ramen
if you've never eaten ramen before, then please - drop everything you are holding, stop what you are doing, and go out now to search for a bowl of this superb noodle soup. but of course, if you aren't living in japan (or china maybe), you most likely won't be able to find a decent one. believe me when i say this is the best food in the world!
originating in china, this dish was only introduced to japan in the early 1900s. since then, it has become extremely popular, being so quick and simple to make, and quite cheap. nowadays, every locality in japan boasts its own unique type of ramen. nothing on this planet can beat the combination of the perfectly boiled noodles, salty broth, pickled bamboo, spring onion, and the mouthwatering lashings of pork slices...
because ramen is the best food in the world, there has been a museum in yokohama established in its name. actually - it's more of a theme park than a museum, but they call it a museum so, whatever. some friends and i just had to go to investigate.
the place is amazing - this pic is from inside, where there is a huge recreation of tokyo from the year 1958. looks just like a movie scene! the photo isn't that great, but i'll get a better one soon. the best thing about this place is that all throughout, there are branches of the best of the best ramen shops from all regions of japan. which means the best ramen in japan can be eaten less than an hours train ride away from my house!!! of course, the best of the best is always changing, people get sick of things. getting a place in the ramen museum is like getting a place reserved in heaven - in terms of ramen. but it's not easy, if one of these places isn't getting enough business, then it's out with them and in with a new, more popular shop.
so fierce is the ramen competition, that rivals send out spies to get jobs as dish washers in their opponent's shops. these agents, so dilligent in their quest for ramen fame, quietly incapacitate their superiors one by one, and carry out stealthy robbery operations to steal the secret recipes from the ultra state-of-the-art walk-in vault at the back of every seedy, run-down ramen shop. actually no, that was a lie, but they do fiercely keep their ramen recipes secret.
ramen will be one of the things i miss most when i leave japan. but i feel a bit guilty about that, because really, it's not japanese.
originating in china, this dish was only introduced to japan in the early 1900s. since then, it has become extremely popular, being so quick and simple to make, and quite cheap. nowadays, every locality in japan boasts its own unique type of ramen. nothing on this planet can beat the combination of the perfectly boiled noodles, salty broth, pickled bamboo, spring onion, and the mouthwatering lashings of pork slices...
because ramen is the best food in the world, there has been a museum in yokohama established in its name. actually - it's more of a theme park than a museum, but they call it a museum so, whatever. some friends and i just had to go to investigate.
the place is amazing - this pic is from inside, where there is a huge recreation of tokyo from the year 1958. looks just like a movie scene! the photo isn't that great, but i'll get a better one soon. the best thing about this place is that all throughout, there are branches of the best of the best ramen shops from all regions of japan. which means the best ramen in japan can be eaten less than an hours train ride away from my house!!! of course, the best of the best is always changing, people get sick of things. getting a place in the ramen museum is like getting a place reserved in heaven - in terms of ramen. but it's not easy, if one of these places isn't getting enough business, then it's out with them and in with a new, more popular shop.
so fierce is the ramen competition, that rivals send out spies to get jobs as dish washers in their opponent's shops. these agents, so dilligent in their quest for ramen fame, quietly incapacitate their superiors one by one, and carry out stealthy robbery operations to steal the secret recipes from the ultra state-of-the-art walk-in vault at the back of every seedy, run-down ramen shop. actually no, that was a lie, but they do fiercely keep their ramen recipes secret.
ramen will be one of the things i miss most when i leave japan. but i feel a bit guilty about that, because really, it's not japanese.
posted by pauly at 12:10 AM
4 Comments:
There's an excellent noodle shop just near us in Military Rd, Neutral Bay. I reckon they would do a good ramen....
PS don't bother going to see "Broken Flowers", the new Bill Murray movie. It was absolutely hopeless.
Wow, Paul, you're a bloging machine now! Ramen is like the Japanese version of a kebab, there's always some to be found on the way home after a big night out. Enjoy
http://madjaymon.blogspot.com/2005/06/ramen-noodles.html
I was going to see Broken Flowers while was in Sydney... lucky I saved my monies then.
And kebabs are fantastic, the end.
Post a Comment
<< Home