Random Musing(s) #3

Last weekend I took a trip to Porter Square for a bowl of real ramen from Sapporo Ramen in the Porter Exchange mall. It'd been far too long since I'd set foot in there, and my love and understanding of things Japanese was a still in its infancy. (It's still in early adolescence at best) That being said, it was a nice return and to see how my view had changed since my last visit.

Lunch from Sapporo was definitely a treat, and while visiting the small shop just off Newbury St. is a good place to grab a hearty bowl of real ramen, something about the setting made the visit all the better. Porter Exchange feels like a small piece of Japan transplanted into Cambridge. The biggest little discovery during my last visit had to be after taking a step into the small Japanese grocery store, Kotobukiya Market. I've already mentioned my fondness for Suntory Boss coffee, but there was another reunion that was even greater for me.



Anyone who's spoken to me after my return from my semester in Japan knows that I can speak for ages about a love for curry that was discovered during my time there. Among the many forms that I became fond of the flavor in was the Cup Noodles brand instant ramen. While the brand is somewhat readily available in the states, the curry flavor is one of the varieties I've only seen in Japan. I bought myself a cup of the stuff without a moments hesitation and last Monday's lunch was a piece of heaven sent nostalgia. I might not be sure when my next journey to Japan will be, but at least there's a little something that was always a favorite of mine that takes me back a little while. Olfaction is said to be the sense most strongly tied to memory, and having the scent nearby, I can't help but remember some very good times.