I’m generally skeptical about Asian boxed broths. 9 times out of 10, you’re better off starting from scratch for even the simplest miso or shoyu-based soups. Tonkotsu broth is the exception. It’s a commitment and takes a looooonnnnnng time. So this time, I said, ok, let’s see what Costco’s got with this Kirkland Tonkotsu Ramen broth.
It comes in a box of 4 ($18.99) so it wasn’t too crazy a commitment. I poured the carton into a sauce pan to heat up, and because it’s pretty high in sodium, I added 1/2 c. water to dilute it a bit. You can see it’s got the right milky appearance for tonkotsu. Good start.
Pretty much everything else came from Uwajimaya, our local Asian market. Sun Noodles Chijire Kaedama Ramen (it’s 2 servings to a package), premade chashu, and green onions. Highly recommend the Sun Noodles. They supply restaurants on the reg, and they make good noodles.
Some eaters in our house don’t go for the soft boiled egg, so we skipped it this time. And of course, canned corn. That Trader Joe’s canned corn is as sweet and crispy as they promise. And damn, if all together, it doesn’t make some pretty tasty ramen!! I know some folks were looking for a thicker broth, similar to the way restaurant tonkotsu ramen would be, with more collagen from the pork and chicken bones, but this was fine for us. It’s worth it to make the extra effort to get the right noodles.
I don’t know how fast we’ll go through the remaining 3 boxes, but I’d definitely get it again. Now I just need everyone else to go try it so Costco will keep it around!