Here you are.
(Ramen Horiuchi, Shinbashi branch)
Thank you for the food.
I wanted to see this smile.
She is back to normal.
Aren't you going to eat?
What?
The noodles will become soggy.
It's not easy to eat ramen at seven in the morning.
In the city of ramen,
such as Fukushima's Kitakata and Shizuoka's Fujieda,
this is a very common sight.
Most ramen shops will open in the morning.
The first ramen customers were the night shift and farm workers.
That was how the custom began.
Eating ramen for breakfast.
I'm awake.
(Today's bowl)
(This drama is fiction.)
(But the ramen is from the actual ramen shop.)
(Second Bowl: The North Pole)
So tired.
I woke up at six in the morning to have ramen for breakfast.
What are you listening to?
What are you doing?
Isn't it fine? We had ramen for breakfast together.
What?
What is this?
What is this tapping sound?
That is the sound of water being drained.
Water being drained?
What?
I have heard it somewhere before.
It is the sound of water being drained.
Didn't we hear this sound at Ramen Jiro?
But why is it in your music player?
I got permission from the staff to record it.
It took me a lot of effort to collect this many sounds.
- You collect it? - Yes.
By the way, this is the draining sound from Kyoka.
People call it the Kegon Falls.
The sound is really music to one's ears.
And this is from Menya Musashi, the Shinjuku branch.
Listen to the bold shouts and the draining sound.
All right.
(Menya Musashi, Shinjuku branch)
Actually, Koizumi…
And then, this...
I'm sure you know this.
One, two…
I don't know.
This the Ramen Jiro we went to before. Goodness.
Even so...
I must find out today.
Why are you sneaking around?
Just in time, Misa. Come and help me.
What?
It has been two weeks since Koizumi transferred here.
We still don't know where she goes every lunch break.
We must find out exactly where she goes.
I still don't like her.
I'm sure she goes to some ramen shop.
Eating ramen? Unbelievable.
For the love of Jun,
I can't afford to gain even 100g.
Misa, you're always on about Jun.
Can't I?
Actually, I was about to surprise Jun...
by going to his class and inviting him to lunch.
You have only been dating him for a month.
Stick to him too much and he'll get sick of you.
That's impossible.
How could he ever hate someone...
as beautiful, cute and slender like me?
Even if the world ends, it's still impossible.
Bye.
No way.
Biology and Chemistry Laboratory?
Milk?
As expected, it's ramen.
I never thought you would add milk to your chicken ramen.
Is there a problem with that?
I think it's disgusting.
I think it's none of your business.
Besides what you are actually doing is stalking…
What? Don't stop midway.
It's exactly three minutes.
But you weren't even timing it.
Anyone can do it once they get used to it.
Is that so?
Thank you for the food.
What is it?
I'd like to have a taste too.
Can I?
It can't be. It's delicious!
Adding milk to chicken ramen...
will make it taste like creamy chicken soup ramen.
But just adding milk will make the taste too rich.
After many experiments, I discovered that 80ml of milk...
added to 370ml of hot water is the perfect ratio.
Also,
if you add crushed chips and melted cheese to miso ramen,
it will turn it into potato and pizza flavored ramen.
Adding tempura crisps, grated radish and bonito fries into shoyu ramen...
will turn it into grated radish soba flavored ramen.
Koizumi, do you intend to eat all three bowls?
Yes, I intend to eat only three bowls of ramen today.
Only?
I'm going to Shinka in Machida after school.
The Shinka you mentioned can't be, or should I say, can it be…
a ramen shop?
Yes.
It's a ramen shop known for its healthy reduced salt ramen.
Great, this was what I was waiting for.
Can I come along?
I decline.
Here we go again.
Don't be so mean, okay?
You are the worst!
What?
Misa.
Jun?
How boring.
How come?
Misa, see you.
See you.
Hey.
Misa.
I feel great!
I dumped him.
He is the worst.
He is inconsiderate, broke and not masculine too.
The only thing he had was his love for cute little me.
It was depressing being with him, so I simply dumped him.
He thinks he can do what he wants just because he is a little cool.
I'm done.
I can't wait for the next boyfriend.
Come quickly, my next beloved.
See you.
What should I do?
I told you just now.
We are going to a healthy reduced salt ramen shop.
I don't mean that.
Koizumi.
Yes?
Can you wait for a while?
Please.
Misa!
What is it?
Want to go have some ramen?
Why?
Because I'm hungry.
Sure.
Ramen?
Sounds good.
It has been a long time since I have had it.
All right.
Let's go then.
Yu!
What? Koizumi will leave if we don't hurry.
Koizumi is over there.
What?
Slow down.
See.
What? Why?
Koizumi.
Yes?
Isn't it that way?
No.
This way is fine.
(Mouko Tanmen Nakamoto)
Here we are.
- What? - What?
Spicy?
Yes.
Didn't you say we were going to have a healthy reduced salt ramen?
I've changed my mind.
Wait.
Can you take spicy food?
What? No, not really.
I can take the ordinary spiciness.
Then Mouko Tanmen with level five spiciness should be okay.
You will definitely not be able to have anything above this level.
Really?
Even with this one, I'm not really sure...
if you can take it.
(Mouko Tanmen)
(Confirm)
How embarrassing.
I'll take this chance to go for the North Pole ramen...
with level nine spiciness.
I'm good with spicy food.
Besides, I have been under pressure lately.
So I'm going to choose the North Pole ramen.
Hey!
- Are you stupid? - What?
- Hey! - Who are they? Do you know them?
Hello.
It's the Jirorians.
Jirorian?
These diehard fans of Ramen Jiro are known as the Jirorians.
So you don't limit yourselves to only Ramen Jiro.
We started off with Ramen Jiro,
but what we love is ramen itself.
Miss, just don't go for the North Pole ramen.
Why?
This must be your first time here.
Newcomers can't take the North Pole ramen.
They have even written it here.
"First-time customers, please don't pick this."
Is it that spicy?
We won't waste time telling you if it wasn't.
Then…
I better drop one... No, two spiciness levels.
Yes, you definitely won't be able to take it.
The North Pole's spiciness is the shop's ultimate.
You won't be able to take it.
Koizumi, telling Misa this will have the opposite effect.
Koizumi, what did you say?
I knew it.
If you want to upgrade yourself, you need to face every level.
Even I...
Even you?
To take on the challenge of the North Pole,
it took me a year to prepare.
(North Pole ramen)
(Confirm)
Koizumi.
Then, me too.
Misa!
(North Pole ramen)
(Confirm)
She really chose it.
Misa.
Here you go. Mouko Tanmen.
It's mine.
Thank you for waiting. Enjoy.
There is even spicy beancurd.
It looks good.
I'm sure I'll be okay with this.
Excuse me, is it okay if I take a photo of it?
Sure.
Say cheese.
Thank you for the food.
It's very spicy!
You are drinking water instead of the soup!
This is only level five spiciness?
Yes, that's right.
Then how spicy is level nine?
Thank you for waiting.
- This is the North Pole ramen. - This is the North Pole ramen.
It's so red.
What is this? Why is it so red?
This is the redness of the chili.
The broth of the North Pole ramen is made from a secret recipe.
As you can see, they add a large portion of chili.
This is an extremely spicy bowl of noodles.
Thank you for the food.
It hurts!
My mouth...
So spicy.
- I told you so. - It hurts!
Thank you for the food.
It's spicy!
- What? - What?
Koizumi, are you forcing yourself?
Actually…
I can't really eat such spicy food.
- What? - What?
Then why did you come here?
Because it's delicious.
Even though it's spicy,
it's tasty.
So I made the effort.
It still hurts!
Even though it's spicy,
it's not bad.
It's not bad at all.
Very spicy.
Amazing.
Right now, the two of them...
are doing their best to reach the other side of spiciness.
I do like it.
But...
it's really too spicy.
My tears are flowing.
That was refreshing.
My home is that way.
Koizumi.
What is it?
Thank you.
What for?
See you tomorrow.
Perhaps...
Koizumi, did you choose this place to cheer Misa up?
I don't know what you are talking about at all.
Here you go again.
Oh, right.
Let's go to eat that healthy reduced salt ramen together...
tomorrow, okay?
I decline.
This is the story of Koizumi who loves to eat ramen.
(Koizumi Observation Journal, Volume One, Osawa Yu)
Koizumi Observation Journal.
The shops Koizumi and I visited today...
were Ramen Horiuchi, Shinbashi branch...
and Mouko Tanmen Nakamoto, Meguro branch.
They were absolutely delicious.
What does Japan's number one ramen taste like?
Are we going to wait two hours from now?"
The noodles are handmade.
There are things that you can never eat again...
if you don't eat them now.
The roast pork is delicious too!
It's so delicious!
Life and ramen both only come once in a lifetime.