The Viral 7-Eleven Pork Ramen Hack, and Ryuji's "Even Better" Pork Ramen-Style Mazesoba

[Testing the viral hack] Remove the soup packet, then boil 2 portions of 7-Eleven pork ramen noodles for about 7 minutes. These are thick, low-hydration Jiro-style noodles, so give them a good long boil.

[Testing the viral hack] Pour the pork ramen soup into a bowl undiluted, without adding hot water, and add mayonnaise. Drain the boiled noodles well and add them, then top with 3 egg yolks, tubed garlic, and black pepper, and mix well.

[Testing the viral hack] On tasting, the soy sauce is too sharp and the umami is lacking, so add 9-10 shakes of MSG and mix again. The inosinic acid from the pork combines with the glutamic acid from the MSG, sending the umami soaring.

[Ryuji's version] From here, a version you can make for a single serving. Add 1 portion of pork ramen noodles to boiling water and start cooking. The soup packet is not used.

Crack the egg, separate the yolk and white, and put both in a donburi bowl. Don't discard the white — it becomes the base of the sauce.

In the same bowl, add 2 teaspoons of mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon of lard, a pinch of sugar, 1 1/2 tablespoons of soy sauce, 9 shakes of mirin-style seasoning, 9-10 shakes of MSG, and black pepper to make the sauce.

Microwave the sauce for 30 seconds. The egg white sets slightly and it turns into an emulsified, soup-like mixture with some thickness. For a richer result, microwave for another 10 seconds.

While the sauce is in the microwave, mince 10g of fresh garlic. Fresh garlic is far better, but tubed garlic works if you don't have any.

Drain the boiled noodles well and, while they're piping hot, add them to the bowl with the sauce and toss to coat evenly. The egg white cooks just enough to bring out its sweetness.

Top with the minced garlic, sprinkle with black pepper, and add a small dab of mayonnaise on the side so you can mix it in or dip as you go.