Image Courtesy of Pizza Hut
Pizza Hut Launches Controversial Shoyu Ramen Pizza. Here Are the Details
February 21, 2025
Pizza Hut is again making headlines for a controversial new pizza added to its menu. This time, it’s the Shoyu Ramen Pizza that’s both delighting and infuriating Japanese customers. Let’s look at what we know about this wacky new addition.
Pizza Hut Makes the Shoyu Ramen Pizza Available in Japan
Geekspin reports that Pizza Hut’s Shoyu Ramen Pizza is a unique blend of Japanese ramen’s robust flavors and the comfortable appeal of pizza. This one-of-a-kind creation begins with a crispy crust base coated with a soy sauce-infused tonkatsu (pork bone) sauce, which has a deep, umami-rich flavor.
To recreate a typical ramen bowl, it is stacked with ramen noodles, thick-cut chashu (roasted pork), and chopped pork back fat. A dash of red ramen seasoning brings authentic flavor, while a “blend of garlic, Gouda, and mozzarella cheeses adds a creamy, savory finish.” To top it off, fresh green onions add a burst of flavor and a tribute to classic ramen toppings.
Pizza Hut’s Shoyu Ramen Pizza has received mixed reviews from those who have tasted it. According to Unseen Japan writer Jay Allen, the pizza resembles a bowl of ramen dumped onto a pizza crust — a strange appearance that isn’t strictly unappealing, but also not particularly enticing. His main criticism was the high carbohydrate content, characterizing it as “a slew of additional curbs on bread with a few thin slices of meat.” While the chashu was surprisingly tasty, he believed it lacked the “cheesy meatiness” that distinguishes a typical pizza.
Pizza Hut’s Shoyu Ramen Pizza is available for a limited time in 579 Pizza Hut stores around Japan from Feb. 3 to March 9. This one-of-a-kind offering is only available in Japan and costs 2,350 yen (about $15.48) for the pizza alone or 2,540 yen (approximately $16.73) with a bottle of Black Okinawa Ryu tea, according to Geekspin.
Not the First Wacky Pizza on the Menu
This isn’t the only wacky pizza that Pizza Hut has had on its menu. In November 2024, Pizza Hut in China offered what it called a Deep-Fried Frog Pizza.
The pie had two black olives, a split hard-boiled egg, and a deep-fried frog. All of this was served on a thick crust over a bed of parsley and red sauce. The olives and egg halves were arranged to resemble the amphibian’s eyes.
The protein-rich pizza, dubbed the “goblin pizza,” was allegedly introduced in conjunction with the fantasy game Dungeons & Dragons. The reaction to the pie on social media was exactly what one could expect.
It was called “pure blasphemy” by one Redditor. Someone else maintained that “whoever made that pizza should go to a gulag,” while another called it a “pizza felony.” Another person said, “I don’t mind frogs, but bones don’t belong on pizza.”
“Stunt foods” is not a claim exclusive to Pizza Hut. KFC started offering “pink and black burgers” in China several years ago. Additionally, Burger King marketed crimson hamburgers in Japan.
And they are not just found in foreign countries. McDonald’s has previously served pumpkin-spiced french fries, and Burger King introduced the Whopperito. Additionally, Pizza Hut began selling pizzas with hot dog-stuffed crust in the United States in 2015, which (unsurprisingly) did not catch on.
Pizza Hut in the United States also tested selling its own “stunt food” last November: tomato wine.
The wine, which was created with Irvine’s Just Beyond Paradise Winery in Kansas, was made with ripe, delicious tomatoes and organically infused with basil. Each adult beverage bottle contained all the ingredients required to make a tasty pizza.
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