the ramen blog & other goodies!

So Nissin is giving away little Gundam figures with Cup Noodles, but the main reason I’m posting this is as an excuse to tell everyone about the 1:1 scale giant robot in Tokyo!

via Trends in Japan

I’m not even sure this is worth posting, but seeing how it hit 97 degrees today…

Basically this ramen “tip” says to cook your instant noodles, but don’t fill it up all the way. Leave about 5 cm of space for ice cubes. Ta-da!

via Japan Probe

A busy schedule and a bout of whininess (“it’s hot”…”it’s so far”…”my stomach feels funny”) almost stopped me from going to the Mitsuwa Kyushu & Okinawa Fair this weekend. But a combination of reading some positive reviews from bb’s (“blogger buddies”) Go Ramen, Waseda-ramen, and Exile Kiss this morning and a craving for mackerel sushi and custard cream puffs put me over the edge. Who kind of nut forces his wife to go with him on a 50-min drive (one way) for ramen? Ahem…(thanks for indulging me, sweetie!) Read the rest of this entry →

All the cool (cough) people are wearing it, and now it’s available in Tonkotsu “flavor”…it’s the ramen lapel pin! Buy your favorite flavor or buy both. Heck, buy a dozen; they’re small! And now with a lower shipping charge if you buy 3 or more! It’s such a bargain, we’re weeping tears of joy…or something like that…

Click on the Ramen Lapel Pin link on the menu bar above or click here to buy!

Even the L.A. Times likes Ramen California

So why haven’t you tried Ramen California yet?

Stick a Fork In It reviews “the Ramen Girl”

Everyone is still wild about Ivan Ramen

SF Gate writes up Ramen House Ryowa

The Hour interviews Andy Raskin, author of the Ramen King and I

Ramen in a Box is much better than it sounds

Looking for the Best Japanese Ramen in Seoul, Korea?

I had no idea you could write a dissertation on ramen!

I am trying to eat at every ramen shop in the greater Takadanobaba / Waseda “ramen challenge zone.” Those are small cities in the Tokyo area. Guess how many ramenyas there are in those “small cities”? 80. Yes, 80.

I’ve been meaning to review this movie for months now, and noticing the Ramen Girl sign on a “dvd play” box at a local supermarket reminded me how behind I am on my posts. I’ve had mixed feelings about watching the Ramen Girl since first day I heard about it. When I finally had a chance to watch it, though, I was actually excited.

The movie started out poorly, with the introduction of a pretty damn annoying American boyfriend character. In a way, though, that, and my previous low expectations, probably helped me enjoy the movie that much more. The script was both random and predictable: even though you know how the story will pan out, “WTF just happened” moments abound, and you really have to wonder why they even bothered to introduce certain characters. Speaking of characters, don’t even get me started on every American character in the movie. Besides Brittany Murphy, all the American characters are barely even two-dimensional, which wouldn’t be so bad if they weren’t just downright annoying.

But you know what? I liked the movie overall. The cinematography ranged from good to gorgeous, and most of the Japanese characters were more fully formed. Tampopo fans already know that Yamazaki Tsutomu (“Goro” from Tampopo) has a minor part (minor, yes, but he steals the show). Nishida Toshiyuki gives a solid performance as the “ramen chef with a secret.” But my favorite characters were the “two obaasan (old ladies) who never go home.” And Brittany Murphy? She wasn’t nearly as annoying as I thought she’d be. In fact, she even had a few good moments.

The Ramen Girl is worth watching if you’re looking for a fluffy way to spend two hours. If you’re looking for insight into the art of ramen-making a la Tampopo, forget it. If you’re looking for something light-hearted and maybe a fun, cheesy date-night movie, you could do worse. I realize that’s not exactly a strong endorsement…but hey, it’s got ramen!

Also available on netflix.