Behind The Plastic Curtain - Authentic Street-side Dining in Japan.

angelica — Mon, 20 Jun 2016 10:35:00 GMT

Identified by their plastic curtains, simple, single line stool- to-counter seating plans, and street-side locations; semi-outside ramen bars are a symbol of fast food dining in Japan, and an absolute must-have experience for anyone visiting the country in search of an authentic, atmospheric and budget-friendly Japanese dining adventure.

How they work:

As with most Japanese style fast food places, street-side ramen bars are very much in the business of catering for people on the go and customer changeovers are fittingly swift. On week nights targeted customers are usually salary men/ women and other day workers in search of a quick bite to eat and a beer after clocking off from work. Throughout the evening there seems to be an unspoken rule between diners and staff to eat and drink up quickly and then leave so as not to disrupt the steady, subconscious orderly flow of outgoing and incoming customers (a rule which is especially noticeable in larger cities such as Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto). This steady flow of custom usually begins to naturally slow down the closer the clock moves towards the last trains of the night, and that allows for more loitering, and more relaxed banter between customer and staff, but you probably won't get to see this in action anytime before at least 11:00pm.

Most street-side ramen bars begin rolling open their curtains between 5:00 pm and 6:00 in the evening, and then close somewhen between 12:00am and 3:00 in the morning. Despite their more traditional 'Mom and Pop' feel, payment transactions are nowadays usually exchanged via modern ticket vending machines, where customers can select their chosen ramen bowl by pressing the corresponding picture coded buttons on the vending machine (most bowls are usually priced at around ¥700) That ticket is then handed to the server, and ensures that the customer can eat up and leave without having to wait to settle their bill.

Given their small size (most street-side ramen bars can usually only seat between five and ten people), the distance between customer, chef, and server is therefore very small. This arrangement rewards diners with an opportunity to not just smell, but also see their food being prepared whilst listening to continuous energetic staff cries of 'Irasshaimase' (a Japanese term for 'welcome') towards incoming customers, and the occasional passionate bursts of 'Kampai' (the Japanese expression for 'cheers') from other high spirited customers making the most of their nighttime liberation from work.

Although usually a time short in duration a bowl of ramen enjoyed in a street-side ramen bar is a fun and very Japanese experience, and one that definitely shouldn't be passed up.

Just a Rainy Sunday in Osaka...

angelica — Sun, 12 Jun 2016 23:25:00 GMT

It's Sunday evening - the second official Sunday of this year's rainy season in Japan ,and I'm currently sat on my balcony listening to the rain crash down onto the streets surrounding my apartment building.

At lunchtime today, I was also sat here with an itch to write something about this year's rainy season. At that point, I had a bad case of 'writers block' and had no idea what angle to take. Feeling slightly frustrated and restless I decided to head out to a coffee shop in search of some caffeine and some inspiration.

When it comes to coffee shops, Osaka is sometimes described as being the Paris of North East Asia, and for good reason. The city is loaded with an abundance of coffee shops often in attractive and vibey locations - overlooking rivers, shotengais (traditional Japanese shopping arcades) busy downtown hubs, and sometimes also hidden down alleyways or backstreets, there are coffee shops in Osaka to satisfy all tastes.

I find a great little place with sheltered outdoor seating, overlooking the Midosuji Avenue located in the city's downtown area. My intention is to grab a quick cappuccino and a bite to eat before strolling off aimlessly in search of a unique focal point for my article. I become more and more attached to my chair the longer I stay there, and that first cappuccino soon turns into a second. I pull out my book and begin reading; I hear the near-continuous summerish sounds of outdoor chairs scraping the concrete flooring of the coffee shop's outdoor seating patio as other customers come and go. Still feeling restless, and finding it difficult to concentrate on my book I constantly find myself gazing up and just observing what is going on around me: on the table to my left is an Elementary School student enthusiastically telling his Grandmother about his preparations for his upcoming school sports festival. To my right are a couple of tourists with a map and some guidebooks, perhaps scheduling some rainy day activities into their travel itinerary.

Eventually, I give up on my book; I just can't concentrate. I instead opt to pull up iTunes, and quickly start building a rainy day playlist. While listening to a diverse mix of Adele, Marc Anthony, The Arian Band, Bruno Mars and Vasco Rossi, I just sit and observe the steady flow of traffic, and people, (many of whom are carrying the Japan trademark, convenience store purchased , transparent, plastic umbrellas) pass by on the street in front of me.

As I fall deeper into my hastily put together playlist of music, I begin to become oblivious to the comings and goings around me. Then out of the corner of my eye, I notice a sweet Japanese lady trying to get my attention; she has a kind, but at first nervous smile. In perfect English she softly asks me questions about my home country and my reason for being in Japan .She and her husband are from Fukuoka (a city located on Japan's southern most island of Kyushu) and visiting Osaka for the weekend. We strike up a spontaneous ten minute conversation about, Kyushu, the UK Karaoke, Japanese food, and sake.The lady and her husband then head off to catch their Shinkansen train, home and I'm left with a warm-hearted reminder of the kindness of Japanese people, and the unpredictable magic of Osaka.

By now the rain is starting to get really heavy, and with dusk beginning to take hold I set out on a rain-covered wander towards Osaka station. En-route I walk by the vibrant Kitashinchi entertainment district with its bright neon lights now beginning to flood it's streets as its array of restaurants and bars readying themselves for their Sunday night customers. It feels good to just watch life naturally unfold in front of me like this. As I enter the Osaka station building itself I see hundreds of people all branching off in different directions; some are heading out to embark on their Sunday night plans; some are heading home; some are heading elsewhere.

Less than an hour later, I'm back on my balcony again feeling inspired and ready to put finger to key for my article. Nothing spectacular has happened today; I've not been to any big festivals or events, nor have I embarked on any major sightseeing. It's just been a simple afternoon spent relaxing in a coffeeshop and walking the rain-soaked streets of Osaka, but sometimes it's the simple things that create the best stories.

Living Japan

Behind The Plastic Curtain - Authentic Street-side Dining in Japan.

Just a Rainy Sunday in Osaka...