As I took my first bite of the Tsuta instant noodles, I found it hard to believe that I was actually eating cup noodles. This was seriously the best instant noodles I had ever eaten in my life.
Tsuta Cup Noodles
Tsuta is a famous ramen shop in Tokyo. It was the first ever ramen joint in the world to get a Michelin Star in 2015. (Michelin trivia: Nakiryu became the second ramen shop to earn a Michelin Star in 2017)
Last year, Tsuta came up with another first: it collaborated with 7-Eleven in Japan to create the first ever Michelin-starred cup noodles. The official name of the instant ramen noodles is 7&i Premium – Tsuta Japanese Soba Noodles
Where To Buy
Tsuta cup noodles can be purchased at 7-Eleven stores in Japan for JPY350 each (around SGD4.50). We bought ours from a 7-Eleven branch in Shinjuku, Tokyo. To my knowledge, it is currently not available in Singapore.
“Cooking” The Tsuta Cup Noodles
Charshu and Scallions
Dehydrated Bamboo Shoot
Noodles Sauce
Truffle Oil
I excitedly opened up the instant ramen, which contained dried noodles, a piece of dried pork belly, scallions, dried menma (bamboo shoots), a packet of truffle oil, and another packet of sauce.
I put in all the ingredients, poured boiling water, and covered up the cup noodles for 5 minutes as per its instruction.
While waiting, I could smell a pleasant savoury aroma emanating from the instant noodles.
5 minutes later, I tore off the lid of the cup noodles and was greeted with a strong fragrance of the ramen noodles. I couldn’t wait to get started!
Most Delicious Instant Noodles Ever!
Charshu
Bamboo Shoot
The instant noodles had a beautiful clear broth. I scooped one spoonful into my mouth, and I was hooked immediately.
The broth was light but yet deliciously savoury. And like the actual Tsuta ramen, it had an alluring truffle flavour that blended in perfectly and made the ramen sing.
Honestly, it felt like the broth had been freshly prepared and served to me from a counter 1 metre away, instead of being cooked from a packet of sauce.
The charshu was amazing as well. I had never seen such a big piece of meat in instant noodles before! And it looked just like a regular piece of freshly cooked meat.
I ate a small piece, and was impressed by how tender and juicy it was. However, it was really delicate, so I had to be gentle when picking it up.
The plain appearance of the dehydrated bamboo shoots belied how good it tasted after being cooked! I was really surprised to find that it had a sweet natural taste, along with a fresh and crunchy bite.
The noodles tasted delicious as well because they had absorbed the unami flavours of the broth very well. They were also perfectly al dente with just the right amount of bite.
Conclusion
I never thought I would write a full review for instant noodles, but well, here we are. Tsuta instant ramen noodles tasted so good that it may well have ruined me for all other instant noodles. I will never look at instant noodles the same way again.
I have not personally tried the actual Tsuta ramen before, but based on other reviews I’ve read, the instant noodles gives an idea of what the real thing tastes like, though it doesn’t really come close.
But I guess comparing instant noodles to actual ramen would be like comparing oranges to the dodo bird. Like I’ve said, this was hands down the best instant noodles I’ve ever eaten in my life. So for that, it’s definitely worth checking out.
7&i Premium – Tsuta Japanese Soba Noodles
Price: JPY350, Sold at 7-Eleven Stores in Japan