CUPNOODLES MUSEUM

Today, 90 billion servings of instant ramen are consumed each year around the world.  But did you know the inventor of instant ramen noodle is Japanese?  In September 2011, Cupnoodles Museum was open in Minatomirai area, Yokohama.

You can see, touch, play, eat, and experience Cup noodles, and even can learn about Creative Thinking of the founder of Nission Food Products, Momofuku Ando.

The museum is very popular now and needs reservations or numbered tickets for some special attractions. 



This is Instant Noodles History Cube.  There are more than 3,000 product packages lined up with years.

Instant noodles sold overseas.  You should find one you eat in your countries.

And he is the father of Instant Ramen noodles, Momofuku Ando born in 1910.  He invented the world's first instant ramen in 1958.

He wanted to provide easy cooking food with consumers.  He tried to make quickly making ramen at home by just adding hot water.  For that, the products must be preservable and convenient. 

He repeated trial and error experiments every day, and one day he finally found instant drying method by deep frying when he saw his wife was cooking. 

He also invested space noodle "Space Ram" for NASA in 2005.

   

After the invention, when he traveled America, he found supermarket managers breaking up the ramen noodle in a bag, putting them in a cup, pouring in hot water, and eating with a fork.  This leads to the birth of the world's first Cupnoodles in 1971. 

In the museum, you can also make your own Cupnoodle in "MY Cupnoodles Factory."

Here, you paint on your own cup, choose your own seasoning and toppings, then pack it.  On this day (Sunday), the numbered tickets are already had distributed at 14:00. Even if you could get the tickets, you might have to wait for hours.  For this attraction, you should visit earlier in the morning, or visit on weekdays. 

 

        See this is your own Cupnoodle.

The gift shop is also full of people.

 One of nice gifts is this one.  3 best noodles out of production.  You can buy those reproduced noodles only in this shop.  The seasoning is 1. Salt with olive oil, 2. Spicy Curry, and 3. Pork with scallop.    



The museum admission for adults is 500 yen (tax included), and for high school age children and younger are admitted free.  Some facilities within the museum require separate admission.

CUPNOODLES MUSEUM

http://www.cupnoodles-museum.jp/english/attraction/index.html

Experience Japan!

Fake Food Sample Making in Ikebukuro

When you go to a restaurant in Japan, you can notice that many restaurants have displays of dish samples so that you can easily choose which meal you want. 

This fake food sampling technique in Japan is very unique and it is said to be the best in the world.

In Japan, there are some ateliers which you can actually experience and make the food replica.

OK, let's try.

Here is how to make Tempura.

With Tempura parts... these are all made from colored wax. Even though the wax is not used for food samples any more because new materials and technique were found and improved greatly, you can still enjoy making them with wax. 

The technique is very sophisticated, the craftsman said that it needs 6 year training to have the best color for perfect food replica. Here is how to make lettuce.

Now fake Tempura was made, even though our lettuce looks a little like a boiled cabbage leaf...,  anyway, they look good enough.

And a cup cake, too.

After you choose topping, (these are handmade from vinyl chloride and sculpted to look like the actual fruits.)

Decorating them with silicon cream. 

 Looks real and delicious, isn't it?

You can experience this fake food making only for JPY 1,575 ~ JPY2,100 per one tempura set or a sweet. It take about 30 minutes to 1 hour for one sample to learn how to make them and actually to make them.



Reservation is required for the sample food making, you can visit here and make reservation, or if you need help with English, you can email me. I will make reservation for you. The location is near Ikebukuro station.

http://yamato-sample.com/hpgen/HPB/categories/90622.html

Experience Japan!