Eating My First Bowl Of Ramen In Tokyo Japan

I looked down at the bowl of Ramen served before me. The bowl was the realization of me pressing down a few buttons with a picture on each of them on an automated machine and letting it swallow my 1000 Yen bills just a few minutes ago.

It was my first Japan trip. My friends and I were at a bar-style table inside a hole-in-the-wall restaurant in Shibuya. I didn’t think much when we ducked inside the cloth-curtained (Noren) entrance. The pleasant Autumn breeze in the morning was turning into heavy rain by lunchtime, and I was ready to eat anything.

We were greeted with the friendly “Irasshaimase” and quickly pointed out to the ordering machine. There was no English instruction or menu, but it was easy to figure out how to operate the device thanks to the universal language of pictures and the Yen sign. That was when I realized that it was a Ramen restaurant.

Ramen, You Say?

Initially from China, the noodle soup gained popularity in Japan when the Chinese traders opened a famous Lamien noodle store in Yokohama Chinatown more than a century ago. It slowly turned into an original dish of Japan, with the first Ramen stall opened in Asakusa, Tokyo, almost a century ago.

Ramen base soup is usually made of meat or fish broth, seasoned well and simmered for hours to enhance its flavour. The noodle itself is typically wheat-based. The bowl traditionally has various toppings, from sliced meat, crushed onion, dried seaweed, and corn. It’s then garnished with green onions and other seasonings and served either hot or cold.

Ramen has become a staple dish in Japan, with each region adapting its version of it.

Ramen sounds quite tasty, right?

The thing is that I never liked any noodle soup. Be it Vietnamese Pho or Indonesian Soto. I always struggled to finish it. Also, I like my food spicy, and on that day, I forgot to bring my Indonesian chilli flakes, Boncabe, which I pack in my luggage whenever I travel. So the bowl in front of me didn’t look spicy at all. If anything, it looked overwhelming. At least I felt overwhelmed.

I guess this would be when I let you in on a little secret; for someone who claims to be an adventurous foodie, I have never had Ramen.

“Na, shall we?” I turned to see both of my friends waiting for me, who must look like someone who was scrying the future by staring at the soup bowl to start eating. My friends are good people I need not impress anymore (if they still wanted to be friends after the tumultuous period during our Uni time, they would stand by me forever). And I am sure they would still love me the same if I told them I didn’t want to eat and requested a shortstop at Yoshinoya once they finished their bowls.

But when did I become someone who wouldn’t even give something to try before saying no to it, especially regarding food?

My First Bowl of Ramen

I fastened the bib, took a deep breath and yelled “Itadakimasu” half-heartedly before lifting the ladle-like spoon full of soup into my mouth. It smelt delightful. The broth was thick and flavorful and enveloped me with warmness. Then, after several failed attempts at maneuvering between the chopsticks and the spoon, I slurped the noodles. The noodles were chewy and fresh, the meat was juicy, and the (previously soy-soaked) soft-boiled egg added just the right mix of sweetness and saltiness. I didn’t expect it to be this good.

I kept slurping loudly. Even though I never tried had it before, I did learn a bit about Japanese culture, including table manners, where I learned to slurp the noodles while eating is good. The louder, the better, as it’s supposed to add depth to the flavour. And my friends started slurping loudly as if they got the cue. It wasn’t an elegant scene.

When I finished eating my first bowl of Ramen, I felt like being slapped by an epiphany on why Ramen truly is a Japanese comfort food. And I finally found a bowl of noodle soup, which perfectly fit my heart and tummy. So much so that the next day, I went to the same place for a quick pick-me-up bowl, unbeknown to my friends.

Ramen Around Japan and The World

At Shin-Yokohama Ramen Museum, I learned that there are 19 regional ramen styles around Japan. So far, I have only eaten a few, including the ones in Tokyo: Tonkotsu Ramen, Hakata Furyu (where I had my first bowl of ramen) and Ichiran Ramen, and Osaka: Kinryu Ramen. Canned Ramen.

My favourite Ramen shops outside Japan are Hakata Gensuke in Melbourne and Jakarta.

Online, my go-to Ramen references are Friends in Ramen (blog) and Ramen Adventures (Youtuber). Or if you are lazy or prefer to stay in, especially during winter, like me, there are endless choices of instant ramen. Including the ones from some famous shops that reproduce the recipes, make them into cup noodles and sell them in convenience stores.

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