Hokkyoku Ramen from Nissin’s Mouko Tanmen Nakamoto Line
Nowadays, the competition among ramen shops in Tokyo is very intense. So many close their business soon after the startup, while only a few will become popular, featured by the media.
Spicy ramen is one of the most popular ramen genres in Japan, where several restaurants dedicated to the bowls have been frequently talked about on TV shows and in magazines.
Among such ramen shops, “Mouko Tanmen Nakamoto (蒙古タンメン中本)” is especially famous. It is a Tokyo-based ramen chain offering a spicy hot bowl of noodle soup called “Mouko Tanmen (蒙古タンメン)“.
In addition to Mouko Tanmen, Nakamoto has one more signature dish called “Hokkyoku Ramen (北極ラーメン: meaning Northpole Ramen)”, which is the spiciest ramen in the restaurant.
Nissin Mouko Tanmen Nakamoto Hokkyoku Ramen
Actually, the other day, 7 Eleven Japan started to sell a cup of instant ramen that recreates Nakamoto Hokkyoku Ramen, which was developed by Nissin with the help of Mouko Tanmen Nakamoto.
Yesterday, I went to a 7 Eleven convenience store near my house and came across the cup ramen by chance. And for this blog article, I bought one.
Contents
Nissin Mouko Tanmen Nakamoto Hokkyoku Ramen (Price: 224 yen/about 2 USD) uses thick, chewy noodles and features its spicy miso-based broth loaded with umami from vegetables and pork.
The dehydrated garnishes scattered on the dried noodle block are made up of sesame seeds, seasoned pork, soybean sprouts, garlic, red chili pepper, and chopped green onions.
Cooking
The cooking of this cup noodle is not that complicated. It is the same as the original Mouko Tanmen instant noodle.
| 1 |  |
First, peel back the lid about halfway and pour boiling water until it reaches the line indicated inside the cup. |
|---|---|---|
| 2 |  |
Close the lid and let the noodles steep for 5 minutes. |
| 3 |  |
Then, remove the lid and add the contents (seasoning oil) of the red sachet pasted on top of the cup. Give it all a good stir, and enjoy! |
Taste
As the Hokkyoku Ramen was much spicier than the regular Mouko Tanmen instant noodle, I choked right after the first bite.
But the heat didn’t last long and linger on the tongue either, for it comes from seasoning oil used in the soup, not chili powder.
Even though the ramen was super spicy to me, it was relatively easy to eat thanks to its addictive savory taste and the property of the spiciness.
So eventually, I was able to enjoy the ramen!
Ingredients
Lastly, for those who want to know the specific ingredients in the cup, here is the label.
