MOMOFUKU ANDO RAMEN MUSEUM

I would first like to credit Tania from Sugoidays on information to this visit however, because it would have otherwise been a little difficult to find. Located in a little town called Ikeda, the Momofuku Ando Ramen Museum is really a must-visit if you're an instant noodle fan. 

Signs will guide you there! 

With the founder himself, Momofuku Ando.

The timeline of instant noodles.

A blast from the past, perhaps? 

Oodles of noodles.

Once you step in, you'll first be greeted by the great wall of instant noodles where a collection of every instant noodle flavour is on display. But really it doesn't just stop at the walls because if you look up you'll also see some noodles stuck on the ceiling. It's quite a marvel, and while you're there please don't forget to take a picture! 

Items are only on display, please do not touch.

How noodles are made.

Old time cup noodle vending machines.

They also have interactive items around to show you how instant noodles were made, and the type of innovative things they once created such as instant noodles meant for astronauts in space. It was all very exciting, with little trivia pieces all over the museum for anyone to play with. It's like a place for kids and kids at heart to just spend some time and have fun. 

Make your own Cup Noodles! 

One of the most popular activities at the Momofuku Ando Ramen Museum has got to be where you could make your own Cup Noodles at ¥300 a cup. You'll get to also pick 4 toppings and a flavour of your choice. So how do you get about it? 

First you buy your empty cup for ¥300 from these machines.

Then you sanitize your hands at the next station.

And then you draw! 

Every step is guided by the kind staff around the museum, and even if you don't know Japanese, they'll be able to help with a little bit of English knowledge. Cleanliness is very important to them, so every cup is sanitized and a lid is provided while you decorate your cup, and they also tell you where not to draw so as to ensure safety. 

Next you insert the noodle cake into the cup!

 And yes, you get to do it yourself!

Then you pick your toppings from an array of choices.

Fish cake, shrimps, cheese, and egg with the original soup base was my pick!

The staff behind the counter were all also really joyful, and they would take the time to explain to you one by one on what the ingredients were as well as to guide you through every step of the way. Was this Japanese hospitality to be nice to everyone? 

Next was to seal it up! 

We bought 6 Cup Noodles in total as souvenirs to several friends.

Heat packed for freshness.

And finally wrapped!

Unlike regular Cup Noodles, these had to be eaten a month after making as the ingredients inside were fresher than the normal retail pieces. We also had to deflate the pack and carefully stuff our Cup Noodles into our luggage, but it was worth just staring at the bubble pack even for a bit. It was quite a fun thing to do really, from buying the cup to sanitizing our hands, drawing on the cups and picking our ingredients, every step was very personalized making it a worthy ¥300 spent. 

Other special Cup Noodles.

And this squishy Cup Noodle souvenir I wish I brought home!

We took almost 2 hours to explore the museum and to make our personalized Cup Noodles, then walked around and discovered these squishy Cup Noodle souvenirs that were unfortunately not for sale. My other half did buy me a soft toy of the mascot in the end however, so I guess that was good enough for me. The ultimate experience was pretty priceless though, so if you're around Osaka and you love instant noodles, don't skip on the Momofuku Ando Ramen Museum! 

Momofuku Ando Ramen Museum

Open Mondays to Sundays from 9.30 AM to 4 PM

Closed on Tuesdays

Entrance is free