My family and I have been self-isolating, and have not eaten out since February. We recently bought a packet of uncooked raw ramen (Chinese-style Japanese noodle soup) at a local supermarket. We were delighted with it, as it tasted like the kind of ramen served at a good noodle shop.
Just like any other noodle packets, this product contained only noodles and concentrated soup stock which was light soy-sauce in flavor. So when we bought the packets again, we also bought seasoned bamboo shoots, roast pork, and Japanese leeks.
As a result, it was just like what we would have at a ramen shop, in terms of both appearance and taste!
And let me tell you about this bowl (each of our family members has one).
About 10 years ago when the file maker, Mr. Seta, was still alive and active, my father went to visit him in Kitasenju, Tokyo, to pay for the files my father had ordered and received from him. Just off Kitasenju station, there was a shop selling green tea and ceramics. My father found this bowl in the display window, with a note saying that it was favored by the elderly for its light weight.
At the time, my mother said the bowls we used were too heavy. As she got older, heavy bowls were harder to handle. (Anything heavy can be a problem as we advance in age, but we don’t realize it when we are young.)
Remembering what my mother said, my father bought the bowls, for himself and for the family. My mother liked the bowls for their lightness. Since then, we use these bowls for ramen and any kind of food that is usually served in bowls. And whenever we use these bowls, my father speaks fondly of Mr. Seta.
