Visiting the Instant Ramen Museum – Birthplace of Cup Noodle.

When visiting a new city for the first time I like to get a feel for the place through the locals eyes. This gets me a sense of what to see and do next. As I messed the meeting point for my Osaka walking tour (not my first travel goof of the year) and ended up on the self-guided tour of the city, I was left to figure out what to do on my own. While flipping through a local tourist map I came across the Momofuku Ando Instant Ramen Museum in nearby Ikeda.

Intriguing.

I read on.

Visitors are taken through the history of Ramen noodle and are even allowed to make their own custom cup.

Sold.

Getting to the Instant Ramen Museum

The Instant Ramen Museum is located in Ikeda, the very town the instant noodle was invented in. Getting there is an easy commuter train ride away. More specifically:

Dig Those Noodles

The Instant Ramen Museum is said to be geared towards children however I found it fascinating. What does that say about me?

With a history of how Mr Momofuku Ando created the instant Ramen noodle told through a series of interesting displays, a recreation of his laboratory and a film, there is something for all ages.

Custom Cup

The Instant Ramen Museum offers 2 ways to enjoy a Cup Noodles of your own – from scratch or pre-made. I chose the latter as making your own noodles from scratch would have meant missing out on the rest of the museum. Too bad because we missed out on some hilarious bandannas:

Making your own custom cup of noodles is as easy as purchasing the noodles from a vending machine, colouring your custom cup, selecting your soup base and ingredients, then watching the magic of the packaging process.

Worth the Day Trip

Although a visit to the Momofuku Ando Instant Ramen Museum wasn’t on the schedule, it was a fun and tasty find. Where else could I get my own This Life in Trips Cup Noodles? What goes in a This Life in Trips Cup Noodles? Spicy beef broth, crab, egg, corn and green onion.

And yes, it was delicious.

Momofuku Ando Instant Ramen Museum Good to Know

Admission: Museum is free! Making noodles from scratch or custom cup is ¥300
Hours: 9:30 – 16:00 (Visitor reception until 15:30)
Don’t Miss: Wall of Cup of Noodles! Making your own cup!

What say you?
Thoughts on the Instant Ramen Museum in Ikeda?
Let’s hear it!

For more reviews from Asia and beyond see HERE.