北海の白豚
Once every three months or so, my brain craves family-style ramen. At times like that, I end up going to "Machida Shoten" out of all the options available. Despite being labeled as a chain, I don't care and still go there because the ramen is delicious, always available, and the atmosphere is great. It's like a local ramen shop, especially since it's in my hometown of Machida. Today, I rode my bike around the city for about 20 kilometers and ended up visiting the shop when I got hungry. I went in and bought my ticket: ramen (750 yen), spinach (100 yen), seaweed (100 yen), and rice (100 yen), my usual order. It was early, around 11:15 on a weekday, but the counter was full. I was seated at a table across from a single woman. The ramen arrived in about 10 minutes. I took a sip of the soup, slurped up the noodles, and smiled at the familiar deliciousness. I mixed the spinach in with the rice, topped it with seaweed, and had a blissful moment. I added chopped onions for a refreshing taste, put pickled cucumbers on the rice for a change, and enjoyed the meal. As I progressed, I added garlic and chili paste for more flavor. Finally, I poured the rich soup over the rice, finished it all, and drank the remaining soup. Ahh, I'm full. Thank you for the meal. As usual, the staff saw me off outside. Goodbye. I'll be back.

