Shinjuku, Japan
October 10, 2014
Japan is known to have vending machines for almost anything. Even for ramen? That was totally unexpected!
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| A vending machine for ramen. I don't know where to start! |
It would be a shame to be in Japan without having some ramen. We decided it was time to get a taste of the local specialty. Short of doing the "eenie meenie miney moe" method, we picked out Yasubee from a list of ramen shops recommended by our hotel concierge.
If we hadn't been paying attention, we would have walked right past it. Thank goodness we noticed the billboard by the entrance. The English website yasubee.com was written on it.
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| There it is on the bottom right hand corner: yasubee.com |
The ramen shop is a long and narrow space like most restaurants in the area. This one had a long counter with seating for only a dozen people. The bar-like counter faced an open kitchen where you could see the chefs prepare your order while you wait.
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| Tight space but their ramen bursts with flavor |
A host greeted us at the door with a few nods and then he pointed us to the vending machine. We were dumbfounded. While we tried to figure things out, a line of patrons was forming behind us. We had to step aside and let them go ahead while we watched.
The process starts with making a menu selection by pressing the corresponding buttons. After paying, the vending machine dispenses a ticket that you hand to the host. He in turn gives it to the kitchen staff who facilitates your order. Meanwhile, the host seats you and then after a few minutes, your order is handed to you over the counter. Sound simple?
Well, the buttons and selections were all in Japanese characters so that didn't help us. Haha! We still didn't know what to do! I finally asked the host to explain and show us how. He pulled the Eigo Menyu (English menu). What a relief!
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| Yasubee's English menu complete with instructions on how to use the vending machine. |
Step 1: Choose your noodles.
Tsukemen is the Japanese style with the noodles served separately because you dip them in the broth. Ramen is the Chinese style with the noodles are served in the same bowl as the soup.
Step 2: Choose your broth flavors (soy sauce, miso, or salty) and serving size.
Step 3: Choose your toppings: choices range from sea weeds to flavored eggs, mixed vegetables, or roasted pork.
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| Choices of toppings for your tsukemen or ramen |
For a first-time customer, I'm proud to say I made a good and tasty ramen selection. The only thing I messed up was the size. My spoon looked more like a soup ladle. And just look at that mondo-sized bowl. That could have easily fed four!
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| A huge helping of ramen with roasted pork and a side of mixed vegetables. |
This story continued from Tokyo from the Top, a travel series about Japan.
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