Style and Sundry: Yokohama: Noodles Over Canoodles

True story: I could hear the rain pouring hard as I began writing this story within the comforts of home. Even with bursts of sunshine in between days, the rainy season is truly upon us. Cuddle weather, ramen weather, whatever-you-wish-to-call-it weather, it definitely makes us want something that will keep us warm. That's why I find it really timely posting about our quick day-trip to Yokohama last April. Wonder what makes it timely? Well, read on to find out!

Yokohama, located south of Tokyo, is one of the most famous day-trip destinations from Japan's capital. Tourists can very well spend a full day in the city, but we decided to split the day between there and another nearby city (which I will be posting about soon too). After all, there were only two places that I was dying to check out in Yokohama, which I discovered thanks to the power of social media. Coincidentally, both had something to do with noodles.

First was the CUPNOODLES Museum. It's a sleek, modern museum with several exhibits and activities suited for different age groups. For one, you can learn about the beginnings of our beloved cup noodles, the brainchild of Momofuku Ando. Visitors can also learn how cup noodles are made, and even make your own Nissin cup noodles at the My CUPNOODLES Factory attraction! This was the part I was most excited about.

For a fee of JPY300 (on top of the museum's JPY500 entrance fee), you get your own cup from one of the vending machines. Afterwards, you will then be guided to a specific table in the customization area. Markers of different colors are provided, and you can personalize your cup whichever way you want. For my cup, I doodled a couple of cherry blossoms on the front. Then at the back, I wrote my name in katakana (エリカ) and drew an impression of Mount Fuji as a background.

After decorating, we then turned over our cups to the staff members. The first thing they will do is sanitize the inside of the cup. Once ready, they will put the cup in the machine that will add the noodles. For this step, you get to crank ~~that soulja boy~~ the handle which will turn the cup and make the noodles fit perfectly inside the cup. Yes, it's an upside-down process!

Once the noodles are in, you now get to decide which ingredients go into your own cup. The first thing you should choose is the soup flavor-- original (chicken broth base), seafood, chili tomato, or curry. Next up are the toppings, with over ten choices. I absolutely love Nissin's Seafood cup noodles, but I decided to try something new this time around. After all, it's not every day you get to make your own cup noodles! In the end, I went with the original CUPNOODLES soup topped with diced pork, spring onions, egg, and kimchi.

After adding everything in, the cup is then sealed, shrink-wrapped, and returned to you. To complete the whole process, you get to package it in a stylish "air package", which is puffed up using a manual air pump. Et voila! You now have your very own cup noodles, to be consumed within two months.

Wearing Zara blazer, Cotton On top, Levi's 501 jeans, Adidas Originals Superstar slip-ons

Just a few steps away from the museum is Cosmoworld, an amusement park. Its multi-color, neon-lit ferris wheel often completes the skyline of Minato Mirai, one of Yokohama's most iconic sights. However, during the time we were in the area, the park was not operating (not sure why).

From a modern, innovative take on noodles, we then went back to the past in the Shin-Yokohama Raumen Museum. The museum looks unassuming from the outside. But once you enter and head to the basement, you'll find yourself transported back to 1950's Tokyo. The "food court" is made up of nine stalls, which each serving distinct ramen from different regions of Japan (and surprisingly, a couple of Western franchises too). The concessionaires are also changed after a few months, allowing other homegrown brands to gain exposure, as well as allowing returning guests to try new ones if ever.

Before coming in, I expected a setup wherein you could try a bit of everything. Unfortunately, it did not work that way. In order to dine at a specific stall, the policy was one bowl per person. Also, you are not required to take your order elsewhere, so it must be consumed within the confines of the store you ordered from. Hungry as we were, we knew we could not finish more than one bowl each.

We had a hard time deciding on which stall to settle in-- but in the end, we choose Komurasaki, a Kumamoto-born restaurant. They specialize in Kyushu-style ramen, which is tonkotsu (pork bone broth)-based. The soup is also complemented with garlic chips, adding to the flavor of the ramen. Thin slices of chashu pork, a heap of thin noodles, some bean sprouts and onion chives then complete the dish. As per usual, I ordered mine with soft-broiled egg or tamago on the side. Although I am not a fan of bean sprouts on ramen (for me, they are unnecessary fillers-- maybe I'm a purist who likes less toppings on my ramen?), I liked Komurasaki's garlicky take on ramen.

I was actually hoping for a taste of authentic tantanmen in Japan, but alas, none of the tenants in the museum seemed to offer such. The complicated setup seems a bit off-putting to be honest, so I wouldn't say for sure that it's worth the trip. Maybe if they revised the rules, it would be a better experience for visitors. After all, it's not exactly close to Yokohama's central area. From the CUPNOODLES Museum, we actually had to walk back to the JR Sakuragicho station and take the JR Yokohama Line to Shin-Yokohama Station, the closest station to the ramen museum which was still 5 to 10 mins away by foot.