‘Cause what better way to celebrate turning 50 than with some “noods”?

One wouldn’t normally associate the Keio Plaza Hotel Tokyo, a well-established luxury hotel (and first high-rise hotel in Japan!) in Tokyo’s Nishi-Shinjuku district, with the humble and cheap cup instant ramen brand Nissin Cup Noodle. However, this year they do have one very particular thing in common–each of them is celebrating the 50th anniversary of its founding in 1971.

To commemorate this milestone, Keio Plaza Hotel chefs and bartenders have (literally) cooked up an extensive menu featuring various flavors of Cup Noodles as the basis for each dish. In fact, the final selections gracing the menu were all winners from a friendly internal cooking competition. Whether you’re planning a short stay at the hotel or are living there for a month, be sure to check out this unusual rags-meets-riches fusion menu.

▼ They’re either mad geniuses or simply mad–we won’t know until we’ve tried it.

Each of the menu offerings falls under the general categories of Western, Japanese, or Chinese-inspired cuisine as well as buffet items and cocktails. Let’s take a look at the fare now in more detail.

● Western-style dishes: Lunch & Dinner 50th Anniversary Collaboration Course (4,500 yen [US$41])

This selection consists of an all-day-long dining course composed of the three dishes detailed below.

Chili tomato Cup Noodles petit chilled salad (3 types, 1,800 yen)

European cheese curry Cup Noodles pot pie soup (1,500 yen)

Smoked salmon and white fish stuffed with seafood Cup Noodles, broth-style (2,500 yen)

● Japanese-style dishes: Lunch Cup Noodles Feast, (3,800 yen)

This extravagant course takes its cue from a traditional Japanese kaiseki meal featuring many small courses.

If you’d rather not spring for the full feast, you can purchase one of the three types of takikomigohan (rice cooked together in the same pot with various ingredients) made using salt, miso, or plain Cup Noodles (1,200 yen)

● Chinese-style dishes

There are only two menu items to choose from here.

Mystery meat and Kobe beef curry Cup Noodles fried rice (2,800 yen)

Twice-fried spicy tonkotsu Cup Noodles, seafood stew style (3,400 yen)

● Buffet items

Prices for the all-you-can-buffet (two-hour limit; reservation required), featuring the following eight dishes, are as follows:

  • Adults: 5,800 yen (lunch) or 7,800 yen (dinner)
  • Children (4-12 years old): 2,900 yen (lunch) or 4,000 yen (dinner)
  • Children under 4: free

Cilantro-flavored Cup Noodles salad

Chilled shabu-shabu with spicy tonkotsu Cup Noodles and green onion sauce

European cheese curry and Keio Plaza Hotel’s traditional curry

Chili tomato Cup Noodles mini hamburgers

Salt Cup Noodles sandwiches

Seafood Cup Noodles gratin, flavored with lemon

Curry Cup Noodles and mystery meat baked sweets

Chocolate mousse with miso Cup Noodles

Cocktails

Pick your poison–or, rather, favorite Cup Noodles flavor paired with your favorite alcoholic beverage!

Vodka-based seafood Cup Noodles cocktail / 1,650 yen

Bourbon whiskey-based Cup Noodles cocktail / 1,750 yen

Tequila-based chili tomato Cup Noodles cocktail / 1,000 yen

Coconut liqueur-based curry Cup Noodles cocktail / 1,200 yen

Are you watering at the mouth yet?

This 50th anniversary collaborative menu will be available at Keio Plaza Hotel Tokyo between July 1-August 31. With Cup Noodles’ newfound touch of opulence, it certainly brings a whole new vibe to the lyric “Guess it’s Nissin Cup Noodle today” that J-pop superstar Utada Hikaru sings in her 2007 song “Kiss & Cry.”

▼ Cup Noodles mentioned at the 1:53 mark

May we all have a deeper appreciation for the humble instant “noods” moving forward.

Source, images: Keio Plaza Hotel Tokyo News Release, Keio Plaza Hotel
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