prefecture, a part of Japan better known for its pottery than its ramen. But despite the local fame of its ceramics, Saga’s culinary contribution to the noodle world is kind of a rare one: beef bone broth shio (salt) ramen. This is the only beef-based entry in Marutai’s regional lineup, and it’s surprisingly easy to find despite containing actual beef. It’s regularly available online for around $4–8 and comes with two individual servings per pack.

Read more: Noodle Journey Episode 54: Marutai Saga Gyu Shio Ramen

Inside the pack, you get two servings of thin, straight noodles that cook in three minutes. There are two soup powder packets, two beef tallow seasoning oil packets, and a small sachet of roasted seaweed. The soup base includes powdered fish extract for umami depth. As with all Marutai products, the sodium is intense at 2,216 mg per serving, so be prepared.

Noodles:

As expected from Marutai, these noodles are top-tier. Straight, springy, and the perfect match for the clear, fatty broth. It’s another example of their consistent quality.
• 10/10

Spiciness:

No heat to speak of here. This is a traditional shio broth built around the beef flavor, not spice.
• 0/10

Overall:

This is what beef ramen should taste like. With actual beef tallow floating in the broth and no need for yeast- or soy-based artificial beef flavoring, it delivers a clean, rich, savory profile that easily rivals canned or boxed beef stock. There’s a nice balance of onion, garlic, salt, sesame, and umami, and the optional toppings Marutai recommends (like roast pork or onions) are tempting, but not needed. The roasted seaweed adds just enough complexity to round things out. This is without question one of the best beef-based instant ramens on the market.
• 10/10

Notes since filming:

In a world where there are already a lot of good beef broths, both artificial and using real beef, this one is still a standout that I buy frequently for myself. With so many Japanese ramen flavors leaning more towards chicken/pork/seafood, this one is really pretty unique. If you love beef, you really need to try this one.