What surprise meal will the gacha gods bless us with today? 

Our Japanese-language reporter Yuuichiro Wasai was wandering around Harajuku the other day looking for something to eat but nothing seemed to call out to him. He scanned menus outside restaurants, searched online for recommendations, and still he was undecided. But then, he saw this.

That’s right — the sign read “Gacha Tomato” and it was sitting atop a gacha capsule toy machine outside a brightly lit branch of the popular ramen chain Taiyo no Tomatomen. Yuuichiro stepped in for a closer look and saw that this machine worked in the exact same way as a regular gacha machine, but instead of serving up random toys, it served up random meals.

At 500 yen (US$4.40) a pop, this was a great deal, considering that most of the ramen dishes on the menu start at 790 yen, so Yuuichiro fished out a 500-yen coin from his pocket and popped it into the machine.

▼ Out came a capsule…

▼ “Taiyo’s Cheese Ramen“!

A number of Taiyo no Tomatomen’s branches serve up cheese on their ramen, and these branches are called “Taiyo no Tomatomen with Cheese“. Looking up at the sign above him, Yuuichiro realised this was one of the cheese branches, and he’d nabbed their most popular dish, which usually costs 890 yen!

▼ Taiyo’s Cheese Ramen, on the top left of the menu.

Yuuichiro was filled with excitement as he climbed the stairs to the restaurant on the second floor, and after taking a seat and handing his capsule to the staff, he received this luscious bowl of noodles.

This was his first time trying tomato broth noodles, and after his very first sip, he was hooked. It was hot and hearty, and it reminded him of ramen, pasta and tomato soup all at once. The cheese on top brought everything together in an umami-filled celebration of deliciousness, and when Yuuichiro slurped up his last sip of broth, he was a satisfied, full, happy man.

As he left the restaurant, though, he glanced at the back of the gacha machine and saw there was a list showing all the possible meals you could win. While Yuuichiro thought he’d snared the best deal possible, there were actually some better deals, as the Taiyo’s Double Cheese Ramen is usually priced at 990 yen, and the Taiyo’s Triple Cheese Ramen at 1,090 yen.

Oh well. At least he was able to get a taste of the most popular item on the menu, and it was a great meal so he decided to count his blessings. As we all know, when you put your fate in the hands of the gacha gods, anything can happen.

Restaurant information
Taiyo no Tomatomen with Cheese Harajuku Takeshita Dori branch / 太陽のトマト麺withチーズ原宿竹下通り店
Address: Tokyo-to, Shibuya-ku, Jingumae 1-6-8 Laurie Building 2F
東京都渋谷区神宮前1-6-8 ローリエビル2F
Hours: 11:00 a.m.-9:00 p.m.
Website

Photos ©SoraNews24
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[ Read in Japanese ]