Red (Spicy King) noodles. [Photo provided to China Daily]

"The rich, pork flavor explodes in the mouth like a bomb," says Nobuhiro of his favorite creation, adding that the regular version is a mere bullet by comparison.

It took about two years for the team to prepare for the first outlet in China, including finding the right breed of pigs for pork, and trying literally about 60 types of noodles popular in Shanghai to learn about local tastes. (His favorite discovery: Chinese soup noodles topped with wok-fried bullfrog.) The team has been so fastidious about the soup that a special water-filter machine has been imported and installed to soften the water, which is considered the blood of a noodle bowl.

At the Shanghai store, the offerings include four types of ramen: classic white pork (Original King), red (Spicy King), squid ink (Dark King) and basil and Parmesan cheese (Green King), plus a "special king" that will change on a regular basis.

For the opening month, the special is a lobster bisquelike soup noodles, as in Japanese culinary culture, shellfish is the language for celebration as champagne is in French culture. It is offered for a limited number of 888 bowls, a lucky number in China.