Ramen to Cry For
Usually, servings of soba and ramen are just snacks, to me; not a real meal.
Sometimes, I eat the stuff, after a night of drinking, to prevent hangovers.
Or, when I don't have enough sense left, the next morning, to make headaches go away.
Like, it's not a lunch that sticks to your ribs more than an hour or two.
One day, out on the road with cameras, the professor and I, decided to visit this joint.
It was before noon and, no other cars were in the parking lot so, in we went.
First, I placed my order, asked if photography was OK and, went back outside.
It's one of those "No Smoking" establishments, just like I figured.
That explained, the big, stand-up ashtray, outside the front door. Fine with me.
Just as I finished my smoke, a gal came running out the door, to get me.
My huge bowl of ramen had already been delivered to our table, she explained.
Well, I thanked her, crushed my cigarette and, put it where they're supposed to go.
There was no sense, getting in a rush. You wont catch me gobbling down scalding hot ramen.
It was steaming hot and, I'd take my time shooting it, until things cooled down.
Now, I've had ramen before but, not stacked this high with ingredients.
It had bean sprouts, onions, garlic, pork and, who knows what else, on top of the noodles.
Usually, a sniff of the broth broth is what tells you if, it's going to be spectacular.
This serving smelled mouthwateringly good but, it was still too hot for me.
So, I dipped my chopsticks in that red sauce, at the top of the pile.
It immediately reminded me of this crazy, red-headed Mexican guy, I used to know.
Whenever, he got something from home, that was super, spicy hot, he cried.
And, he'd groan, "Ow Chihuahua."
I never thought, of asking if, that meant "awesome" in Mexican speak.
When something is so spicy, it makes my eyes water, I just say, "Ow Chihuahua" since then.
When, I get home and the wife asks, what I had for lunch, sometimes I say, "Ow Chihuahua."
She knows, it means it was something, tears-come-streaming-down- your-face, hot.
That red stuff, up there, was some sort of kimchi sauce and, it was spicy.
Just in case, there wasn't enough flavor in the bowl, you could add more.
A stand, near the front door, had more things, you could put on your dinner.
Watching, I noticed some guys, loading extra kimchi on their meals. I passed.
The lunch was delicious and filling. I'll probably, eat there again and again.
How to Get There
It's in Nishihara, right along HWY 329 but, the sign isn't in English.
Look for a black building with a red sign, that says "麺一" meaning, "noodles one."
It's walking distance from Heart Life Hospital. That could be a good thing.
Doctors and nurses, might eat there if, it's healthy for the heart.
In case, you have too much of an Ow Chihuahua moment there's help nearby !
