Japan Travel – Visiting Cup Noodles Museum

March 8, 2016 by 4 Comments

During our first week staying in Japan, we stayed in Shinjuku, a busy area known for lots of shopping, entertainment, and Shinjuku Station is Japan’s busiest railway station. This was great for us in that it was super easy to get food and drink (varying from department stores to lots of restaurants and nightlife establishments), and the train station is a hub for many train lines.

So it was very easy to decide that morning to take a day trip to Mount Takao, or on another day, we took a day trip to Yokohama and made it a Ramen Day! Our first stop was visiting Cup Noodles Museum, also known as the Momofuku Ando Instant Ramen Museum. This is one of the 2 branches of the museum – the other is in Osaka.
Momofuku Ando Instant Ramen Museum - this is one of 2 locations, one is here in Yokohama and another in Osaka.

Not far from Tokyo – about 40 km south, or about an hour by train, is the city of Yokohama. If you recall vaguely from your history books, this is the fishing village that became the epicenter of foreign trade when Commodore Matthew Perry landed around here  in 1853 and Japan opened itself for the first time to the outside world. Today, Yokohama is the second largest city outside, and the foreign influence shows in that is a port town, and it is also home to the largest Chinatown in Japan. It is still home to lots of trade and visitors, though now the focus is more on amusement and tourism then foreign trade and military presence. This includes the Cup Noodles Ramen Museum, Cosmo World Amusement Park, Hakkeijima Sea Paradise aquarium and amusement park, Kirin Beer Village, and other activities. You could easily spend a whole day, and it would be a great family trip together.
Yokohama in Japan - once the epicenter of foreign trade when Commondore Matthew Perry landed here and Japan opened itself for the first time to the outside world. Now home of the Cup of Noodles Ramen Museum, Cosmo Clock 21 (at one point the tallest ferris wheel in the world) and the Cosmo World Amusement Park, Hakkeijima Sea Paradise, Kirin Beer Village, a large Chinatown, this is the second largest city outside Tokyo. You can see to the left Minato Mirai 21 whose name means harbor of the future. It has many large high-rises, including the Landmark Tower, which was Japan's tallest building from 1993 until 2014 Yokohama in Japan - once the epicenter of foreign trade when Commondore Matthew Perry landed here and Japan opened itself for the first time to the outside world. Now home of the Cup of Noodles Ramen Museum, Cosmo Clock 21 (at one point the tallest ferris wheel in the world) and the Cosmo World Amusement Park, Hakkeijima Sea Paradise, Kirin Beer Village, a large Chinatown, this is the second largest city outside Tokyo.

As you are walking from the train station to the Cup Noodles Ramen Museum in Yokohama, you won’t help but notice the huge Cosmo Clock 21, at one point the tallest ferris wheel in the world and the world’s largest clock with a height of 112.5 m / 369 ft and diameter of 100 m / 330 ft and 60 cars each carrying 8 people. The presence of the tall ship as we walked along the waterfront past Cosmo World was a modern nod to the ships that might have docked in the area more than 150 years ago. Other modern skyscrapers also compliment the skyline here.
Cosmo Clock 21 (at one point the tallest ferris wheel in the world and world's largest clock with a height of 112.5 m / 369 ft and diameter of 100 m / 330 ft and 60 cars each carrying 8 people) in Yokohama Cosmo Clock 21 (at one point the tallest ferris wheel in the world and world's largest clock with a height of 112.5 m / 369 ft and diameter of 100 m / 330 ft and 60 cars each carrying 8 people) in Yokohama

Both Cup Noodles museums in Yokohama and Osaka have an instant ramen workshop allowing visitors to make their own “fresh” instant noodles (fresh as in just made the noodles at least!). Reservations must be made in advance for this fresh ramen making activity called Chicken Ramen Factory. There is also a My Cupnoodles Factory where visitors can assemble their own personal Cup Noodles from pre-made ingredients for a small fee.  You can decide to do this when you buy your admission ticket if there are times available, so much easier to add to your schedule. We decided to only do the personal Cup Noodles container since making noodles is a lot like pasta making so that workshop didn’t seem worth the time… especially since we were planning to go to another Ramen Museum after this (I’ll cover that next week).

At least in the Momofuku Ando Instant Ramen Museum we visited – there are 5 floors of ramen fun. Well, really only 4 since the 5th is for events. The 1st floor is the Museum Shop, 2nd is a theater explaining the history of instant ramen’s invention, the 3rd has activities like making ramen noodles or your personal Cup Noodles, and the 4th is a Noodles Bazaar with various ramen from around the world to eat in a food hall.
Momofuku Ando Instant Ramen Museum - very clean, simple design reflected throughout the museum except in the Noodles Bazaar. This is reflective of the philosophy that you don't need state-of-the-art facilities to research and invent things because it’s the knowledge in your head that’s important Momofuku Ando Instant Ramen Museum - 5 floors of ramen fun! Well, really only 4 since the 5th is for events. The 1st floor is the Museum Shop, 2nd is a theater explaining the history of instant ramen's invention, the 3rd has activities like making ramen noodles or your personal Cup Noodles, and the 4th is a Noodles Bazaar with various ramen from around the world to eat in a food hall.

The way of the flow of the museum goes, you start with the history area, which is on the second floor since the first floor is the lobby with Entrance Hall to buy your admission or make activity reservations and the Museum Shop.

Visiting Cup Noodles Museum – Second Floor

It’s a pretty cool visual sight to see what they dub the Instant Noodles History Cube that displays the original Cup Noodles Chicken Ramen from 1958 through the approximately 800 product packages that were created to now. The breadth and depth of different packages really demonstrates how a single product has grown to the 100 billion servings of instant noodles that are consumed every year around the world now.
Momofuku Ando Instant Ramen Museum - the Instant Noodles History Cube shows the instant noodles lineup that started with the original Cup Noodles Chicken Ramen. Approximately 800 product packages shows how a single product grew to te 100 billion servings of instant noodles that are consumed every year around the world Momofuku Ando Instant Ramen Museum - the Instant Noodles History Cube shows the instant noodles lineup that started with the original Cup Noodles Chicken Ramen. Approximately 800 product packages shows how a single product grew to te 100 billion servings of instant noodles that are consumed every year around the world Momofuku Ando Instant Ramen Museum - the Instant Noodles History Cube shows the instant noodles lineup that started with the original Cup Noodles Chicken Ramen. Approximately 800 product packages shows how a single product grew to te 100 billion servings of instant noodles that are consumed every year around the world Momofuku Ando Instant Ramen Museum - the Instant Noodles History Cube shows the instant noodles lineup that started with the original Cup Noodles Chicken Ramen. Approximately 800 product packages shows how a single product grew to te 100 billion servings of instant noodles that are consumed every year around the world

It’s fascinating seeing the various flavors that have been created and changes in marketing over time and how it varies internationally.
Momofuku Ando Instant Ramen Museum - in the Instant Noodles History Cube, see rare products from the past. Take a trip down memory lane as you search for a favorite instant noodles package from your past or kinds you never saw before from other places in the world Momofuku Ando Instant Ramen Museum - in the Instant Noodles History Cube, see rare products from the past. Take a trip down memory lane as you search for a favorite instant noodles package from your past or kinds you never saw before from other places in the world

You can then watch a 15 minute film about the history in the Momofuku Theater of how Momofuku Ando came up with the idea for instant noodles. It is a pretty fun film using animation with big bobble headed versions of people and a little humor to walk through the thoughts that led up to the invention of instant ramen and then of Cup Noodles.
At Cup Nooodles Museum, watch the 15 minute Cup Noodles history in the Momofuku Theater with animated episodes demonstrating the thoughts that led up to the invention of Cup Noodles

Momofuku Ando invented the world’s first instant noodles, Chicken Ramen, in 1958 after an entire year of research using common tools in a little shed he had constructed in the backyard of his house. Right after the short film, a wall opens to a narrative timeline of the instant ramen invention (Creative Thinking Rooms) that starts out with a replica of his little shed (Momofuku Work Shed). You can step right into the shed, which is very humbling to see as the origin of such a vast empire and a savior to many a poor student. The giant wok pot of oil he was experimenting with definitely seemed to be very unsafe lab conditions for the year while he was inventing instant ramen!
Momofuku Ando Instant Ramen Museum - On August 25, 1958, Momofuku Ando invented the world's first instant noodles, Chicken Ramen, after an entire year of research using common tools in a little shed he had constructed in the backyard of his house. Cup Noodles was invented then in 1971 Momofuku Ando Instant Ramen Museum - On August 25, 1958, Momofuku Ando invented the world's first instant noodles, Chicken Ramen, after an entire year of research using common tools in a little shed he had constructed in the backyard of his house. Cup Noodles was invented then in 1971

One of the things I really enjoyed about the museum is also the philosophy it tries to teach to its visitors. Momofuku Ando was 48 years old when he started Cup Noodles. It involved a huge bounce back from personal hardships which they kept sort of vague, but I found he was raised by his grandparents because his parents died when he was an infant, and as an adult he went to jail convicted of tax evasion in the form of providing scholarships to students, and his company went bankrupt and he lost all his assets except his house.

There is no such thing as too late in life and don’t give up, the museum tries to message. Given the era of time this was also in (end of WW II), you can see how this optimism was really reflective of the rebuilding the whole country was going through too.
Momofuku Ando Instant Ramen Museum - On August 25, 1958, Momofuku Ando invented the world's first instant noodles, Chicken Ramen, after an entire year of research using common tools in a little shed he had constructed in the backyard of his house. There is no such thing as too late in life and don't give up, the Momofuku Ando Cup Noodles museum tries to message.

The museum aesthetic is very clean, simple design reflected throughout the museum rooms except in the Noodles Bazaar. This is reflective of the museum’s other message that you don’t need fancy or expensive facilities to research and invent things because it’s the knowledge in your head that’s important. The museum goes into detail in finding inspiration from every day things and thinking outside the box. Charming doodle like drawings accompany the narrative from the original instant noodle ramen invention in 1958 to the Cup Noodles initial invention in 1971 to Cup Noodles for consumption in outer space and carried on the Space Shuttle Discovery. It does seem though those who know Japanese get a lot more info than those who just know English from the placards.
Momofuku Ando Instant Ramen Museum - look at things from every angle. Part of the overall philosophy the museum is imparting of If you have an idea, along with the passion and tenacity to bring it to fruition, and the seeds of free, open-minded thinking and creativity, you can invent something that will change the world. By putting it upside down, the noodles don't get stuck when you drop into the cup and mess up the assembly line Momofuku Ando Instant Ramen Museum - there's an actual vacuum pack of Space Ramen, the instant noodles developed for consumption in outer space and carried on the Space Shuttle Discovery

Visiting Cup Noodles Museum – Third Floor

On the next floor is the area for the Chicken Ramen Factory I had mentioned earlier where you done bright yellow bandannas with the Nissin chick mascot on it and make noodles, as well as the area where you make your own custom Cup Noodles – My Cupnoodles Factory. It’s pretty cheap to sign up for the custom Cup Noodles experience and it will only cost you 300 yen. The admission is for set times during the day, so make sure you keep an eye out for when your time slot is. As you can see, this is appropriate for pretty much ALL ages.
Momofuku Ando Instant Ramen Museum - Here at the My Cupnoodles Factory, you can create your own completely original CUPNOODLES package. In a cup that you design, select your favorite soup from among four varieties and four toppings from among 12 ingredients. Altogether, there are 5,460 flavor combinations.

There’s just 8 steps to the process:

Get a cup from the vending machine (300 yen) and sanitize your hands.
Momofuku Ando Instant Ramen Museum - Here at the My Cupnoodles Factory, you can create your own completely original CUPNOODLES package. Get a cup from the vending machine (300 yen) and sanitize your hands. The cup will have a lid on it for now to keep it clean Momofuku Ando Instant Ramen Museum - Here at the My Cupnoodles Factory, you can create your own completely original CUPNOODLES package. Get a cup from the vending machine (300 yen) and sanitize your hands. The cup will have a lid on it for now to keep it clean

You will be directed to empty seats at communal tables that have markers to decorate your cup. You will also see a preview of the ingredients you can choose to fill your custom cup with a custom ramen noodle combination. There are four varieties of soup and you get to choose four toppings from among 12 ingredients. Don’t worry, there is a lid on your cup as you are decorating to keep it uncontaminated inside.
Momofuku Ando Instant Ramen Museum - Here at the My Cupnoodles Factory, you can create your own completely original CUPNOODLES package. A lid is put on top of your container so it stays uncontaminated until the ingredients are added while you decorate your cup Momofuku Ando Instant Ramen Museum - Here at the My Cupnoodles Factory, you can create your own completely original CUPNOODLES package. A lid is put on top of your container so it stays uncontaminated until the ingredients are added while you decorate your cup

Next you will be directed to one of the lines to fill your cup. I have to hand it to the ladies who man those cup filling stations, they were super cheerful and patient with guests of all ages and languages, and always had a bright smile on their faces and clear gestures to show you the process. In the first part, you will turn a lever to place the noodle cup over the already flash fried noodles upside down – one of the big discoveries as part of the Cup Noodles invention. By putting it upside down, the noodles don’t get stuck when you drop into the cup and mess up the assembly line.
Momofuku Ando Instant Ramen Museum - Here at the My Cupnoodles Factory, you can create your own completely original CUPNOODLES package. By putting the cup upside down onto the noodles, the noodles don't get stuck when you drop into the cup and mess up the assembly line. Momofuku Ando Instant Ramen Museum - Here at the My Cupnoodles Factory, you can create your own completely original CUPNOODLES package. By putting the cup upside down onto the noodles, the noodles don't get stuck when you drop into the cup and mess up the assembly line.

The designer in me loved the clear simple explanation in multiple languages on the glass of each station, and when you’ve reached the end of turning the cup to place the noodles in the right part, the crank gives this satisfying click and you can feel it click in the handle too.
Momofuku Ando Instant Ramen Museum - Here at the My Cupnoodles Factory, you can create your own completely original CUPNOODLES package. By putting the cup upside down onto the noodles, the noodles don't get stuck when you drop into the cup and mess up the assembly line.

Now you choose one soup flavor from among 4 varieties and four toppings from among 12 ingredients. Altogether, there are 5,460 flavor combinations possible! Soup flavors include original, seafood, curry or chili tomato. Ingredient options include kidney beans, crab flavored fish sausage, corn, shrimp, egg, cubic roast pork, garlic chips, kimchee, Hiyoko-chan fish sausage (the chicken face chips), cheddar cheese, and green onion, and one seasonal limited edition additional ingredient that varies.
Momofuku Ando Instant Ramen Museum - Here at the My Cupnoodles Factory, you can create your own completely original CUPNOODLES package. Momofuku Ando Instant Ramen Museum - select your favorite soup from among four varieties and four toppings from among 12 ingredients. Altogether, there are 5,460 flavor combinations. At the top left to right is kidney beans, crab flavored fish sausage, corn, garlic chips and second row shrimp, egg, and cubic roast pork Momofuku Ando Instant Ramen Museum - select your favorite soup from among four varieties and four toppings from among 12 ingredients. Here you see corn, garlic chips, kimchee, bottom row left to right cubic roast pork, Hiyoko-chan fish sausage (the chicken face chips), cheddar cheese, and green onion Momofuku Ando Instant Ramen Museum - Here at the My Cupnoodles Factory, you can create your own completely original CUPNOODLES package. Select your favorite soup from among four varieties and four toppings from among 12 ingredients. Altogether, there are 5,460 flavor combinations.

The next portions the staff perform for you to observe – the packaging of the cup where you seal the cup,
Momofuku Ando Instant Ramen Museum - Here at the My Cupnoodles Factory, you can create your own completely original CUPNOODLES package. Staff will seal your cup after adding ingredients Momofuku Ando Instant Ramen Museum - Here at the My Cupnoodles Factory, you can create your own completely original CUPNOODLES package. Staff will seal your cup after adding ingredients

then you shrink wrap the cup
Momofuku Ando Instant Ramen Museum - Here at the My Cupnoodles Factory, you can create your own completely original CUPNOODLES package. Staff will seal your cup after adding ingredients Momofuku Ando Instant Ramen Museum - Here at the My Cupnoodles Factory, you can create your own completely original CUPNOODLES package. Staff will seal your cup after adding ingredients Momofuku Ando Instant Ramen Museum - Here at the My Cupnoodles Factory, you can create your own completely original CUPNOODLES package. Staff will seal your cup after adding ingredients Momofuku Ando Instant Ramen Museum - Here at the My Cupnoodles Factory, you can create your own completely original CUPNOODLES package. Staff will seal your cup after adding ingredients

Then you inflate a protective bag using an air pump
Momofuku Ando Instant Ramen Museum - Here at the My Cupnoodles Factory, you can create your own completely original CUPNOODLES package. Inflate a protective bag using an air pump as the final step Momofuku Ando Instant Ramen Museum - Here at the My Cupnoodles Factory, you can create your own completely original CUPNOODLES package. Inflate a protective bag using an air pump as the final step

Now you can wear it as a ridiculous necklace accessory.
Momofuku Ando Instant Ramen Museum - Here at the My Cupnoodles Factory, you can create your own completely original CUPNOODLES package. You decorate it yourself and choose the ingredients for a custom ramen mix

Visiting Cup Noodles Museum – Fourth Floor

The Fourth Floor is the Noodles Bazaar, which is essentially a food court offering instant ramen flavors from around the world at various stations that you then eat in an open cafeteria area. Our goal was to go to another Ramen Museum which had ramen representations of different prefectures o eat, so I only have a few pictures to show you the atmosphere here since we didn’t eat any ramen.

All around the Momofuku Ando Instant Ramen Museum Noodles Bazaar eating area are multiple booths with various kinds of ramen from around the world to try in a setting like an outdoor food court market All around the Momofuku Ando Instant Ramen Museum Noodles Bazaar eating area are multiple booths with various kinds of ramen from around the world to try in a setting like an outdoor food court market All around the Momofuku Ando Instant Ramen Museum Noodles Bazaar eating area are multiple booths with various kinds of ramen from around the world to try in a setting like an outdoor food court market All around the Momofuku Ando Instant Ramen Museum Noodles Bazaar eating area are multiple booths with various kinds of ramen from around the world to try in a setting like an outdoor food court market

So, what did you think of this Ramen Adventure part 1? Is it what you expected from an Instant Ramen museum? Would you visit this museum or not, and what would you decorate or choose for ingredients in your custom Cup Noodles cup?

Next week- Ramen Adventure part 2 to Shin-Yokohama Raumen Museum.

If you’d like to read a little more on Momofuku Ando, it was his 105th birthday on March 5 2015 and Google had a cute doodle for him you can read here!

Here’s a summary of my Japan Travel post series:

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Stupid F***ing Bird at Portland Center Stage

March 7, 2016 by Leave a Comment

When I saw last year that Stupid F***ing Bird was on the list for Portland Center Stage‘s season, I was pretty excited. Around this time last year I attended the PCS production of Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike which was a fun modern take with references to famous Russian playwright and short story writer Anton Chekhov as well as a bit of meta mocking and mashup of theater and modern times. I really enjoyed the production. Stupid F***ing Bird is similar, but focuses specifically on having fun with Chekhov’s The Seagull. Stupid F***ing Bird at Portland Center Stage is running now until March 27.

Art by Julia McNamara poster for Stupid F***ing Bird at Portland Center Stage. By Aaron Posner Directed by Howard Shalwitz
Art by Julia McNamara presenting Stupid F***ing Bird at Portland Center Stage. By Aaron Posner Directed by Howard Shalwitz

You don’t have to know anything at all about Chekhov to enjoy Stupid F***ing Bird. It addresses things we can all relate to as a human being- loving someone and wanting to be loved back, wanting to be meaningful, wondering about the point of life. And as you can tell right away from the title, it does so in a cheeky way that doesn’t hold back from expletives and strength of feelings.

If you want to know a little background though, Chekhov spotlights how the everyday includes opposite moods and emotions occurring simultaneously.  Overall, his works reflect that life is comedic and maddening and fascinating in being sorta terrible. I believe Chekhov inspired Leo Tolstoy in showing how unhappy families are all unhappy in their own way.

Kate Eastwood Norris as Emma Arkadina, Ian Holcomb as Conrad Arkadina, Charles Leggett as Eugene Sorn and Cody Nickell as Doyle Trigorin in Stupid F***ing Bird at Portland Center Stage
(l-r): Kate Eastwood Norris as Emma Arkadina, Ian Holcomb as Conrad Arkadina, Charles Leggett as Eugene Sorn and Cody Nickell as Doyle Trigorin in Stupid F***ing Bird at Portland Center Stage. Photo by Patrick Weishampel/blankeye.tv

Similar to The Seagull, in  Stupid F***ing Bird not a lot of action happens onstage – instead, the audience experiences the conversations and observations that lead before and in the aftermath of those offstage events – and this script follows suit. You are an observer of a group of people and their relationships to each other because drama is people in the everyday, rather than big events. Thankfully, Stupid F***ing Bird trims down the original play to a manageable number of people and acts, and their names are a lot more normal to make it a lean and more effective and clear story.  It doesn’t follow the The Seagull directly but more takes inspiration by carrying forward all the intended sentiments but into more current times, and distills it into bigger emotions.

The play brings the weight of the inner turmoils and longings within each of its characters quickly and succinctly – each of the actors and actresses were perfect in completely embodying who they are even without words. Each person is complex – with a positive trait as well as a negative trait that helps you empathize but at the same time shake your head a little.

Con, played by actor Ian Holcomb is the energy that propels the people through the story with his desperation for love and meaning. I don’t know how as an actor he digs in every night to find the emotional energy to pour into portraying the brash ambitions of that kind of young man so well. He really makes it real, helping everyone feel for his “I want to change the world” hopes while also feeling exhausted as he takes himself so seriously. You can relate to the bemusement, patience, and exasperation reactions of the other characters to him.

Meanwhile, you can understand his obsession with the radiant Nina played by Katie deBuys whose presence is like a breath of fresh air compared to all the glass half empty viewpoints everyone else has. She does a wonderful job of presenting that lightness at the start that contrasts sharply as she hardens, with a great assist from wardrobe from floaty ethereal garments to being all wrapped up in layers from coldness at the end.

Katie deBuys as Nina, Cody Nickell as Doyle Trigorin, Kate Eastwood Norris as Emma Arkadina, Charles Leggett as Eugene Sorn, Darius Pierce as Dev and Kimberly Gilbert as Mash in Stupid F***ing Bird at Portland Center Stage
(l-r): Katie deBuys as Nina, Cody Nickell as Doyle Trigorin, Kate Eastwood Norris as Emma Arkadina, Charles Leggett as Eugene Sorn, Darius Pierce as Dev and Kimberly Gilbert as Mash in Stupid F***ing Bird at Portland Center Stage. Photo by Patrick Weishampel/blankeye.tv

I most fell in love with Kimberly Gilbert’s Mash through her brilliant physical presentation with her body language, fully taking advantage of stage presence. While Con and Nina may be the center of the story, it’s the tragedy and comedy as represented by Nina, or the perfect timing of observations by Charles Leggett as Sorn, that I think are the heart of the play. They experience a quieter, parallel addressing of Con’s and Nina’s yearning for love and meaning, and I think Masha and Sorn serve as the author and audience surrogate. The script also breaks the fourth wall immediately, including us the audience as observers that those on the stage are conscious of and sometimes directly address and interact with at times, and getting meta with it’s source material as well as theater in general and us!

After the play, it’s interesting to chat with others who have seen the play on your order of who you liked the most to least, in order. I won’t give away the end, but it’s one that leaves it open to us and ensuing conversation to decide what it all means, if anything at all…

There is some mature language and sexuality so PCS recommends it for ages 16+.  The play notes that “Contains mature language (surprise!) and content, fleeting nudity, fog, loaded guns and theater people.”

Stupid F***ing Bird at Portland Center Stage run until March 27. The performance runs for approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes, including one 15 minute intermission. All performances are at the Armory (128 NW 11th Avenue, in the Pearl District) on the U.S. Bank Main Stage. See more details and other ticket specials for groups, students, military, or learn about rush tickets here.

  • Tuesday – Sunday 7:30 PM. ($25-64 for adults Tues, Wed, Thurs, Sun, $25-70 for the Fri-Sat evening performances)
  • Saturday and Sundays at 2 PM and Thursdays at noon  ($25-53 for adults)

You can enjoy $10 off select tickets to Stupid &?@#!*% Bird using promo code “SOCIAL”. Note that the promotional code valid only on seating areas 1-3 and is not valid on previously purchased tickets, student tickets or in combination with other discounts and is subject to availability.

As a special for March, PCS is hosting a special March series of Social Hour events featuring local performance companies Hand2Mouth, Performance Works NW, PETE and Shaking the Tree. These are events that allow you to connect with Portland artists prior to a performance on all Thursdays in March from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. (includes a beer or glass of wine on PCS) and all Sunday’s in March from 1 to 2 p.m. (includes a complimentary mimosa on PCS)!

Disclosure: I was invited to see this production, but I will always provide my honest opinion and assessment of all products and experiences I may be given. The views and opinions expressed in this blog are entirely my own.

 

 

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Stitch Fix Box Review March 2016

March 4, 2016 by Leave a Comment

I got my quarterly Stitch Fix box, and wanted to do a Stitch Fix Box Review March 2016 of what I received for all of you out there who are also Stitch Fix members and looking to see if there are items you want to request for your next box. This is also for you out there who are wondering what a Stitch Fix styling clothing subscription can do for you.
Stitch Fix Box Review - each box comes with a card for each item along with styling ideas. And, every month I get notes from the stylist as well in text that you can see in the upper right.

I’ve done previous Stitch Fix recaps of Recap of 14 boxes, August Stitch Fix Review (2015), a December Stitch Fix Review (2015), and my first one ever was a year ago with my March 2015 Stitch Fix Review. If you have not heard of Stitch Fix before, it’s a service where you can choose your style profiles based on questions and looking at example clothes.

Then, at a predetermined interval that you pick (I pick quarterly, but you can pick specific dates so it could be any time period you choose), a stylist will send you 5 items for you to try. Each box is hand selected based on what you would like in terms of price, your style, and you can request items such as clothing for a holiday party, for a vacation, for work, for going out, etc. You can even request specific designers or what you’ve seen in other people’s Stitch Fix boxes!

I’m not sure if I’ve shared this before- each box comes with a card for each item along with styling ideas. And, every month I get notes from the stylist as well in text that you can see in the upper right.
Stitch Fix Box Review - each box comes with a card for each item along with styling ideas. And, every month I get notes from the stylist as well in text that you can see in the upper right.

You can choose to keep the entire box (and get a 25% discount off the entire price of the box) or just some of them or none of the items. Each box charges a $20 styling fee, but if you buy any item from the box that is credited towards your Stitch Fix purchase.

Now let’s see what’s in my box right?

Skies Are Blue Dorian Embroidery Detail Blouse

Stitch Fix Box March 2016 Recap- Skies Are Blue Dorian Embroidery Detail Blouse
I feel like I’m really into the brand Skies Are Blue, since I have several of those items from Stitch Fix – so the stylists know it!
Stitch Fix Box March 2016 Recap- Skies Are Blue Dorian Embroidery Detail Blouse Stitch Fix Box March 2016 Recap- Skies Are Blue Dorian Embroidery Detail Blouse
As you can see this did get a little wrinkly from being folded up, but I dug right away the color and all that detail that makes this blouse stand out from other blouses that may have this similar fluttery sleeve. The color looks good all year round and can be layered, but then if we have a crazy summer of lots of high 90 degree weather the fact this is sleeveless mean I can wear it alone and be more fashionable then the usual tank or cardigan shells. I kept the blouse.

Collective Concepts Crespi Split Neck Blouse

Stitch Fix March 2016 - Collective Concepts Crespi Split Neck Blouse
This Collective Concepts Crespi Split Neck Blouse is a little more bohemian than I normally would choose, but I have many work blouses which require a tank underneath and sometimes I just want to be able to wear a shirt! In fact, that was one of the feedbacks I had given previously, so I was really happy they were looking out for tops for me where I wouldn’t have to keep wearing the same tank tops every week underneath all my blouses.
Stitch Fix March 2016 - Collective Concepts Crespi Split Neck Blouse Stitch Fix March 2016 - Collective Concepts Crespi Split Neck Blouse

I thought it might be too boxy, but was surprised when I tried it on, and I thought about it for a bit a few more days. This is another plus of having Stitch Fix sent to home – I didn’t put this on until the next day after trying on a few things from this box. Plus I get time to think about it before putting in my order/decision of what to keep and what to return. As you can see, there are little pleats in the front (there are also some in the back) which help make the cut more flattering then it may initially appear on the hanger.
Stitch Fix March 2016 - Collective Concepts Crespi Split Neck Blouse

And, I also liked the design where the pattern that draws your eye down is in the main part of the blouse as well as on the sleeves as a white highlight pattern. I discovered that the inside of the sleeves also has patterned ties so as the weather warms for spring I can switch from these longer sleeves to rolling up the sleeves and trying it in place with little bows.
Stitch Fix March 2016 - Collective Concepts Crespi Split Neck Blouse

One of my favorite things about Stitch Fix is getting just a few statement pieces every once in a while to refresh my wardrobe, but also that are unique. Not as many people are going to a department or clothing store in Portland generally will have this same shirt, unlike some of the more trend pieces I might get just for a season. I felt like this blouse I could wear for several years to come and it would still be cool. I kept the blouse.

Le Lis Hollycroft Crew Neck Blouse

Stitch Fix March 2016 - Le Lis Hollycroft Crew Neck Blouse
I was also really torn on this Le Lis Hollycroft Crew Neck Blouse. As soon as I saw it, I was not into this floral pattern, even if it’s on trend.
Stitch Fix March 2016 - Le Lis Hollycroft Crew Neck Blouse Stitch Fix March 2016 - Le Lis Hollycroft Crew Neck Blouse
Something about the colors seemed old too. I tried it on and loved the cut, and how it can be worn as a blouse on its own. But, I couldn’t imagine wearing the shirt much on it’s own without a layering because I just didn’t want to see that much of the flower pattern! I decided to return it.

Anita Skinny Pant


These high rise black Anita Skinny Pants looked great and somehow magically fit perfectly for the legs making up my 5’2″ height. They were stretchy, comfy, and could really be casual or dressed up for work or going out. But, one of the pluses of getting this at home is that I tried them on, and then went downstairs to feed my cat and get ready to go to the dentist. And that’s when I noticed that the pants kept slipping down on me. I suppose I could wear a belt, but I usually don’t. So I ended up returning these.

Donna Morgan Jamison Dress

Stitch Fix March 2016 - Donna Morgan Jamison Dress
When I first saw the Donna Morgan Jamison Dress, I was worried about how it was a straight cut down with a tie on belt and buttons. Would the buttons gap a little? Would the buttons be too low of a V neck? It turns out after trying it on it’s a very loose straight cut but it’s not completely straight, so it skims over my hips. It’s a little brighter than some of my dresses (which tend to be in the black and white category…) but I also really liked how the dress offered a longer sleeves so I can wear it now for spring.
Stitch Fix March 2016 - Donna Morgan Jamison Dress
Plus, I have some purple jewelry but not a lot of purple clothes, so now I had a reason to take those accessories out a little more. The dress is a little short, I will probably wear tights with these. I decided to keep the dress.
Stitch Fix March 2016 - Donna Morgan Jamison Dress

What do you think of the items I got in my box?

The number one piece of advice I can give is write feedback for every individual piece and be specific about what you like and don’t like. There are times I’ve sent back most of a box, other times I’ve kept most or all the box. A stylist is only as good at knowing you as your notes!

If you are interested in joining Stitch Fix, please consider using my Stitch Fix referral code!

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Baker’s Dozen Coffee Beers & Doughnuts Next Weekend

March 3, 2016 by 11 Comments

I wanted to give you a heads up before the tickets sell out for Brian Yaeger’s Baker’s Dozen Coffee Beers & Doughnuts Festival!  Taking place next week from 10 AM – 3 PM on Saturday March 12, 2016 at Culmination Brewing, this was a fantastic event I attended last year that had me wired for the rest of the day thanks to all the caffeine from the coffee beers and all the sugar from the doughnuts.

Baker's Dozen Coffee Beers & Doughnuts 2016

This year, the festival again takes place at Culmination Brewing, which just recently won Best  New Brewery of the Year at the 2016 Oregon Beer Awards. With 20 some taps, of which 3/4 of them are their own beers which span a wide variety of styles, it’s hard to believe this brewery is less than a year old but already pumping out classics as well as always tweaking and experimenting too.

Culmination Brewing Chalkboard at Culmination Brewing with the Beer List on June 20, 2015 Bar inside of Culmination Brewing Bar inside of Culmination Brewing
These photos are back before they put the chalkboard on the wall atop the tap – I’ve been visiting since they first opened!

Culmination Brewing is family friendly and dog friendly, and has several comfy outdoor seats to enjoy the good weather (as well as easy street parking in a lot or nearby streets in the neighborhood just off out SE Sandy), as well as a dozen seats at the bar and tables inside as well. It is really like a neighborhood brewpub, but with an impressive list of brews.

Outside seating at Culmination Brewing Outside seating at Culmination Brewing Outside seating at Culmination Brewing

For $24 a person (purchase your tickets online at Mercury Tickets before they sell out – they are only selling 400 of these 21+ beer tickets), at the Baker’s Dozen Coffee Beers and Doughnuts festival you get access to a thirteen 4-oz samples of baker’s dozen (13) coffee beers as well as samples of all thirteen different doughnuts from thirteen different breweries and local Portland doughnut shops all in one place.

Bakers Dozen Coffee Beer & Doughnuts festival (coffee beer and local donuts from all over PDX) at Culmination Brewing  Bakers Dozen Coffee Beer & Doughnuts festival (coffee beer and local donuts from all over PDX) at Culmination Brewing

And, it can be family fun! They are offering a Doughnut Decoration Station for kids and non-kids. Local roasted normal coffee will be provided too, along with live music. You can purchase additional beverages beyond the 13 coffee beers and/or house-made breakfast sandwiches too.

Here’s more of a glimpse of what this upcoming festival can be like, based on the Baker’s Dozen Coffee & Doughnuts Festival last year.  I collected multiple donuts on my plate so I could try pairing them with the various beers on the checklist you get when you check in in whatever order I want.

Bakers Dozen Coffee Beer & Doughnuts festival (coffee beer and local donuts from all over PDX) at Culmination Brewing Coco Donuts Espresso Donuts were my favorite donuts from the Bakers Dozen Coffee Beer & Doughnuts festival (coffee beer and local donuts from all over PDX) at Culmination Brewing Bakers Dozen Coffee Beer & Doughnuts festival (coffee beer and local donuts from all over PDX) at Culmination Brewing Bakers Dozen Coffee Beer & Doughnuts festival (coffee beer and local donuts from all over PDX) at Culmination Brewing Bakers Dozen Coffee Beer & Doughnuts festival (coffee beer and local donuts from all over PDX) at Culmination Brewing Bakers Dozen Coffee Beer & Doughnuts festival (coffee beer and local donuts from all over PDX) at Culmination Brewing

Here’s a pro tip: when I went, I took ziploc bags with me because even with them cutting up the doughnuts into sample sizes of 1/2 or 1/4 of a doughnut, there was no way I could eat 13 doughnut morsels, so I took some home by putting them in the bag!

For a preview of some of the participating breweries brews and doughnuts check out the Brewpublic Article here on the 2nd Annual Bakers Dozen.

Unfortunately I’ll be out of town for the festival so will miss it, which just means I’ve freed up a ticket for you that you should snap up ASAP. Have you been to Culmination yet? Have you paired coffee beer and doughnuts before? Who is your favorite Portland doughnut provider? Do you spell doughnut or donut?

Culmination Brewing

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Japan Travel: Dining at a Ryokan

March 1, 2016 by 13 Comments

I had previously shared some of the details about onsen (hot springs) and staying at a ryokan (Japanese inn) by Lake Kawaguchiko and Mount Fuji – Wakakusa no Yado Maruei. One of the incredible parts of the ryokan experience besides the onsen was the elaborate traditional Japanese meals I enjoyed. Dining at a Ryokan is a highlight of visiting Japan you should definitely try to enjoy.

When you check into the ryokan, you will be asked to choose a dinner dining time, and in our case a breakfast dining time as well – at Maruei these were certain time slots we could select from. With a traditional Japanese meal, you should expect lots of little dishes, all beautifully arranged and balancing options of raw and cooked, hot and cold, rice and soup, different cooking techniques like pickled, with sauce, steamed, etc. The dishes focus on being very fresh and seasonal, highlighting local specialty ingredients while conscious of colors and textures in the careful presentation. You can see a great breakdown of what are the kinds of foods you would see in a kaiseki here at Japan Guide and Japan Talk.

Traditional Japanese Dinner

Our dinner was served in our traditional Japanese room, with us sitting at low tables sitting or kneeling on the tatami mats that comprise our room floor.
Dining at a Ryokan: Traditional Dinner in our room at our ryokan Wakakusa no Yado Maruei, photo she took from the sliding door to our traditional tatami mat room Dining at a Ryokan: Traditional Dinner in our room at our ryokan Wakakusa no Yado Maruei, photo she took from the window side of our traditional tatami mat room

The placement of the multiple dishes, each one with artful presentation, was meticulous where she would adjust the bowl or chopsticks to exactly the right place. There were so many dishes she took multiple trips to bring them on her tray, and food just kept appearing unexpectedly! Below is NOT all the dishes we ate for dinner… just the first setup, and she has just lit the flames underneath the kettles and the cooking stone in the middle.
Traditional Dinner in our room at our ryokan Wakakusa no Yado Maruei, there were so many plates I would take a photo and then she'd be back with another dish to add!

Ok, now here are all the dishes! I should note at this point all the steak has migrated to my hot plate while vegetarian F has all the vegetables on his (and eaten quite a bit of them already). If you are vegetarian or otherwise have a special diet, definitely let them know when you first book your reservation. Unfortunately not all ryokan can make substitutions in their dishes so you may need to have backup food that you bring – I know we had rice balls and bakery goods we brought just in case.
Traditional Dinner in our room at our ryokan Wakakusa no Yado Maruei, there were so many plates I would take a photo and then she'd be back with another dish to add! She mostly spoke Japanese so it was a bit mysterious eating each dish because I didn't know what everything was... and I ate a lot because the dinner was included and couldn't be modified for any diets so it wasn't vegetarian so I ate Fred's portions too! Here the steaks have all migrated to my hot plate already while all the vegetables are on his (and he's eaten quite a bit of them while I'm taking photos)

I didn’t take a specific photo of it (I didn’t of the soup or rice dishes either – got too excited to eat!), but the miso soup was soooooo good. It gets poured it out of the kettle you see there over the flames in the corner. Towards the end I opened the lid to find it had all these little clams in it, which is probably why it was so delicious.

Traditional Dinner in our room at our ryokan Wakakusa no Yado Maruei, there were so many plates I would take a photo and then she'd be back with another dish to add! She mostly spoke Japanese so it was a bit mysterious eating each dish because I didn't know what everything was... and I ate a lot because the dinner was included and couldn't be modified for any diets so it wasn't vegetarian so I ate Fred's portions too! Here the steaks have all migrated to my hot plate already while all the vegetables are on his (and he's eaten quite a bit of them while I'm taking photos)

The server, who always gracefully would slide the door while kneeling, mostly spoke Japanese so it was a bit mysterious eating each dish because I didn’t know what everything was. A true food adventure.
Traditional Dinner in our room at our ryokan Wakakusa no Yado Maruei, there were so many plates I would take a photo and then she'd be back with another dish to add! Fred both both plates of this since it was vegetarian Traditional Dinner in our room at our ryokan Wakakusa no Yado Maruei, there were so many plates I would take a photo and then she'd be back with another dish to add!

The little basket of lightly fried vegetables was adorable. And I can’t complain about double steak helpings…
Traditional Dinner in our room at our ryokan Wakakusa no Yado Maruei, one of my favorite dishes and that little basket of fried veggies is adorable I had two servings of the steak and F took all the vegetables since he's vegetarian as part of our Traditional Dinner in our room at our ryokan Wakakusa no Yado Maruei

Raw seafood dish. I still don’t know a graceful way to eat whole shrimp like this without going all in with my hands, so I was glad to eat it in the privacy of our room with no spectators except for disgusted F… hey at least it wasn’t live.
Traditional Dinner in our room at our ryokan Wakakusa no Yado Maruei, was glad to eat the shrimp in the privacy of the room because it was messy to eat! Traditional Dinner in our room at our ryokan Wakakusa no Yado Maruei, was glad to eat the shrimp in the privacy of the room because it was messy to eat!

Dessert
Traditional Dinner in our room at our ryokan Wakakusa no Yado Maruei: Dessert

After this dinner F and I went to soak in the private onsen we rented (making it my 3rd onsen visit of the day since I had already visited the indoor and outdoor onsen segregated for women earlier to try those before they switched out the next day to the other 2 of the 4 at the ryokan). Then we opened some sake from our ryokan in room fridge and snuggled into our futon cover while watching TV.

They didn’t have many channels and so for our Christmas show they seemed to be showing a local feed of those holiday shows at elementary school where kids perform for parents, which was a hoot because it seemed the classes were sized at only 8-10 kids all under the age of 7 and of mixed understanding levels of the dance routine they had learned. Super cute and funny.

Traditional Japanese Breakfast

I woke up early to visit the last two indoor and outdoor onsen, and then we went to breakfast at our designated selected time. Breakfast was served in a communal dining room, and when we entered after giving our room number they already had a table with part of our breakfast set up. They also had another long table to the side where anyone could go up and pick up a few additional sides to add to breakfast.

Breakfast at Wakakusa no Yado Maruei. Breakfast came in specific time slots that we could select from. When we arrived, it was a combination of a set meal already ready for us, we could choose whether we wanted white rice, brown rice, or porridge, and there was also a small buffet of side dishes to choose from.

Here’s a better look at my specific setting. The main course you can see is the salmon in the upper left, and in the top middle is a tofu hot pot dish with mushrooms that is being heated from a small fire below. There is also fruit, some sort of custard thing in the yellow bowl, and a trio of three little bites in a lacquered tray.
Breakfast at Wakakusa no Yado Maruei. When we arrived, it was a combination of a set meal already ready for us, we could choose whether we wanted white rice, brown rice, or porridge, and there was also a small buffet of side dishes to choose from. The main course you can see is the salmon in the upper left, and in the top middle is yudofu (a tofu hot pot dish) that is being heated from a small fire below it. Breakfast at Wakakusa no Yado Maruei - a tofu and mushroom broth, salmon, fruit, some sort of custard thing in the yellow bowl and a trio of three little bites in a lacquered tray

For the tofu hot pot dish with mushrooms, there is another accompanying dish of sauce as well to further flavor it. There also is another dish that seemed to have some sort of melon soup.
Breakfast at Wakakusa no Yado Maruei - For the tofu and mushroom hot pot dish, it is being heated by a flame underneath it and there is another dish with sauce in it to add more flavor A melon soup as part of Kaiseki Breakfast at Wakakusa no Yado Maruei

You have the option of white rice, brown rice, or what I selected which is a rice porridge along with your breakfast.
You have the option of white rice, brown rice, or what I selected which is a porridge along with your kaiseki or traditional Japanese breakfast set at Wakakusa no Yado Maruei You have the option of white rice, brown rice, or what I selected which is a porridge along with your kaiseki breakfast at Wakakusa no Yado Maruei

Part of the breakfast were these two dishes, an egg and a custardy mayo tomato lettuce thing you see in the shiny silver foil wrapper. And yum there’s more of that miso soup with lots of little clams in it.
Part of the kaiseki or traditional Japanese breakfast set at Wakakusa no Yado Maruei Part of the breakfast at Wakakusa no Yado Maruei - egg and a custardy mayo tomato lettuce thing in the shiny silver foil wrapper

I didn’t take a photo of the side buffet, but here are some of the items I picked out to add to my rice and soup set: eggplant, tofu, some fried vegetable.
Eggplant, tofu, some fried vegetable from the side buffet at breakfast at Wakakusa no Yado Maruei

And here’s our view next to our table during breakfast of Lake Kawaguchiko
Wakakusa no Yado Maruei: our view next to our table during breakfast of Lake Kawaguchiko Wakakusa no Yado Maruei: our view next to our table during breakfast of Lake Kawaguchiko

Staying at a ryokan was one of my biggest highlights of my trip to Japan. We got so relaxed at Wakakusa no Yado Maruei and it was such a much needed break after a week in Tokyo and before our next week in Kyoto and Osaka. Generally F and I are the kind of travelers who like to go out a lot – our lodging is just a place to sleep and can be no frills, and usually it’s location that matters most to us. In this case though, we went out of our way to visit this ryokan and it was so worth it that we wish we could have stayed another day just to do more nothing but eating, soaking in Onsen, and resting. We had made a choice when planning our trip to either have one night in a ryokan like this, or spend one night at Mount Koya at a Buddhist Temple – and we obviously picked the more pampering ryokan onsen experience over the spiritual and simple commune to try a monk’s life for a day.

The simple serenity staying at the ryokan nourished us in a way we didn’t know we needed, and it wasn’t just about the food (although definitely wonderful) that I shared above. The hospitality was warm yet also gave us our own space. There was no hustle of crowds or noises within the ryokan walls, and it seemed everyone was speaking in whispers to maintain the peacefulness of the atmosphere. And there’s the way onsen water heat just melts your body balanced with the chiller outside air and while gazing at the wind blowing snow off Mount Fuji that is somehow mesmerizing at the time and unforgettably memorable to me still now looking back.
One of the rotenburo, or outdoor onsen, at Wakakusa no Yado Maruei
One of the rotenburo, or outdoor onsen, at Wakakusa no Yado Maruei that I visited, during a brief 10 minutes when I had it all to myself
What did you think about the traditional dinner or breakfast I shared – do you think you could eat it? Would you rather dine in your room but sit on the floor at low tables, or be able to sit at tables and chairs like in the dining room at breakfast? What is your ideal view for an outdoor hot tub?

Here’s a summary of my Japan Travel post series:

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