Ramen is the ultimate Japanese hunger-busting food. With its combination of greasy, fatty soup combined with carb-heavy noodles, it’s the perfect meal for when you’re REALLY hungry in Tokyo (or just really hungover.) But that doesn’t mean that this taste is for everyone. In fact, there’re probably a lot of people out there who just can’t handle that heavy hit of garlicky, salty grease.
Our Japan Wish competition winner Ashley mentioned in her winning video entry that she really wanted to get a taste of Tokyo ramen. We accompanied her to Ramen Jiro to watch as her tastebuds tangled with the pungent umami of a bowl of their finest slurping fare. Unfortunately, Ashley soon realised that the reality of the truly salty ramen might be a little hard to swallow – along with the actual ramen itself! Check out our video report!
As soon as Ashley got in range of Ramen Jiro, she couldn’t help but notice an extreme pong in the air. “It smells like GARLIC”, she announced. “I’m a little nervous!” Still, she pressed on into the restaurant where she gamely ordered a big bowl of ramen. Not quite sure what to expect, she loaded up her chopsticks with noodles and dug in.
▼ Her first whiff of pungent Tokyo ramen!
▼ Looks good, but how does it taste?
After the initial, shockingly salty mouthful, Ashley needed a gulp of tea to cleanse her palate. It’s not that she dislikes either garlic or salty food, but the extremity of the taste was something she wasn’t expecting. She also admits she probably wasn’t hungry enough to be in the right frame of mood for a big bowl of filling ramen. Her appetite was also drained somewhat by the energy-sapping humidity of the July Tokyo weather.
▼ Ashley struggling with the, uh, unique taste!
Check out the video!
Ashley forced herself through several bites, but in the end she had to throw in the towel and announce defeat. Ramen 1 – Ashley 0! We have to give her credit for giving it a fair try, even after the initial garlic smell filled her with trepidation. However, Ashley was more concerned with upsetting the poor ramen chef’s feelings! At Ramen Jiro, it’s customary to return your empty bowl to the chef at the end, but Ashley’s was still three-quarters full! “I didn’t want to look the dude in the face!” she lamented.
▼ She tried her best, but the ramen bested her!
▼ Even one whole bottle of green tea wasn’t enough to cleanse Ashley’s palate of all that garlicky grease!
Looks like Tokyo ramen wasn’t to Ashley’s taste, but not to worry – she’s got plenty of other culinary experiences coming up during her time in Japan as part of our Japan Wish competition!
Don’t forget to keep checking the site for more updates on Ashley’s Journey through Japan! You can check out all the articles covering her trip right here.
Video and images © RocketNews24