Yukikaze is one of Sapporo's top miso ramen shops. They're celebrated for their thick and rich miso ramen. But how does their official instant ramen stack up?
Yukikaze - Some Background
Ramen shop Menya Yukikaze (麺屋雪風) is in Sapporo, Hokkaido. They're smack in the middle of Susukino, the city's largest and most popular nightlife district. It's no surprise that they're open late (until 3 am, except on Sundays).
Yukikaze's award-winning miso ramen feature a thick and rich soup. Does the instant version do it justice? Let's find out!
Yukikaze - Instant Miso Ramen
Instant ramen heavyweight Nissin was tasked with recreating Yukikaze's miso ramen. The food company doesn't mess around. In other words, you know Yukikaze is in good hands.
Yukikaze's official instant ramen comes with an impressive 5 packets! More packets isn't necessarily better. But it can be a good indicator of a carefully layered soup (3 of the packets are soup related).
The Soup
Just like at their actual Sapporo ramen shop, the soup is primarily pork, chicken, and fish (extract). It's rich and thick from the pork and chicken. But the miso still beautifully shines through. It's the fish flavors that arrive at the end of every sip. But that's not all there is.
The black packet is an aroma oil with burnt garlic. You add this top layer right before eating. It allows you to better enjoy the soup flavors separately (depending on where you put your spoon). In short, I think they've done a great job of with the soup here.
The Toppings
I give the soup higher marks than the toppings. Don't get me wrong - the toppings are just fine. There's a big slab of chashu pork, white and green spring onions (negi), and even wood ear mushrooms (kikurage).
So while the toppings are somewhat minimalist, you can't really fault them. This is because they're pretty much in line with their actual ramen. They're just a little simple.
The Noodles
Since this is Premium Instant Ramen, the noodles aren't flash fried. I found them to be extra springy, even after all of my photo and video taking.
That is, they seem to be springier than noodles in similar instant miso ramen. They're also slightly thicker and flatter. High marks for the noodles!
Conclusion
I'm giving this one a solid 4/5. In particular, the soup and noodles deliciously stand out. They're a faithful recreation of Yukikaze's award winning miso ramen. Yukikaze's official instant ramen is among the best when it comes to miso.