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A bowl of instant ramen noodles in a pale, creamy broth topped with sliced scallions
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Main Japanese Asian

Kewpie Mayo Ramen

The viral Japanese instant-ramen upgrade, an egg, a spoonful of Kewpie mayo and a grated garlic clove whisked in the serving bowl, then tempered with the hot noodle water so the mayo's oil and egg yolk emulsify into a silky broth that eats like a five-hour tonkotsu. The whole trick lives in pouring the hot water in slowly while whisking, since dumping it in all at once scrambles the egg instead of turning it into body for the broth.

Prep3 min
Cook3 min
Servings1
Cook mode

Adapted from Christie at Home's Kewpie mayo ramen hack and Lindsey Eats' ten minute mayo ramen. The trick comes from Japanese instant-ramen fans and spread through the Way of Ramen YouTube channel before TikTok picked it up.

Ingredients

Written for a 2 L pot

Units
Temperature
Servings
1

Broth base, built in the serving bowl

  • 1 egg, whole for a lighter broth, yolk only for a richer one
  • 15 g Kewpie mayonnaise, or another thick, creamy mayonnaise
  • 1 garlic clove, finely grated
  • 1 seasoning packet from the ramen

Noodles

  • 1 instant ramen block with soup base, spicy ones like Shin Ramyun or Jin Ramen work especially well
  • 500 ml water

Toppings

  • 15 g scallion, thinly sliced
  • 5 ml chili oil (optional)

Method

  1. Build the base in the serving bowl. Whisk the egg, Kewpie mayonnaise, grated garlic and the seasoning packet together in a large, deep serving bowl until smooth.
  2. Cook the noodles. Bring the water to a boil in a small pot. Add the noodle block and cook for about 2 minutes, roughly 1 minute less than the packet says, until just al dente. They finish softening in the hot broth.
  3. Temper slowly. This is the whole recipe. Ladle about half of the piping hot noodle water into the bowl a little at a time, whisking constantly. Poured in gradually, the hot water warms the egg gently and the mayo emulsifies into a creamy broth. Poured in all at once, it scrambles the egg.
  4. Finish. Add the remaining noodle water and the noodles and toss so the broth coats every strand. Top with scallion and chili oil if using, and eat immediately.

Notes

  • Kewpie is worth seeking out but not worth a special trip. Japanese mayo is made with egg yolks only, so it is richer and slightly sweeter than Western mayo. Any thick, creamy mayonnaise such as Thomy or Hellmann’s makes a very good bowl; the broth just tastes a little less of egg.
  • The heat should come from the noodle packet, not from added chili. A spicy Korean ramyeon like Shin Ramyun or Jin Ramen gives the creamy broth something to push against. With a mild packet, the chili oil topping does the same job.
  • Grate the garlic, do not chop it. The clove essentially cooks out in the hot broth when grated to a paste; chopped, it stays raw and harsh.
  • This is the soup-style member of a small family. Creamy buldak cheese ramen is the saucy Korean sibling, and cheesy kimchi ramen is the Korean home-style pot version.
  • Best eaten the moment it is mixed. The emulsion does not hold or reheat well.

Sources consulted

Good with

Sources consulted

From Christoph Mayer

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