{"id":1449,"date":"2025-07-12T06:00:29","date_gmt":"2025-07-12T13:00:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/?p=1449"},"modified":"2025-07-12T06:00:29","modified_gmt":"2025-07-12T13:00:29","slug":"japan-has-a-new-energy-drink-designed-to-pair-with-one-of-its-favorite-instant-noodle-brands","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/?p=1449","title":{"rendered":"Japan has a new energy drink designed to pair with one of its favorite instant noodle brands"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-707023\" src=\"https:\/\/soranews24.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/07\/IMG_2953.jpg?w=640\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span><strong>Get in the U.F.O. ZONe and brace yourself<\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><\/span><\/p>\n<p>It could be said that there is no finer dining than a can of energy drink and plastic tub of instant yakisoba noodles. I mean, I just said it right now, and it was easy. I might do it again someday.<\/p>\n<p>Whether you agree or not is another matter, but the makers of Japanese energy drink brand <a href=\"https:\/\/soranews24.com\/2022\/12\/08\/with-entrance-exams-looming-ads-that-only-students-can-see-appear-in-tokyo-train-stations\/\">ZONe<\/a> conducted research that found many consumers bought such drinks and Nissin\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/soranews24.com\/2023\/05\/16\/what-happens-if-you-make-instant-noodles-with-coca-cola-instead-of-water\/\">U.F.O. instant yakisoba<\/a> together.<\/p>\n<p>So they decided to join forces and develop <strong>U.F.O. ZONe Energy<\/strong>, which was released in Japan on 24 June. This energy drink is tailored to perfectly complement the taste of U.F.O.\u2019s rich sauce while also keeping the core taste of ZONe intact.<\/p>\n<p>To find out if they succeeded, we peeled our resident energy drink reviewer Ahiruneko off the ceiling to try some out. After buying a 400-milliliter (13.5-ounce) bottle for 208 yen (US$1.40), he examined the design.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-707010\" src=\"https:\/\/soranews24.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/07\/batch_IMG_2960.jpg?w=640\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" \/><\/p>\n<p>It combined elements of regular ZONe and distinct features from U.F.O., such as the slogan \u201cCrazy Rich, Stimulating Energy Flavor,\u201d which is a reference to the \u201cCrazy Rich, Thick Sauce\u201d written on some tubs of U.F.O.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-707011\" src=\"https:\/\/soranews24.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/07\/batch_IMG_2956.jpg?w=640\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Under the hood, we\u2019re looking at <strong>150 milligrams of caffeine, the most ever used in a ZONe product, and 800 milligrams of arginine<\/strong> for a bolder taste.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-707012\" src=\"https:\/\/soranews24.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/07\/batch_IMG_2959.jpg?w=640\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Ahiruneko poured out a glass of U.F.O. ZONe Energy and found that it even has a deeper, darker color reminiscent of yakisoba sauce.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-707013\" src=\"https:\/\/soranews24.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/07\/batch_IMG_2964.jpg?w=640\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-707014\" src=\"https:\/\/soranews24.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/07\/image-6.jpg?w=640\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s what standard ZONe looks like for comparison.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-707016\" src=\"https:\/\/soranews24.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/07\/batch_021.jpg?w=640\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" \/><\/p>\n<p>He then took a sip and found it to have a rather typical energy drink flavor. However, just as he wondered where the Crazy Rich, Stimulating Energy Flavor was, it hit him like a ton of bricks in the form of <strong>an intense sourness<\/strong>. It certainly woke him up, so he couldn\u2019t complain.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-707017\" src=\"https:\/\/soranews24.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/07\/batch_IMG_2968.jpg?w=640\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" \/><\/p>\n<p>But according to the promotional material for this product, the combination of U.F.O. ZONe Energy and U.F.O. instant yakisoba together will make you \u201cfeel like you were slapped in the face.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-707018\" src=\"https:\/\/soranews24.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/07\/batch_IMG_2954.jpg?w=640\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" \/><\/p>\n<p>In the spirit of confirming this, Ahiruneko started heating up a tub of U.F.O., but as he stared at this pairing, he wondered if it was safe for a man his age to be eating.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-707019\" src=\"https:\/\/soranews24.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/07\/IMG_2978.jpg?w=640\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" \/><\/p>\n<p>In the end, he determined he wasn\u2019t getting any younger and dug in. First, he scooped up a wad of noodles with that unmistakably bold, tangy, and spicy zip that U.F.O. is known for. It made our writer think that just tea or water would be fine, because no drink could play well with a flavor this intense.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-707020\" src=\"https:\/\/soranews24.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/07\/IMG_2985_15e426.jpg?w=640\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" \/><\/p>\n<p>He then washed it down with a sip of U.F.O. ZONe Energy and was amazed by how balanced it was with the noodles. <strong>The drink on its own was peculiarly sour-tasting, but that same sourness entwined mysteriously well with the flavor profile of the yakisoba.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-707021\" src=\"https:\/\/soranews24.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/07\/batch_IMG_2988.jpg?w=640\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" \/><\/p>\n<p>And with this pattern of alternating between eating and drinking, Ahiruneko felt the energizing effects take hold more gradually.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-707022\" src=\"https:\/\/soranews24.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/07\/IMG_2991.jpg?w=640\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" \/><\/p>\n<p>It certainly wasn\u2019t the strongest energy drink he\u2019d ever had, but this unique combination of food and drink was really interesting. So, if you\u2019re looking for <a href=\"https:\/\/soranews24.com\/2013\/07\/15\/we-make-red-bull-chicken-wings\/\">a new energy drink experience<\/a>, this would be the one to try.<\/p>\n<p><em>Photos \u00a9SoraNews24<\/em><br \/>\n<em>\u25cf Want to hear about SoraNews24\u2019s latest articles as soon as they\u2019re published? <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/RocketNews24En\">Follow us on Facebook<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RocketNews24En\">Twitter<\/a>!<\/em><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Get in the U.F.O. ZONe and brace yourself. It could be said that there is no finer dining than a can of energy drink and plastic tub of instant yakisoba&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":[],"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1449","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-rss"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1449","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1449"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1449\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1449"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1449"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1449"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}