Welcome to Yatai! Alongside the canal/river, small stalls selling ramen and Japanese prickled food were bustled with customers especially during weekends. Tables were limited. So, customers could be seen lining up for their turns. Food will be prepared in front of customers. A small space to contain a number of customers....So, u could imagine them cuddled together, bending over their food. Hmm, this practice is welcomed especially during cold season. Coupled with hot Japanese tea, it was good! 
Yatai is welcomed break from working routine. It is a hive of activities not only for eating and drinking but also a place of togetherness. Stall keepers could be seen engaging with their customers and also trying hard to attract customers to dine at their stalls. Compared to Malaysian hawker stalls, Japanese take more pride in their stalls. It is evident by the fact that every stalls is decorated and lighted to give a certain kind of mood. I just walked past those stalls taking video NOT to the amazement of people there....maybe they got used to it d..jpg)
The path through the stalls ends up at a monument. It is dated back to the 1800's where this canal is the water route taken by the fishermen then. The monument stands on the place where these fishermen landed their catch to be sold. That is the humble beginning of this area. Opposite the monument stands the majestic Canal City, a shopping complex which is more famous for its musical fountain and Ramen Stadium.
Oh,ramen here we come. The craving for ramen led us up straight to Ramen Stadium at 4th floor. The name tells it all......there are 5 ramen shops in the same area. Hehe...very keen competition. It was amusing as each shops' antics to attract customers; cute waitress, customers' testimony or even the "master" chef profile and credits. The picture below is the interior of Ramen Stadium.
We were spoilt for choice over the ramen. Each shop offer different types of ramen in term of toppings, soup ingredients and the stiffness of ramen although the basic ingredients are the same. Humans are really creative....We took a shot and entered a shop. First, he had to place our order using a vending machine. A receipt will be issued once we paid the acquired amount. Good idea to save time and reduce workers.
I ordered a 600 yen ramen. Just wait to see how my first ramen taste.Japanese have their own unique way to handle their shops. Remember when I first said that they will greet every customer 'welcome' and 'thank you'? In this ramen shop, the workers will be 'shouting' to one another just to keep the atmosphere alive. Actually, they were communicating with each other but just a little bit 'over'
The ramen was delicious! A little spicy though.....The slices of boiled pork above the ramen were superb. Added with the semi-thick soup, it's worth tasting the original RM18 Japanese ramen!!! As you can see, the other toppings are spring onion, hard boiled egg and seaweed. Have to taste it for yourself!!
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