Samの英語チャンネル

Replicating the Ichiran Ramen experience at home? A dream come true.

Restaurants throughout Japan have had to get creative when it comes to staying afloat during the coronavirus pandemic, and Ichiran Ramen is no exception. Instead of encouraging customers to come enjoy their famous noodles at their notorious “flavor concentration booths”, they made an Ichiran Ramen Kit to mimic the experience at a safe distance.

So you can imagine our excitement when we learned there was an Ichiran fukubukuro lucky bag this year! Unfortunately, the recent heavy snow that the country experienced delayed its delivery by over a week. Our Japanese language reporter Shawn could hardly contain himself.

▼ This lucky bag actually came in a box with the Ichiran logo stamped proudly on the side.

For 5,720 yen (US$55.01), Shawn had high hopes for its contents. So, without further ado, let’s take a look at what was inside!

▼ First off, there was a package containing five servings of Ichiran’s famous Hakata-style ramen.

Each pack contains thin and straight noodles, which is part of what gives it the name “Hakata-style”, as Hakata in Fukuoka is famous for its thin and straight noodles. Also in the ramen kit is a packet of tonkotsu pork bone soup base that Hakata-style ramen is also known for, and a packet of the restaurant’s red-hot spice seasoning.

The next item in the lucky bag was a pair of chopsticks, just like the ones from the restaurant! They were made in celebration of the chain’s 60th anniversary; the first Ichiran shop opened in 1960 as Futaba Ramen and changed their name to Ichiran (which means “One Orchid”) in 1966.

The tips of the chopsticks are made with a non-slip grip. How many times have you experienced your noodles splashing back into the bowl due to your weakened, low-blood-sugar grip?

▼ And finally, there was this mysterious red box.

▼ When he opened it, Shawn found…a note explaining how to take care of the super secret item inside (unless you already know what it is because you can read Japanese).

And when he took the note off the top and took the item out of the box, he found the entire thing packaged carefully in plastic bubble wrap. Clearly, this wasn’t some cheap plastic item.

▼ And when he removed the bubble wrap, he found this shiny and new…

▼ …100-percent legitimate Ichiran bowl!

If you think bowls like this are mass-produced in a factory, though, you’re wrong. These are made with the Arita-yaki pottery technique that has its roots in Japan’s Saga prefecture. It’s sturdy, heavy, shiny, and waiting to be filled with Ichiran deliciousness.

▼ When you put it all together, it looks like this.

All in all, Shawn was very pleased with his haul, and he’s already looking forward to the lucky bag that will come out at the end of 2021. He’ll have to count down the days on an Ichiran calendar.

Photos ©SoraNews24
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Source: SORA NEWS24