Justin L.
Yelp
‼ A museum dedicated to one of the greatest inventions of all time... instant noodles ‼
TL;DR It's a "one and done" kind of experience for me since I don't see myself going again but I would still say it's great for first-timers!
We started the morning at the Chicken Ramen Factory on the third floor. I didn't read their website properly and thought I was making a reservation to enter the museum. We found out later that we signed up for a ramen making class. It was an extra 1000 yen ($7.16 USD, adult price) on top of admission (¥500 or $3.58 BTW). But I'm glad we decided to go through with it, I had fun! You start by mixing ingredients with the flour, kneading the dough by hand, rolling it flat, pressing it through a machine, folding it multiple times, and then cutting it. There's some time in between each step to allow the dough to rise and for you to sit down and decorate your own ramen package. After the noodles are steamed, you mix everything again with more ingredients to season it. And then place it in a mold. The staff members will fry it, dehydrate it, and package it with the one you designed. It was very cool to see the entire instant ramen making process from start to finish. Everything was very clean, I washed my hands and put on new gloves at almost every step. Our instructor was kind and patient. The class took about an hour and a half.
Next we went to the My Cup Noodle Factory to personalize our own Cup Noodles. Spots are limited and it's first come-first serve. It's possible to get reservations on a website called Lawson Ticket, but I didn't look into it. They'll direct you to purchase a cup at a vending machine (¥500 or $3.58) and guide you to a table with markers. After you complete your designs, line up in front of the topping station. Staff members will add noodles, your choice of broth (regular, curry, seafood, chili tomato), and your choice of four toppings (sixteen different choices). I went with egg, meat, imitation crab, and shrimp. They'll seal it, shrink-wrap it, and give it back to you. Inflatable, protective bags are available but I didn't get one because I had limited luggage space. It's a neat memento to take home.
For lunch we went to the fourth floor and ate at the Noodle Bazaar, which was a food court featuring different noodle dishes from eight countries. Separate review to follow (maybe).
The second floor contained exhibits on the life and legacy of the inventor Momofuku Ando, his global impact, and some lessons to learn. There's a cup noodle wall that displays the evolution of instant ramen throughout the years and features every cup noodle package you can think of. If you're going to watch the mini movie inside the theater and you don't understand Japanese, pick up an audio guide at the ticket counter. There were no English subtitles so it was an awkward 14 minutes. After the presentation, you walk into a room that has a recreation of Ando's work shed where instant ramen was born. Overall there are lots of photo-op friendly things on this floor. It only takes about 30 minutes to an hour to get through everything.
We stopped by the gift shop on the first floor near the entrance/exit. You'll find limited edition cup noodle flavors, apparel, stationery, snacks, and more. I picked up a few magnets, erasers, and stickers to give as gifts. Pricey but not outrageous.
Final thoughts: The museum was mostly geared toward children, but I'm sure adults can learn a thing or two. Most of the activities are extra charges outside of admission. Creating your Cup Noodle is the most popular option, the instant ramen cooking class was the most interesting to me personally. If you're staying in Tokyo, it's a little out of the way (about an hour south using the subway). But if you have one day to explore Yokohama, I would add this to the itinerary. There's another Cup Noodles museum in Osaka if that location is more convenient for you.