Walking through Tokyo, you tend to pass beautiful restaurants with their neon light ablaze and doors open.

Today’s the big day I’m wandering around looking for one thing and one thing only….

ramen.

It’s a cool day there’s a slight bite to the wind as if it is trying to keep me awake let me know that I’m alive.

After just a few moments of looking I find a Ramen place with its dust cover neon lights  I walk through the door there’s a Small jingle as the door pushes open. I find behind the bar an 85-year-old man that looks just as dust covers as the neon outside. Cutting veg for the soup.

He points me to an electric booth when you pay like a vending machine the first time I saw this I was impressed but now it’s just commonplace. It is just Japan you can find so many odd and cool thing here.

What you do is you go up you press the language you wanted the menu to be in and then you perceived just pick out what you want putting your money if it except it.

(it’s funny you could be the most technologically Advanced city and a $5 bill will still be rejected by vending machine over the smallest of creases)

You send a piece of paper to the 85-year-old man he looks like he’s been doing that since he was four.  he bows and starts to cook you sit down and wait

…..and wait…..

…..and wait…..

…..and wait…..

And eventually, that old gentleman hobbled over to you. with the steaming bowl of ramen in his hands. The steam form the bowl is covering his face. I wondering if he can see. he does just fine he sits down the bowl of ramen infant of me.

-the thing I’ve noticed about writing about food on the bucket list website is I can discuss how tastes and looks for hours I converted 600-page dissertation on ramen how it taste and how it is made.  And how it makes me feel. But it’s tough the best thing I can say is to go try your self or make your own.  take the flights and enjoy yourself-

Back to the moment at hand. The second that The bowl of Ramen was placed in front of me I was bombarded with all a lot of different smells. From that umami the fatty saltiness of the pork. Or the sourness of the vinegar. needless to say, it is about as complicated a smell and string theory is to a science.

PS as I am writing this there is a kangaroo on my lap

I Pick up my chopsticks, my hands are shaking a little. For me, this is a big moment.

I am thinking about what I am about to do and the gravity of it. For me to be a cook, to love food. This is like losing your virginity. To have your first true bowl of Ramen is a big thing…. or at least for me it is.

I tentatively pick up my chopsticks. slowly bringing them down to pick up one noodle. I put it in my abating mouth.  it’s warm with the perfect texture. Not Too soft not too hard. (lol that is what she said ha-yo) It is just perfect I switch my chopsticks for my spoon and try a little bit of the broth.

It is, was and forever will be absolutely divine. The warm broth with a combination of meaty with a hint of mushrooms a little bit of soy and the best ingredient of all love.

Awwwwww.

After trying all the different components. I tentatively and slowly started to eat a bowl of Ramen. All while trying to process delicious taste and everything that stood behind this bowl of soup that I am eating the millions of other bowls of Ramen made by the generations of people. I’m assuming,

It may sound odd but I’m speaking of this meal in very religious terms. but it is truly a very important moment but eventually just like all the very important amazing moments it disappeared. Just like all the noodles and the broth after 30 minutes I am done and I sit down and think about how life is.

When I walk out of the restrung and into the cold bitter life just a little bit warmer from that broth.