Lightning-Fast Ichiran-Style Tonkotsu Ramen with Marutai Ramen

First, make the red sauce. Simply mix doubanjiang and gochujang in a 1:1 ratio for a spicy-savory sauce that combines heat and sweetness.

Pour water into a pot. Since we're customizing this, use slightly more than the specified amount. This lets you enjoy plenty of broth and leaves room to adjust the flavor later.

Add grated garlic and Soumi Shantan to the water. The garlic brings punch and umami, while the Shantan adds richness, aroma, and the savory depth of meat and vegetables, instantly giving the broth body and depth.

Turn on the heat and bring to a boil. Marutai ramen doesn't need to be boiled separately, so you can make it just like this. Once the broth warms up, stir with a ladle to dissolve the seasonings thoroughly.

Once it boils it can easily bubble over, so lower the heat slightly, add the noodles, and boil for 2 minutes. The usual time is 3 minutes, but shorten it a bit to account for residual heat.

When you add the noodles, the starch on their surface dissolves and makes them stick together, so gently loosen them as they cook. Warming the ramen bowl with hot water beforehand keeps it from cooling down until the end.

When the time is up, turn off the heat and add the included powdered soup and seasoning oil. If you open the powdered soup packet over the pot, the steam makes it damp and it sticks to the packet, so open it away from the pot and add it all at once.

The reason for adding them off the heat is to prevent the aromatic compounds from evaporating and the flavor from being lost, and to keep the water from evaporating and making it too salty. Adding them off the heat brings the aroma and salt balance to their best state.

Finally, add the milk. The milk fat and protein emulsify the broth, finishing it as a mellow, rich tonkotsu soup. As the oil and water blend evenly, the texture instantly becomes creamy.

Once everything is mixed well, warm it lightly to finish. Turn off the heat just before it boils and serve in a bowl.

Line up the noodles neatly to improve the presentation.

Place the red sauce in the center and it's done. Add green onion as desired. The red sauce coats the noodles and dissolves into the broth, letting you enjoy the combination of spicy-savory flavor and rich tonkotsu.