JAL to serve a healthy “Tonkotsu style” ramen in collaboration with Kyushu Jangara

JAL will start serving a healthy "Tonkotsu style" ramen in First Class and Business Class.  Image by Japan Airlines.

Can you image a tonkotsu (pork bone broth) style ramen without pork or meat? That's exactly what Japan Airlines (JAL) will be serving from December 1 2013 on select long-haul flights to Japan. JAL has collaborated with a famous ramen place "Kyushu Jangara" in Japan to develop this healthy version of the classic tonkotsu ramen. This is probably JAL's response to ANA's collaboration with IPPUDO

Vegetarian Tonkotsu style ramen available on JAL Anytime You Wish menu. Image by Japan Airlines.

So how is this healthier? First JAL was able to deliver similar flavors and richness of the soup without using any meat or extract for the soup, noodles or toppings! Instead, the milk-white soup is stew made with several kinds of vegetables. So you could drink every last drop of the soup without feeling guilty :)

Also, the wheat noodles are also prepared without eggs and you could enjoy the same toppings of cloud ear fungus, bamboo shoots, green onions, and veggie pork, ginger, and sesame that Kyushu Jangara used at its stores.

Interestingly this is only available on select long-haul flights to Japan but not the other way round. This is probably why the ramen cannot contain meat as there are stricter regulations that prohibit ANA from serving its own tonkotsu ramen on flights departing from the US. If you are traveling in First Class and Business Class on flights from Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, London, Frankfurt and Paris to Japan, you will be able to order this from the Anytime You Wish a la carte menu after the first meal from December 1 2013. The shouyu ramen and sansai udon will continue to be served on other flights, at least according to the December menu.

For more details, you can refer to JAL Press Release (Japanese, English)

Now I have to reserve room to this special ramen and AIR YOSHINOYA on my coming flight in December. Yes, you read it right, JAL will be serving AIR YOSHINOYA in December too. Read more in the next post ;)