On this business trip, too, I relied on convenience stores more than a few times. There are not many restaurants open in the morning, and if I am just going to wander out and eat something random anyway, it is not much different from eating konbini food. It would be nice to visit at leisure as a tourist, but that is not where I am yet.

Kamojiru soba

It said the noodles were 40% buckwheat, which intrigued me enough to buy it. And it really did taste almost like real soba. Seriously, huh.. Cold soba would be a stretch, but as hot soba it is about on the level of a chain shop.

Noodles and beer

The noodles were genuine soba noodles, and the broth was pretty much like your usual kamo soba. I also picked up a new beer from Yebisu, and it was decent.

Pierre Herme yogurt, round three

The vanilla seems to have vanished from the market, and a new model has come out, but it was a bit sweet. Mandarin was the best after all..

Taishoken ramen

It came out as a 55th anniversary edition. The noodles were fine, but the soup was really salty. It might have been me getting the water wrong, but it was not exactly a moving flavor.

Words from Mr. Yamagishi

Menban, kokoro no aji: the bond of noodles, the taste of the heart. There are people who pour this much devotion into a single bowl of ramen.

Taiwan ramen

It seems to be booming lately, so I bought one, but it was just spicy and I could not tell what was special about it.

Raoh

It is a miso ramen, but..

The noodles

It comes with a good-sized slice of chashu too, but it was a bit heavy for breakfast.

A whisky I spotted at the airport

32,000 yen.. I am not sure it makes sense to buy an 18-year blend at this price. Considering what Ballantine’s 17 costs, I mean.. Of course it is a limited edition, so you would not lose anything by buying it at this price.

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