We find out if KFC ramen should be a thing, and the results are surprising.

Our band of merry reporters has a few shameless vices, two of which are a love for fast food and ramen. While we don’t usually indulge in both at the same time, that all changed this week when our ever-adventurous reporter Seiji Nakazawa wondered whether KFC chicken would make a delicious ramen broth.

Of course, fried chicken and water wouldn’t create a lot of flavour on its own, so he decided to really give this idea a fighting chance by pairing it with one of his all-time favourite instant noodle brands — Chicken Ramen.

If you’d like to follow along with Seiji’s original recipe, then all you have to do is grab yourself a couple of fried chicken pieces and a pack of Chicken Ramen. If you’re unable to get a hold of Chicken Ramen in your neighbourhood, any instant noodle with a chicken-based broth sachet will suffice.

The first step is to make the stock, and to do that you’ll need to remove the chicken bones and separate them from the meat.

The bones are easily removed, and Seiji recommends leaving a bit of meat on the bones to add extra flavour. Reserve the separated meat for plating later.

Next, boil the bones in a pot of water. After bringing the mixture to a boil, lower the heat and remove the lye that accumulates on top.

Simmer on low heat for around 10 minutes to bring out the flavour. Once that’s done, you’ll have a glistening, fatty soup stock that looks like it was made in a restaurant.

Now all that’s left to do is dish up, so pop the Chicken Ramen in a bowl — this brand has the seasoning within the noodles so if you’re using another brand be sure to add the flavour sachet as well — and then pour over a ladle or two of the KFC chicken stock.

Place a lid or plate over the bowl and wait three minutes for everything to meld together.

Upon lifting the lid after three minutes, the broth looked clearer than usual, which was a nice surprise.

Now it’s time to complete the dish by adding the chicken meat, and if you so desire, a pack of fries on the side.

The smell of Chicken Ramen and KFC wafted up to Seiji’s nostrils like some heavenly seductress, drawing his head down to the bowl for a taste.

▼ Oh?

▼ Oh…

Seiji’s head disappeared deep into the bowl as he slurped up mouthful after mouthful of delicious ramen. The KFC chicken on the side was a fantastic addition to the dish, and it wouldn’t have taste half as good without the KFC broth bringing it all together.

It truly was the best of both worlds, with the Chicken Ramen seasoning brought to a whole new level of deliciousness with the extra depth of flavour provided by the KFC broth.

The broth gave the ramen an even more addictive quality, and the chicken made things 100 times more delicious.

The secret herbs and spices from the fried chicken had made its way into the soup as well, creating an evolved flavour that was so good it was bordering on ridiculous.

If you love chicken ramen, this is a dish you simply have to try. Be warned, though, because once you’ve tried it, you may never be able to return to plain noodles ever again. It’s no wonder KFC’s original chicken pieces are one of the top four things recommended by KFC staff in Japan, and now we know they make a good ramen broth, those chicken bones will never go to waste again!

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[ Read in Japanese ]