Ode to Noodle, Part 2
When we left off, Jon and I were just waking down the stairs into the eating portion of the museum. From this point on, it turned into more of a food-themed-amusement park, rather than anything of an educational sort. The food court was less exciting than expected. As is everything in Japan, it was a maze of people. so. many. people.
There were 9 of the top ramen restaurants in the country represented here, with each eatery offering regular and half sized portions. Going in, we planned to get a half bowl from 4 different places, grab a table and compare.
Once we got there, we had to make a game time decision. It turned out that these weren’t ramen *carts* but actual restaurants. After waiting in line for 30 minutes to get into one of them, we ordered from a vending machine and sat down for a tremendously filling lunch. In the battle of Ramen vs. teamEggers, ramen won this round. It was a lot of food.
You may be asking yourself “what are these vending machines Michelle’s been talking about?” Glad you asked! I took a picture of this one just for you, dear reader.
first, then push a button and out spits these little tickets (which you hand to the waitress/cook inside).
Now that we’ve mastered the vending machine, I love it. I think it’s an exciting, very casual way to have dinner.
I like cooks. They’re an odd breed but for whatever reason, I feel like I understand them. I find it really comforting to watch the hum and rhythm of a professional kitchen.
At the vending machine, we pushed three buttons. There are usually a few mystery side dishes on the menu and for a dollar, i think it’s an exciting adventure. This time… not so good. Pickled bamboo shoots. Meh.
This one was slimy (I think the green bits on top were okra.) and only medium-good.
After ramen-day it was back on the train for us and off to a different part of Yokohama to tour the Kirin brewery. Stay tuned for more on that.