I found this on sale at my local supermarket and bought it without hesitation at that price. I usually eat Ippudo’s fresh noodles, but this was my first time trying their dried version.

Since I’ve only ever had the Shiromaru at the restaurant, I figured I’d start with the Akamru—and it turned out to be a total hit. I hadn’t even prepared to take any photos or add toppings; I just planned to eat it quickly and be done, but it completely surprised me!

What stood out the most were the noodles: they had a silky, smooth texture like sōmen, yet still a strong presence. Maybe thin noodles actually pair better with dried noodles than with fresh ones. Cooking fresh noodles at home in a regular pot can be kind of a hassle, after all.

Watanabe Seimen, Hoshino Bussan, and Ichiban Shokuhin — I’ll keep those names in mind and try buying again if I come across something similar. This time, for the Shiromaru, I actually prepared some proper toppings.

The chashu pork is from Sugakiya’s takeout. Super handy — I slice it thin, refreeze it, and it lasts for about ten times servings.

The kikurage (wood ear mushroom) is just one dried piece rehydrated.

The green onions are the pre-chopped kind from the supermarket — 100 yen a pack, and I go through one per week.

The marinated egg is the only thing I really put effort into making, though the recipe itself is pretty simple.

As for the cost-performance: the noodles and soup together are about 130 yen, so even with toppings, the total comes to around 200 yen.

And the noodles are absolutely amazing — the texture is perfect. The soup, too, is impressively well recreated: rich, creamy, and full of tonkotsu punch. I know Marutai’s stick ramen is famous among dried noodles, but this one’s a real find. The Ippudo version costs about the same as the fresh one at regular price, but I think I’ll be buying this dried version from now on.

It’s also available on Amazon, though even Amazon can’t really beat the discount prices at supermarkets. Still, the reviews are full of high ratings, and honestly, I’m not surprised about that as it is so.