1. Look at this!
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2. I bought a new bathing suit!
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3. Isn't it so cute?
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4. There!
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5. Come on, over here!
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6. Hurry up!
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7. You went on for so long.
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8. Well?
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9. Does this bathing suit look good on me?
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10. It does, right?
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11. Yup, it's nice, very nice.
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12. Misa-chan, you're very cute.
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13. Oh, that person! She looks like Koizumi-san!
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14. Hey, why are you looking at her?
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15. She's got nothing
on Koizumi-san, though.
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16. Jeez!
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17. Anyway, I didn't expect Koizumi to come,
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18. but I can't believe Jun's not here, either.
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19. She said she's too embarrassed
to wear a bathing suit.
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20. Aw, man, I really wanted to see
those two in their bathing suits.
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21. Be happy that you got to see me!
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22. I wonder what they're up to right now.
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23. Jun's probably in the library.
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24. She said she's been going there every
day since summer break started.
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25. Jun does love books.
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26. Reading over a hundred novels during
summer break? Really?
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27. I could never, ever do that!
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28. Yeah, huh?
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29. Ah, I wonder what Koizumi-san is up to.
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30. Koizumi?
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31. Well, ramen, of course, right?
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32. Yeah.
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33. Koizumi-san sure does love ramen.
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34. This is bugging me.
I can't fully enjoy reading.
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35. Oh, Koizumi-san.
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36. The school library is good for
studying during summer break, huh?
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37. The town library tends
to be pretty busy.
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38. So is your summer report coming along?
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39. Actually, not really.
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40. You, too?
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41. I mean, yeah, talk about our future career?
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42. Our teacher just tells us to do
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43. something we like or that we're good at,
but it's easier said than done.
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44. I don't think I could become a writer,
and even if I were to
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45. go into publishing like my mother,
I won't necessarily end
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46. up in the department I'd like.
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47. Grades-wise, the natural sciences
would be a good fit for me,
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48. but none of the jobs associated
with that really click with me.
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49. That's rough.
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50. Honestly, though, what I really
want is to just say to heck with it,
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51. and run a bookstore or be a librarian so I
can read books all day.
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52. Yeah, right.
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53. I kind of understand that.
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54. Anyway, what is your dream for the future?
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55. It's a secret.
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56. I-I see.
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57. I mean, it's something ramen-related, right?
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58. Anyway, I'm off now.
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59. Are you going somewhere after this?
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60. Yes.
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61. To look at the ramen that I love.
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62. This place?
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63. The sign says it's a bar.
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64. Wait, is that instant noodles?
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65. An entire wall of it!
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66. Huh? But I don't think
I've seen many of these.
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67. You noticed, huh?
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68. The ramens they have here are
local instant noodles from
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69. every nook and cranny of Japan.
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70. You're right!
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71. They're sorted by region!
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72. You can get some of these
at the supermarket chains, lately, too.
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73. I didn't know there were that
many types of instant noodles.
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74. I often eat instant noodles
when my parents aren't home for dinner.
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75. Maybe I'll take some home.
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76. I will eat them here.
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77. Huh? Here?
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78. You're going to eat instant
noodles in the store?
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79. When I make them myself,
I usually make a mistake.
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80. What's more, even for instant noodles,
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81. just one wrong step can ruin the flavor.
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82. Prepare the noodles and the soup separately.
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83. The noodles can get hard or stuck together.
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84. Cook the noodles evenly in plenty of water.
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85. Or the opposite. If I overcook
the noodles, they get soggy.
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86. The cooking time can be less than directed.
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87. Oh, how many times I've suffered.
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88. I guess she can't cook very well.
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89. Well, it's definitely a safe
bet to have a pro make it.
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90. Maybe I'll eat here, too.
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91. So you pick something out here and have
someone from the store cook it, right?
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92. Yes.
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93. Do you have any recommendations?
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94. Everyone has their own preferences, so...
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95. If I had to pick, however, I'd say
that the products from Hokkaido are
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96. all a cut above the rest.
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97. They have many collaborations
with famous restaurants, too.
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98. And beginning with the Maruyama Zoo Ramen,
the ramens associated with
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99. each region's zoos have cute packaging,
but also take their taste seriously, too.
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100. Another animal-associated type would be
Aichi's Nishimikawa Giraffe Ramen series.
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101. Yet another would be the Aquarium
series, such as Penguin, Dolphin, and Seal.
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102. They also have a healthier variant with
non-fried noodles, called the beauty series.
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103. Then there is the Higashimikawa
region's Ponpoko Ramen.
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104. Both have a gentle,
homemade flavor.
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105. The nonstandard types include various
ingredients in the noodles, such as
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106. olive, lotus root, chili, or kelp, allowing you to experience unique flavors.
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107. Additionally, there are these Chanpon ramen
from Hyogo, which are close to salt tanmen.
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108. Beware, though, they are quite different
from Kyushu's Nagasaki chanpon.
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109. For some reason, they're very
popular in Ishikawa.
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110. Speaking of Kyushu, notable are the
tonkotsu-flavored Umakacchan series,
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111. and the Avec Ramen from Kumamoto,
which comes with a light salt soup paste.
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112. They call it "Avec" because
it has two servings, apparently.
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113. In Hokkaido, the Double Ramen
is something similar.
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114. So much...
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115. Wait a minute, why does
she already know every flavor?
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116. Does this mean she's tried every single one?
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117. If she's doing this much research,
does it mean that she's pursuing
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118. a career in the ramen industry?
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119. So anyway, I went for the
Hokkaido Rishiri Kelp Ramen.
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120. I picked Ichiki Kushino Specialty Tuna Ramen
from Kagoshima Prefecture,
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121. with powdered wasabi.
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122. These look like they came
from a real ramen restaurant.
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123. Well...
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124. Time to eat.
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125. There's a stronger kelp flavor
than I expected.
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126. The umami of the shredded kelp
is spreading more and more.
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127. Huh?
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128. Huh?
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129. I don't remember instant noodles
ever being this good.
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130. The powdered wasabi got in my nose.
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131. But that's the fun part.
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132. Koizumi-san, you're going to have
a career in the ramen industry, right?
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133. That's why you're always going around,
training your sense of taste
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134. and deepening your
understanding of ramen, right?
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135. I sort of look up to you for that.
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136. Huh?
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137. Huh?
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138. Huh?
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139. Huh?
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140. I never really thought about that.
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141. I-I see.
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142. In fact, I can't even
think about anything...
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143. when I'm eating ramen.
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144. I kind of know what you mean.
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145. You're right.
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146. This is this, that is that.
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147. Right.
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148. So what is your dream for the future?
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149. It's a secret.
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150. What do I have to do
to become ramen?
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151. What are you talking about?
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152. Sniff, sniff...
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153. Sniff, sniff...
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154. The instant noodles you gave me
kind of smell like Koizumi-san.
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155. What?
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156. The egg topping will be 70 yen.
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157. Thank you for waiting!
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158. Thank you for waiting!
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159. Next customer, please!
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160. Welcome!
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161. Welcome!
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162. The spicy miso cabbage is 120 yen!
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163. Thank you for waiting!
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164. Thank you for waiting!
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165. Hey, what do you want to have for lunch?
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166. I want ramen.
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167. Rice.
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168. A rice dish.
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169. Noodles or something.
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170. How about you guys put your rice
in our ramen soup after we're done?
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171. I guess that's a thing.
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172. I'm fine with ramen, then.
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173. What?
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174. Putting rice into ramen broth?
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175. Isn't that kinda gross?
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176. Are you being serious right now?
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177. The soup's heavenly richness makes
finishing it with rice a no-brainer!
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178. I've never done such a thing.
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179. Besides, I prefer light flavors.
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180. Now, now...
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181. I used to be a denier just
like you until recently.
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182. Leftover broth and rice?
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183. If you want rice so badly,
just get a small fried rice.
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184. If you want more volume,
just order more noodles.
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185. You know?
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186. But...
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187. The other day, I went to a ramen shop with
my girlfriend and the cook recommended it,
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188. so I tried it for the first time.
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189. Result? Total satisfaction.
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190. My girlfriend was totally happy, too, saying,
"Delicious! It's like an Italian risotto!"
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191. By now, I'm fully converted.
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192. Nobody asked you to brag
about having a girlfriend.
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193. Come on, I sided with you!
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194. Vegetable potage types
do work well rice.
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195. And seafood types.
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196. Katsuura tantan works really well, too.
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197. Yes, and add an egg on top!
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198. Then why not just order
porridge from the get-go?
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199. You don't get it.
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200. It's good because you're finishing
it with rice after the ramen!
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201. Rice with ramen is carbs on carbs.
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202. When you eat rice and ramen together,
the ramen functions as the side dish and the soup!
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203. But for being a soup, doesn't it
have too much stuff in it?
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204. Come on!
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205. I'm fine with ramen, but can
we please pick a place?
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206. I'm hungry.
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207. Yeah, sorry.
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208. Let's see...
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209. Which shop has the ramen
that goes best with rice?
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210. Household?
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211. Does that mean it'll taste
like it's homemade?
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212. No, this is "iekei."
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213. Like, it has spinach and nori on it, and it's rich.
It's like tonkotsu, but it's also like chicken.
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214. Anyway, it's just delicious!
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215. That failed to explain it.
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216. Man, the lineup is super long again.
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217. Shut up! Anyway, iekei is the
perfect companion for rice!
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218. Iekei is something that began here,
at this Yoshimuraya.
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219. Almost all the restaurants that have their roots here
have the kanji "ie" or "ya" in their names,
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220. so they got grouped together
under the "iekei" label.
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221. Though the definition is not really solid.
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222. That's it!
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223. Oh yeah, it's true.
There are quite a lot of them.
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224. Let's get in line already.
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225. All right, let's go!
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226. Thanks for waiting.
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227. I can't take it, it looks so good!
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228. I have to send this to my girlfriend.
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229. Huh? You're on social media?
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230. Let's eat.
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231. No, it's just for my records.
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232. Hey, isn't this too much?
I don't know if I can finish it.
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233. Who cares! Let's just eat.
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234. Time to eat!
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235. A stable flavor.
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236. It has a hint of game, but it's
creamy and goes down easily.
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237. It's so good that you'll die if you
can't eat it regularly!
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238. Yeah, this is actually really delicious.
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239. See?
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240. Would you like some garlic?
Or do you prefer ginger?
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241. Saburou?
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242. After this, I have to go to work,
where I to talk to people.
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243. I'll stick with ginger.
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244. I'll take garlic. I'm going home after this.
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245. I'm jealous. I have to go to work, too.
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246. Oh, hey, when do you guys eat your spinach?
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247. I eat it at the beginning.
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248. If you ask me, I'd say at the end.
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249. I've never even thought about that.
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250. I eat it with my rice.
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251. Then what about the nori?
When do you eat that?
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252. I mean, I never got why there's nori on ramen.
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253. It's not clear when you should eat it,
and if you leave it, it just gets soggy.
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254. That's what's good about it!
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255. See, you wrap the spinach in
the soup-soaked nori like this.
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256. This is the stuff!
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257. So good!
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258. The nori on ramen can only really
shine fully when there's rice.
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259. So true.
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260. This is good.
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261. Just eating it with
the noodles is good, too.
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262. If you let the nori soak up the soup,
and eat it with the noodles, you can
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263. enjoy both the noodles and
the soup at the same time.
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264. Yeah. Both ways are good, but now
I feel like there's not enough nori.
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265. If that's the case,
you can just order extra nori.
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266. I see.
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267. Alternatively... Bam!
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268. That's the ticket.
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269. This looks so good.
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270. It does look good, but then you
end up drinking all of the soup.
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271. The sodium...
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272. Hey guys, what's your stance
on vinegar in ramen?
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273. Yay or nay?
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274. I like to add it at the end
to change up the flavor.
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275. Welcome.
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276. Oh, a high school girl!
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277. Don't stare like that.
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278. Hm? I feel like I've seen her before.
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279. How thick would you like your soup?
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280. Thicker soup, less fat,
and the noodles a bit firm.
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281. Sodium...
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282. Here you go, ramen and rice!
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283. Thank you for waiting.
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284. Time to eat.
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285. She kind of created a new dish!
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286. I see, putting soup into
your rice bowl works, too.
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287. She's a master!
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288. I see, she ordered her noodles firm
because she eats her rice first.
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289. Thank you for the meal!
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290. I think you're right.
Iekei ramen goes well with rice.
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291. See?
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292. Iekei is the best!
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293. Chopped ginger and grated ginger are usually
both available, which is helpful.
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294. At this place I was at the other day,
I put chopped onion on and it was way
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295. more refreshing than I had imagined.
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296. That's why I think free toppings are a
crucial element to truly enjoying iekei ramen,
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297. so much that...
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298. He's become a complete Damn it fanboy.
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299. Which ramen shop are you going to today?
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300. Lately, there's been an iekei boom.
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301. Huh? What's that?
Does it taste like it's homemade?
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302. Then just come over to my place!
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303. I will not.
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304. Cabbage as a topping has a rep for
diluting the soup, but I like it because
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305. it makes the flavor a bit more rounded.
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306. Seriously? You noticing that
means you've made real progress!
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307. I sometimes put nattou on as a topping.
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308. I've heard that vanilla ice cream on
soy sauce, potato salad on tonkotsu, and
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309. honey on miso are viable, too.
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310. That's too sophisticated
for me to even imagine.
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