Noodle Journey Episode 57: Marutai Setouchi Lemon Tonkotsu Ramen

Marutai throws a wild curveball in this installment with their Setouchi Lemon Tonkotsu Ramen, one of the most unusual instant noodle flavors I’ve ever come across. While citrus elements like yuzu are fairly common in shio and even shoyu broths, this is the first time I’ve seen lemon used in a tonkotsu pork broth. The product name suggests the lemons are sourced from the Setouchi region of Japan, and while there was an earlier lemon tonkotsu release from Marutai around 2021, this version appears to be a direct evolution of that. If you’ve seen light blue packaging for a Marutai lemon tonkotsu product in the last decade, this is likely the same concept in new packaging with a possible tweak to the recipe.

Read more: Noodle Journey Episode 57: Marutai Setouchi Lemon Tonkotsu Ramen

Each package contains two servings, which helps offset the price point of around $4 to $8. Like all of Marutai’s “Local Series” line, this comes with medium-thick, three-minute straight noodles, a powdered soup base, and a seasoned oil packet. The oil includes pork fat, chicken extract, and gelatin, aligning it with other more standard premium tonkotsu instant ramen. Marutai recommends only lemon slices and black pepper as garnishes, which says a lot about their confidence in the flavor. Sodium content clocks in at around 2190mg per serving, par for the course with this brand.

Noodles:

Marutai’s signature medium-width noodles shine once again. They’re springy, satisfying, and consistently excellent.
• 10/10

Spiciness:

There’s no heat in this one, and that’s by design. Spice would only interfere with the balance of this delicate and unconventional broth.
• 0/10

Overall:

This is a truly one-of-a-kind experience. The broth brings a blast of sweet, fragrant lemon layered over a rich tonkotsu base, rounded out with soy sauce, onion, and sesame notes. It doesn’t taste like yuzu and definitely doesn’t resemble anything I’ve encountered at a ramen shop. It hits every possible taste category – salty, sweet, sour, bitter, and umami – and it all just works. It reminds me almost of a piccata sauce in soup form with some extra umami and sesame. This is the kind of bowl that rewires your expectations for what ramen can be. If lemon and pork bone soup sound like a compelling combination, you owe it to yourself to try this at least once.
• 10/10

Notes since filming:

Possibly one of the most impressively unique flavors in the entire instant ramen world. If you like pork and lemons, you’ve gotta try this. I have a friend who routinely cleans out Yamibuy’s inventory whenever this comes back in stock, so blame him if you have a hard time finding it!