It's blocks and blocks of electronic stores, restaurants, and arcades. It's a video gamers paradise!
We spent most of the day exploring Akihabara, including a trip to an arcade (8 floors of fun - no Sonic and Tails at Sega though) and a tour of the Sony building (which included a preview of their new 3-D TV that they've been advertising lately. It was nauseating to watch). I bought headphones at the Sony building, had to get something (they didn't have any robots for purchase, unfortunately!).
There were quite a few times when we were in Japan where we didn't know what we ordered. Lunch this day was one of those times. While walking up and down the side streets, we stumbled upon a ramen restaurant and immediately sat down at the counter. We weren't there for 30 seconds when the cook ushered us outside.
This is what we found:
Japan: eliminating servers one restaurant at a timeThe ramen lunch machine was kind of easy to figure out. I just picked what looked good based on its picture. everything else, on the other hand, was a mystery. See the yellow and blue buttons? Yeah, I don't know what that says either. It was worth a shot to try though, right?
Once we inserted our money we each got a ticket - which we then handed over to a smiling cook.
My ramen was delightful. It was the second ramen we had on the trip and this was way better than the (chain restaurant?) first time. It took resistence not to pick up the bowl and start chugging. Not that it matters, there aren't too many manners when you eat ramen. For a country that is so shy (in my opinion), the way ramen is eaten is surprising. Slurping is not only accepted, it's expected!And what of those blue and yellow buttons? Well the yellow one was an order of dumplings! And my blue button was a beer. Evan's blue button, unfortunately, was some sort of vodka/sake/mystery liquor drink. Not everyone wins at Lunch Roulette!
so. many. noodles.
Betsy 1 : Ramen 0
I wish I could find ramen like this in Boston...it's been two months (!!!!) and I still think about it.
This is the coolest thing ever. I'd have been happy with a beer or the vodka sake drink! long as it had booze! Have you tried Wagamama? I liked their ramen bowls. Allthought I am sure it doesn't compare to anything in Tokyo.
ReplyDeletelove this post! i want to hop on a plane right now!
ReplyDeleteThat's so cool! If we had that America though, millions of college kids would be unemployed.
ReplyDeleteSorry about the robots.
Thanks all :-)
ReplyDeleteHello there! Just found your blog through an old college friend, and thought I'd let you know that those little blue and yellow buttons on the Japanese machine are for how many grams of noodles you want. People in Japan are very conscious of not wasting food, so it's a way to be respectful and order only as much as you plan to eat. My husband and I encountered the same sorts of machines when we were in Tokyo. Happy eating!
ReplyDeleteah, good to know Nicole!
ReplyDelete