Oodles of Noodles

Anyone who knows me (even a little bit) is aware that I love Japanese Ramen. Back in the day we were all in love with instant ramen noodles. Maruchan, Top Ramen, or any of the knock offs were one of the first foods we learned to, and were allowed to, cook on their own. And we loved those dry, salty noodles. My world was forever changed when I visited Japan for the first time on a brief community college language immersion trip where we stayed in Tokyo for two weeks and then in Kyoto for a few days. 

We were taken to a chain Ramen shop by some students who were our welcoming crew. It was nothing special, just a busy little shop that has many sister branches, but it was a revelation for me. After that first bowl of non-instant noodles I knew this was the food for me. I would learn it, I would study it, and I would taste as many bowls as possible. Back in America, I didn't waste any time locating Ramen shops in the area. Lucky for me, my city has a major restaurant industry as well as quite a large Japanese community. I found some shops, ate many bowl of noodles, and then decided to try cooking it myself.

Studying Japanese in college and my growing interest in my new favorite food bore the desire to live in Japan where my two passions are pretty popular. My husband and I decided to set off for Niigata on the Western coast of Japan where I got a job teaching English at a private eikaiwa in Joestu. So now here we are, living and learning about Japan while indulging ourselves in as much local cuisine as possible. Last week, at the bookstore next to my school, I stumbled across a magazine that showcased Ramen in the prefecture. Inside is page after page of shops showing off their signature bowl of soup or special topping and, what's more, a Ramen challenge. Trying a dish at thirty different Ramen shops in Niigata and filling up a stamp book wins you a prize. Challenge accepted.

Now, with my husband in tow, I will visit as many restaurants as possible and try to fill up my stamp sheet before October 31. This is roughly a bowl every other day. Luckily, there are about half the required number of shops in my city area. We will have to do a little traveling for the remaining stamps, but that only means visiting cities that we may not have otherwise seen. Thankfully my husband likes to travel and he supports my passions, no matter how silly they may seem. Here, in my first blog, I will post my progress and review my thoughts of each bowl of soup I try on my way to the goal.

The magazine that started it all.

Stamp book complete with maps sitting upon
of one of the magazine's coupon pages.