Three bowls of pungent ramen, please.
Okay.
I'm looking forward to trying the pungent ramen.
It's rare for you to invite us, Yu.
It's because I wanted to try it last.
Last?
It's nothing…
Here's your pungent ramen.
It looks really dense and rich.
Thank you for the food.
- Thank you for the food. - Thank you for the food.
Koizumi really does love eating ramen.
What are you saying now?
Anyway, this ramen is really dense and rich.
Pork bones?
Not pork bones.
What? Is it not?
This broth is made from simmering chicken carcass and vegetables.
Its birthplace is Kitashirakawa, Kyoto in 1970.
It started from just one stall...
and now, it has branches...
from Hokkaido to Okinawa and even to Hawaii.
It's a major force in the ramen world.
(Today's bowl)
(This drama is fiction.)
(But the ramen is from the actual ramen shop.)
This is bad!
Major news!
It's bad, Koizumi!
Yu is transferring to another school.
What?
The teachers were saying that she's moving to Sapporo.
Have you heard anything?
No, nothing at all.
Yes.
It's Yu.
I understand.
I'll say goodbye at the end of the first semester, right?
Excuse me, Yu.
Let's go have ramen together.
Not today, thanks.
Then, let's have something sweet.
How about your favorite sweetened bean paste fruit jelly?
We used to go often, right?
Sorry, but not that one either.
I have something to do.
Bye.
Koizumi.
Is there anything we can do?
Teacher said she'll be transferred at the end of the semester.
Let's organize a surprise send-off for Yu!
A surprise?
Koizumi.
Making ramen?
Let's look for a shop that's willing to teach us how to make ramen.
Then, let's make some really nice ramen for Yu.
What are you saying?
Every shop is going through blood, sweat and tears...
desperately developing their own delicious ramen.
How can students like us go to them after school...
with an innocent face and ask them,
"Excuse me, please teach us how to make ramen."
Don't underestimate ramen anymore!
Koizumi, you're scary.
But...
this may still be a good idea.
What?
Here's your vegetarian soba noodles.
Enjoy.
Thank you for the food.
It's very tasty.
This is the first time I'm eating such a beautiful ramen dish.
The owner of this Soranoiro shop holds ramen classes.
Really?
But won't it be hard to learn how to make authentic ramen?
Of course. It won't be just like ramen from the shop.
It's ramen conformed to the public, using simple ingredients.
This is not bad. Let's try learning it.
Then, we'll make some delicious ramen for Yu.
Okay.
Let's have the surprise...
on the day of the end of the school ceremony.
(Surprise!)
Koizumi, this is really formal and so tidy.
What?
These gentlemen are here too.
Because the legendary Mr. Miyazaki himself will be teaching us.
We've no excuse not to come.
Mr. Miyazaki?
He's the owner of Soranoiro.
He opened Soranoiro after studying...
at the famous Hakata Ippudo.
He developed vegetarian soba using a lot of vegetables...
and the shop rose in the ranks of popularity.
Thank you for waiting.
Hello, everyone. I'm Miyazaki.
Today, I will make a bowl of tasty ramen...
that's so simple, so you can make it at home yourself.
It's a pleasure to meet you.
- Nice meeting you. - Nice meeting you.
The ingredient for today's broth is a piece of pork shoulder.
This is enough to make a delicious broth.
Place the pork into boiling water...
and simmer it for one and a half hours...
before taking it out.
The decisive factor is the juice from the barbecued pork.
Place the pork in soy sauce that's been boiled once.
Leave it there for 30 minutes and you're done.
Here's the main focus, handmade noodles.
Handmade noodles.
Mix the high and low-gluten flour in a large bowl.
Add in a third of the water and knead the dough.
Do this thrice.
Keep your hands in the shape of a cat's paw...
with your fingers like this when you knead.
The catchphrase is "meow."
- Meow! - Meow!
Hey!
Koizumi, you're such an expert in ramen,
but you're lost when it comes to making it.
Eating ramen and making ramen are two different things.
(Wrap and step on the dough for 20 minutes to stretch it.)
(Then run it through a pasta machine and boil it.)
No bad.
(Mix 36ml of shoyu to 300ml of soup.)
(Put in the noodles and complete with toppings.)
Wonderful, it's done.
Thank you for the food.
It's delicious!
This is the flavor of the traditional Chinese noodles.
So, few ingredients were used to make such a flavorful broth.
(Ramen)
My muscles are aching.
But I now know how to make delicious ramen.
Let's make Yu happy.
Actually, I'd like to discuss this with you.
Should we serve the ramen to Yu just as it is?
What are you talking about?
The ramen is so delicious.
She's sure to be happy.
But that's Mr. Miyazaki's ramen...
and not ours.
Do you mean...
we have to scrap what we learned...
- and start from scratch? - No, it's not that.
I'm talking about the toppings and garnishing.
Can't we display something to show our originality?
I see where you're coming from.
I definitely agree!
Let's think of something unexpected and make Yu happy.
Yes.
With so many things,
we're bound to come up with something suitable.
Because Yu is going to Sapporo,
I'm using roast lamb instead of barbecued pork.
It is very nice,
but I think we still need something more surprising.
So, here it is.
I tried putting in sashimi.
It's not all that surprising.
Since there is a Papapapapine ramen.
How about making fruit ramen?
No way!
Definitely.
It's Yu.
(Sapporo)
Is Yu worn out?
Now that you mention it,
she does seem like it.
She kept her transfer from us...
because she doesn't want us to feel sad.
But Yu herself...
is taking it the hardest.
Right, we must do our best...
and make Yu a bowl of delicious ramen...
to give her a good send-off.
I thought popcorn would work.
Since fried dumplings are Chinese, I thought it was suitable, but…
How about using Miso ramen as a topping for soy sauce ramen?
Do you know what you're saying?
Nothing seems to work at all.
We're out of ideas!
No.
Ramen is a food that has unlimited possibilities.
It's just that our efforts are not enough.
But we've already reached our limit.
We did taste some that were not so bad, didn't we?
Why don't we just settle for those?
No. For the last time, I'd like to give Yu...
a bowl of delicious ramen.
But...
the end of the school ceremony is the day after tomorrow.
In that case,
there's just this one left.
This one? No way.
We can't use this one.
We just can't.
We'd be really grateful if you would teach us.
You want to put this thing in the ramen?
We'd like to use this as a topping because it's our friend's favorite.
But it's not totally impossible.
We just have to see how we use the braised soy sauce.
Summer holidays are finally here!
Wonderful!
- Let's go to the beach. - Good idea.
- Actually, I… - Yu, wait.
Come down for a little while.
What?
Yu.
Come. Come in here.
Sit down.
Could this...
be…
Handmade ramen.
We both made it for you.
What?
Did both of you know about it already?
Yes, we figured it out.
So, we especially learned it for this day.
Thank you,
both of you.
Here you go.
It's the handmade ramen.
Creamy bean paste fruit jelly ramen.
What?
We tried adding your favorite things, Yu.
Mix the bean paste into the soup and give it a taste.
Thank you for the food.
What's this? It's delicious.
It smells great.
Doesn't it?
We added unsweetened bean paste into braised soy sauce to simmer.
We sought the advice of a real professional.
We both learned a lot from our experiments. Didn't we?
Yes.
And we desaccharified the cream...
and added grapefruit juice for a citrusy taste.
The creamed bean paste fruit jelly is perfectly suited for the ramen.
I…
It's just wonderful...
that the two of you are my friends.
Before this,
I've never had something that I'm deeply fond of.
But...
after meeting the mysterious ramen-loving Koizumi,
my world has expanded.
Thank you,
Koizumi.
And Misa too.
Hurry up and eat it before the noodles get lumpy.
- It's so delicious. - Right? It's delicious, right?
It's very delicious.
Thank you for your hospitality.
What is this?
(Take care! Koizumi and Misa.)
"Take care."
Well…
This is a farewell gift.
What's this?
I bought this during my ramen expedition in Sapporo.
I placed a sticker on the shops I recommend.
No, I didn't mean that.
Why are you giving this to me?
What?
Aren't you going to be transferred to a school in Sapporo?
What do you mean transferred?
I'm not going to be transferred.
What?
But the teachers were talking about it in the staff room.
It's Okawa from the next class who's going to be transferred.
What?
But you were looking at the Sapporo guidebook too.
It's because I'm going to my relative's home...
for the summer holidays.
And you were also going off on your own the last two weeks.
Actually, I'm trying to lose weight.
Lose...
Lose weight?
I've gained weight after eating ramen...
with Koizumi all the time.
But I wanted to eat with all my relatives during my holiday.
So I decided to lose weight starting now.
Besides,
each time I see both your faces, my resolution will start to waver.
I guess I'm trying to avoid the two of you.
But today, my plans on diet have ended.
And what about the phone call you made at the stair landing?
Yes.
This is the period when your body weight plateaus.
This is the most difficult period.
I understand.
I'll say goodbye at the end of the first semester, right?
Yes.
You can say goodbye to this awful diet.
What's this? Then, what about...
when you were looking so depressed while sitting on the bench that day.
Right, Koizumi?
Yes.
You were swaying and sighing away.
That's why I said it's so hard being on diet.
Look.
What?
I managed to lose weight using my own way.
Then,
you're not transferring?
Of course, not.
What?
Then, this ramen no longer means anything.
Not at all.
I'm very happy.
Thank you.
Koizumi.
Did you go so far as to do this for me?
No. I only did it for the sake of the experiment.
Here we go again.
Koizumi is amazing.
She said she wanted to give you delicious ramen.
Really? Koizumi did?
I'm so touched.
In that case, since it's the summer holidays tomorrow,
let's all three of us go and eat ramen together.
- Okay! - I decline.
- What? - What?
You smiled.
Koizumi, you smiled just now, right?
It's the first time I see you smile rather than when eating ramen.
No, I didn't smile.
Please give me back the "Ramen Walker".
No way! You gave it to me!
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 Tenka Ippin Koenji shop and Soranoiro main shop.