The Raumen Museum

     Leave it to the nihonjin to come up with the concept of a food amusement park. The dish in question is ramen, the noodle soup crowd pleaser that satisfies the appetite like a slice of pizza at 4 PM on Lexington Avenue. Location is Shin Yokohama, about 45 minutes by underground train from the Manor plus one stop along the JR (Japan Rail). For Y 300 the visitor  steps into Showa 33 Tokyo (1958 New York), the year that instant ramen changed eating habits around the world. Wandering along alleyways are outlets of about ten well-known chains, along with a few bars and even a candy store with old fashioned treats.

    First neighbor Wanda-san introduced me to the hearty soup in the winter of 2007; in the Juban we devoured a spicy bowl at Ka for less than Y 1,000. The following year, under the tracks of Shinagawa  eki (station), Mme G and I discovered a joint that played the Beatles along with pork based ramen. Much later tomodachi san explained that light colored ramen is from Kyushu (the South), whereas Edoko prefer miso based. With shujin (husband) we ate at a shop with toilet bowl sized portions; I even queued with tomodachis at one of Tokyo's most popular shops, within walking distance to the Imperial Palace.

    Is there more to ramen than the 1985 "noodle western" Tampopo (Dandelion) starring Ken Watanabe? Hai, according to Iwaoka san, who founded the Raumen Museum with its deliberate strange spelling in 1994. On a weekend evening families and couples drank in the old-time ambiance along with the bowls of chow. Tomodachi san and I selected one of the less crowded outlets; I ordered the harukiya (soy based with pork, ginger and garlic). We drank remonade with its marble ball in the neck of the glass bottle. Oishkata (delicious)!