Shin-Yokohama Ramen Museum

As a ramen lover, visiting the Shin-Yokohama Ramen Museum was on my top must-visit places in Japan. I can't wait to go back to Japan to visit the Cup Noodles Museum located in Yokohama as well.  

A little background on the museum. It was founded on March 6, 1994 and it is the world's first food-themed amusement park. At the museum, you can freely enjoy the different regional flavours of ramen across Japan without stepping on a plane or train to get there. There are a total of 9 different ramen restaurants showcased in a street-scape replication from the year 1958 which is also the year when the world's first instant ramen was invented. 

You can easily spot the museum with these green ramen bowls at the top of the sign. 

There is even this moving ramen bowl with a TV screen from RA-HAKU TV the showing all about ramen from ramen world fairs, ramen history in Japan and famous ramen shops.  

Tickets can be bought at the front entrance to the museum. Adult (13 and older) cost 310 yen and child (6-12) and seniors (60 over) cost 100 yen and free for children younger than 6 years old. 

When you first enter the ramen museum, there is this wall that display ramen bowls used in successive ramen restaurants in different unique patterns as well as some history photographs of Japan and Japanese culture. 

You can also grab a pamphlet translated into many different languages as well as renting a locker to store your bag and other heavy duty things you may not want to carry with you around the museum. 

The ramen museum is divided into 3 floors. B1F and B2F is where all the ramen restaurants are and as well as some snack shops with snack and food from Japan's good old days. On the 1st floor there is a gallery where visitors can learn all about the history of ramen, museum shop and an IRIS slot-car race track. 

Review: Ultramen Japanese Noodle Bar

I was working on a special project late for work and my manager said that I could order dinner and expense it so I decided to try this new ramen place opened nearby my house at Liberty Village on King Street East. I pass by it every morning during my ride to work and always wondered about the restaurant so I decided to google it up.

Japanese Restaurant: Ajisen Ramen

You know spring is here when you see that flowers are starting to bloom! =)

On Tuesday I had a short shift and got off work early. I had to go to the bank in Chinatown to do some business. Transfer money and ask about how to order traveler's cheque to bring with me to Japan for my trip and service fee charge on using my VISA overseas and etc. It was about lunch time when I got off work and I was feeling really hungry. While I was on the streetcar on Spadina, I saw that they have opened a new Japanese restaurant called Ajisen Ramen. I have known about this restaurant before from seeing advertisement on TV but I have never eaten food there. So I decided to drop by to try it out! 

Aijisen ramen is based in Kyushu, Japan. It is known for its white broth, made from the slow-cooking of tender pork ribs with an emphasis on simple, hygienic, convenient, tasty and healthy noodles. I have ordered a ramen served with grilled chicken that day. What I like about this restaurant is they actually serve "rice noodles" for ramen as oppose to the normal yellow egg noodles. I actually don't really like eating egg noodles all that much, I prefer rice noodles more. The atmosphere of the restaurant was really nice and relaxing. Very simple and cozy, nothing too fancy. The waitress and waiter who served me were all Japanese and was also really friendly. I also liked how they played Japanese music at the restaurant as well and they were playing one of my favourite songs by Otsuka Ai "Renai Sashin" when I was eating at the restaurant. I found the size of their ramen to be just right. Not too big and not too small but just right and enough to get you full. Often times when I am eating ramen, I feel like I am so stuffed with food that my stomach is about to explode. I actually finished the whole bowl along with my chicken and still had room for green tea ice cream as dessert! ♥

Then on my way home that day, I saw the most beautiful Magnolia flower tree in my neighbourhood. It was SOOO PRETTY that I just had to stop and take a picture of it! ♥_♥

Then when I was heading back home, I saw that the tulips that my mom had planted in front of our house have also started to bloom! ♥