2017年 01月 02日 (月)
Leaving the beautiful metropolis of Tokyo, we journeyed out to an equally beautiful Yokohama, a port side city and one of Japan's major cities, at that. Why were we here? We were getting some sweet, sweet noods over at the Cup Noodles Museum.
Arriving ahead of schedule, we visited the superior Brickworks: Yokohama Red Brick Warehouses, found in the Minato Mirai 21 area. In the marketplace styled environment, you can find unique products from numerous stores, dine at the many food establishments, and catch the sickest egg flips. Walking past this restaurant's window, I was given a special look into the kitchen. Stopping to take some pics, I managed to gather a small crowd. Amazingly, the chef had his eyes fixed on us the whole time.
Properly running out of time, we made haste and backtracked to the museum for our reserved noodle making session. Between this and creating your own cup mix, the noodle making was inherently better (and less crowded). To partake in these activities, you’re required to make reservations. Now, they have an English site for info about the place. Reserving, however, can only be done on their Japanese site... With a lot of Google translate, I was able to book a spot.
With no time to admire the exhibits, I presented the correct reservation and paid the ¥1000 combo fee (50/50 entry & making). Rushing to the creation space, dubbed as the “Chicken Ramen Factory”, we were the last few to enter... midway into the intro. Hands sanitised and cute aprons/bandanas on, we "tuned" in for the Japanese tutorial. Not that it was an issue. The whole time, we had no communication difficulties and English instructions were available.
Finishing that, we headed over to the benches and got cooking. Here, we met Komatsu, our guide/helper for the session. He was fantastic. Encouraging us with cheers and comments, he made the experience a really memorable one. My absolute favourite line, “fast equals delicious”, got us driven to create the best batch. Which, in turn, created a little competition. At the end of each step, he'd comment on our efforts. And like a bunch of kids, we'd compare our "grades". Great quality was rewarded with a joyful excellent and anything less than stellar received a measly だいじょうぶ (read: an insult to the industry).
Since this activity was completed in pairs, our odd member - Wilson - paired with Komatsu. In saying that, even with his professional partner, he was still crushed by yours truly Like I'd lose.
As like all dough, it needed to rest, which allowed us to work on our packet designs during the intermissions. If I recall correctly, the stages were: make dough and knead ➡ press out flat ➡ roll thin ➡ noodalise and cut ➡ season and toss ➡ fry ➡ seal and pack.
Seeing the fruits of our labour come to life… it was… emotional. Sealing the noodles in our one of a kind bags, we were given the crumbly leftovers and an extra ready-made packet, for those who wanted to preserve their creations. Awesome.
Leaving the Chicken Factory, we grabbed some lunch at the Noodles Bazaar. A cafeteria with noodle dishes heralding from all over the world. Being a Viet, I had to try their take of phở. I knew it wasn’t going to be great but I still had to try. It wasn’t good. The broth lacked a lot of flavour and the two miserable pieces of “beef” only exemplified my prejudices.
The D.I.Y making. Too damn busy.
With time back on our side, we explored the rest of the museum. There were a lot of wonderful exhibits dotted around the beautifully modern space, especially the chronological noodle gallery. And of course, we couldn’t leave without visiting the gift store. It’s well priced and there was a decent selection available.
I whip my hair back 'n forth
I whip my hair back 'n forth
I whip my hair back 'n forth
Exiting the museum, Wilson departed from the group to visit Asakusa Senso-ji (spoiler alert, he didn't. Surprise, surprise, he lazed at home the whole time). As for us, we returned to the Mirai 21 area until evening. Again, we've barely scratched the surface of what this wonderful city has to offer (like the ramen museum) and definitely warrants more visits.
Returning to Tokyo, we gave Harajuku a slightly more thorough visit; it’s better when half of the district wasn’t closed. Strolling the down the roads, we encountered a footpath chock full of food stalls and customers eager for a bite. As I followed my nose towards the savoury smells, I soon followed my stomach’s desire for some sweet crêpes.
Splitting off again, Carolyn and I visited yet another paradise of mine: Tsutaya Daikanyama (T-Site). A jaw dropping-ly gorgeous bookstore, both inside and out. Not exclusively a book store though, they also have on offer: movies, music, a café and many lounge spaces to enjoy the books before purchasing. I reeaaally want one of these in Adelaide. Every other bookstore just pales in comparison. The vast range and collections available, the elegant wood architecture and the peacefulness – it was just perfect.
What’s also really great about this Tsutaya is that it opens until 2:00! But seeing as trains aren't operational then, we didn’t quite have the luxury. If only I was born into richness, I’d be able bring back shelves worth of books.
Being late in the night, I forewent regrouping and returned straight home. Getting a night’s rest, I wanted to be ready for tomorrow’s giant tour. Bouncing around Tokyo, I was going to visit all the BIC Cameras - The BICest Tour. Thank you for reading and join me next time.