This ramen shop at LaQua, Ichiran, allows the diner to be almost entirely anonymous—just like a love hotel.
After selecting and paying for your meal at a ticket vending machine, you are handed a slip of paper and sent to your own private eating booth ion a row of similar booths.
The paper lets you choose the amount of garlic and spice in your ramen, how you want your noodles cooked and wheter you want slices of charshiu (Chinese pork) or not. After you circle your selections, you ring the bell and from the other side of the red curtain, hands come forth to take your ticket.
A perky voice behind the curtain, accompanied by a glimpse of apron-covered midsection, explains that they will make your ramen now and please wait a few minutes. An egg in a bowl appears. You can have this for just 100 yen, if you want it. An empty water glass is set on the counter next to your private tap.
In a few minutes, a steaming bowl of ramen is delivered. The egg, being unwanted, is removed. You are wished a pleasant meal and the bamboo curtain is lowered. Whether this is to keep you from watching the staff moving around mysteriously, or whether it’s to spare them the sight of your slurping, I’m not sure.
It’s quaint and different. The ramen is good with a Hakata-style broth. I can understand why there is always a queue to get in.
Posted by kuri at June 15, 2003 05:38 PMJapanese people love “ramen”, I think. Well what kind of taste do you like? salty taste? soy-sauce taste? or TONKOTSU (Hakata-style) taste?. I like symple soy-sauce taste.
Posted by: Mieko on June 16, 2003 08:45 AMHaha! Clever and quirky. Reminds me of an old-time automat.
Posted by: Razor on June 16, 2003 11:16 AMHaving had ramen here in the US (how did I get through college without them) and in Japan, I can say that the real version in Japan are much better then the pre-packaged style here in the US. The US ones dont even do it justice. The restuarant sounds neat..
Posted by: Mike on June 17, 2003 09:13 PM