Genre famous for huge toppings adds weight to the menu for a limited time.

Pizza Hut is out to impress this month, with a brand new menu item called Buta Hut Atsugiri Noukou Seabura Shoyu Ramen Pizza. In English, this mouthful of a name translates as “Pork Hut Thick-Cut Rich Backfat Soy Sauce Ramen Pizza“, and it takes its inspiration from Jiro-style ramen.

Jiro-style ramen is a genre of noodles characterised by massive toppings that was started by a chain called Ramen Jiro, and its generous servings quickly garnered a fanbase that proudly refers to themselves as “Jirolians“.

▼ This is what you can get at Ramen Jiro

Whether you’re a newcomer to the genre or a diehard Jirolian who’ll literally sit through flames for that Jiro taste, this topping-heavy pizza will definitely whet your appetite. There’s domestically sourced pork back fat, which imparts a “melty” texture in the mouth, along with cabbage for sweetness, seasoned chashu pork for real ramen flavour, and thick noodles to help bring it all together. At the heart of it all, though, is a special sauce made with garlic and three kinds of blended pork bones, and it’s said to be so flavourful it could be mistaken for ramen broth.

Image: PR Times

It’s such a sinful combination that Pizza Hut is giving customers the option to purchase it as a set with Suntory Black Oolong Tea, which is said to suppress the absorption of fat.

▼ The set is appropriately called “Zaigakukan wo Sukoshi Demo Usumetain da” (“I want to dilute the guilt, even by a little“).

Image: PR Times

Our team never shys away from reveling in a sinful meal, so as soon as we heard about the new pizza we placed an order for it…without the oolong tea.

Priced at 2,750 yen (US$17.79) for delivery or 2,350 yen for takeout, this was slightly cheaper than the oolong tea set, which is on the menu at 2,940 yen for delivery or 2,540 for takeout. It only took half an hour to arrive in the office after ordering it, and our reporter P.K. Sanjun, who took charge of the pizza, immediately noticed something unusual about it.

▼ It was heavy!

Lifting the lid on this heavy meal released enticing wafts of ramen around the room, and P.K. soon found himself fighting off his colleagues who came over to admire the “world’s first Jiro-style pizza from Pizza Hut“.

P.K. called first dibs on the pizza, though, and when he pulled off a slice for himself, he couldn’t quite make out whether it was a mound of pizza or a mound of ramen.

▼ Look away, pizza purists!

Taking a big bite, P.K. nodded in agreement with everything the pizza told his taste buds. It was meaty, saucy and although the noodles were slightly difficult to eat, the combination was delicious, and totally authentic to Jiro-style ramen.

▼ However, when asked if he would go back for seconds, he declined, saying he’d prefer a Margherita.

That verdict gave others in the office the green light to pounce on the meal, with Seiji Nakazawa quick to give his judgement, saying the noodles got in the way of his pizza enjoyment, while Ikuna Kamezawa smiled and told us it wasn’t bad at all.

One thing everyone could agree on was that the cheesy ramen pizza was totally sinful, and the pork was a standout ingredient worthy of the “Buta Hut” nameplay. It won’t be around for long, though, so you’ll want to get in quick to try it while it’s on the menu, from 3 February to 9 March.

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