I MUST go to the Momofuku Ando Instant Ramen Museum. I've seen it on TV for so long and I must go there for myself. So the first thing we did this morning was to ride out to Ikeda. Again, we took the Hankyu Takarazuka Limited Express out to Ikeda.
The Museum opened at 9.30 a.m., and we were one of the few visitors. Admission was free.
Alright. Momofuku Ando invented the modern instant ramen and cup ramen we are so familiar with, and he also founded Nissin right here in Ikeda. Everyone familiar with Nissin, right?
A hands-on ramen workshop was taking place upstairs ...
One of the attractions here was to customise your own cup ramen. Of course, I gave it a go. I purhased a cup ramen for ¥300. Next, I sterilised my hands. Then I designed my cup using only the coloured pens provided. Then I lined up at the "production line". The staff saw my colourful cup and told me "kawaii" ... heh ... I understood that much. "Cute".
I headed to a section where a round piece of deep-fried noodles was placed into my cup. Then, I chose the flavouring I wanted - I went for the original chicken flavour. I could choose 4 dried ingredients to be added - I chose spring onions, prawns, pork and kimchi. Lol. What a combination. Next my cup was sealed.
Then I was given a vacuum bag to put my cup ramen in, and I inflated it to prevent it from being jolted too much while on the go. Yayy! Happy!
The Museum opened at 9.30 a.m., and we were one of the few visitors. Admission was free.
Alright. Momofuku Ando invented the modern instant ramen and cup ramen we are so familiar with, and he also founded Nissin right here in Ikeda. Everyone familiar with Nissin, right?
Instant Ramen Tunnel exhiits the history of the instant ramen production line - approximately 800 product packages are displayed here ...
Inside Momofuku Ando's research shack at the time he invent the chicken ramen
Momofuku Ando's research shack
I headed to a section where a round piece of deep-fried noodles was placed into my cup. Then, I chose the flavouring I wanted - I went for the original chicken flavour. I could choose 4 dried ingredients to be added - I chose spring onions, prawns, pork and kimchi. Lol. What a combination. Next my cup was sealed.
Then I was given a vacuum bag to put my cup ramen in, and I inflated it to prevent it from being jolted too much while on the go. Yayy! Happy!
Exterior of the Momofuku Ando Instant Ramen Museum at Ikeda, Osaka
Yayy! I'm finally here!
Cup ramen exhibit
Turn the while to put the noodles into the cup ...
Inside my cup ramen ...
Sealing the cup
Yayy! My own cup ramen .... I have to eat this within a month. I'm so bringing this home to show it off. Lol.
Next stop was Mino-o. I read about this place but did not actually think I would come. I only decided to come here today because we were nearby at Ikeda ... and so as not to waste time, I thought Mino-o would be a good place to visit. To get to Mino-o, we took the Hankyu train from Ikeda to Ishibashi. Here, we changed to the Hankyu Mino-o line. After 3 stops, we reached the Mino-o staion.
There's a park near the station. Minoo Park is a forested valley where we could see enjoy the beautiful late autumn colours in a natural setting. There was a trail of about 3km to Minoo Waterfall - the park's main attraction. I enjoyed the leisuirely long walk up - about 50 minutes to go up and another 50 minutes to get down.
The trail
Some structures along the way ...
Beautiful colours along the way ...
The trail was good and a lot of old folks were making their way up and down the trail that day ....
Enjoying the scenery ....
Reaching the Mino-o Waterfall
Getting nearer ....
Beautiful Mino-o Waterfall with a 30m drop
Back at Mino-o Station, we bought some bread from the bakery ....
I think this was a croquet bun ¥190 .... I ate this together with a piece of fried chicken ... together, they cost ¥344
Alright. I had told everyone that I'd buy a Blue Label bag this trip to Japan. I'd been talking about it for ages, and all my friends have started teasing me about it. "You and your Blue Label!" They would say. Lol. So indeed, I had to go hunt for a Blue Label bag. Where would I start? Hmn ....
Blue Label used to be known and sold as Burberry Blue Label and it was only available in Japan ... and that was what I knew of it. I had no idea that it was no longer so ...
At Daimaru Osaka Station City the other night, one SA told me, "Burberry Blue Label is finished."
Huh? Finish? I interpreted that "being discontinued". I was puzzled. Was I go go home without a Blue Label bag for real?
Today, at the Hankyu Umeda Store, the Burberry SA told me in her high pitch voice, "Burberry from UK only. Blue Label no more. Blue Label 3rd Floor. Go across bridge. 3rd Floor."
Today, at the Hankyu Umeda Store, the Burberry SA told me in her high pitch voice, "Burberry from UK only. Blue Label no more. Blue Label 3rd Floor. Go across bridge. 3rd Floor."
Huh? Bridge? To where? Was there another building somewhere? Her instructions weren't very clear ... but I decided to check the 3rd floor of the same department store. Instead of the "bridge", I took the escalator down and went around the department store, and there it was the Blue Label Crestbridge. Lol. "Go across bridge" actually meant I should go to the "Blue Label Crestbridge" outlet. Muahahaha!
Well, anyway, this is an article about Burberry & Blue Label Crestbridge and how they got divorced. Read here.
So anyway, there weren't much choices, where bags were concerned - a few totes weren't to my liking, then there were the bucket bags and wallets .... and so in the end, I settled for a Block Check Pochette.
https://www.crestbridge.jp/s/bluelabel/p/5510740112
I paid ¥20520 for the bag and got ¥1311 refunded. That meant that the bag would cost about RM750.00.
Hankyu Umeda is in fact one of the largest departmental stores in Osaka ... and we did go and survey the food deparment on the first 2 floors .... there were plenty of tasters too ... and we got to sample lots of food items ....
And so I was going around wow-ing and tasting and snapping photos .....
When suddenly I was approached by a staff ... "Sorry, no photos". Lol. I bowed and apologised profusely .... lol. How embarrassing .... but it was fun while it lasted.
We did go to Shitennoji Temple for a short while. We got off at the Shitennoji-mae-Yushigaoka Station and it was quite a distance to walk to the temple ....
We did go to Shitennoji Temple for a short while. We got off at the Shitennoji-mae-Yushigaoka Station and it was quite a distance to walk to the temple ....
Shitennoji ... all quiet in the evening ....
This is the oldest administered temple in Japan; built in 593 by Prince Shotoku
My friends were tired and did not even want to enter the temple grounds .... so well .... we just snapped a few photos and left. We went back to our apartments ... my friends' feet were sore, poor them.
At night, we went to Dotonbori .... it was a really lively area. The whole street was selling takoyaki, with each vendor claiming to be sell the best takoyaki in Dotonbori. There was even a takoyaki song that repeated over and over ...
I wanted to eat rice .... and my friends wanted to try Yoshinoya ...
Yummy! Medium-sized beef bowl with egg and onions, ¥480 and ¥130 for the soup and pickles.
Tai Croissant, ¥200
Possibly the best I have ever eaten! What's great about this - the pastry is so crispy and so buttery; while the adzuki beans inside were so rich and powdery. I wanted to eat another one when I return to Osaka next week!
With a full stomach, we went back to our apartment ..... tired but happy. :))
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