Best After Karaoke Food Ever

When I was in college, I survived on Ramen Noodles. They were 4 packs for a dollar at McLanahan's on College Avenue. When I was in the dorms, I would make them in my illegal hotpot.

But Top Ramen has nothing on the ramen shops in Osaka. After karaoke, we stumbled down the alley to a place that looked a little suspicious. But, the Japanese told me that it was one of the most famous ramen shops in town.

The Pres trying to negotiate with the ticket machine outside the ramen shop.

We got a lot of looks from the other bleary-eyed drunks in the place, mostly because we were loud and taking pictures all over the place. The cooks behind the counter managed to look frenzied and bored at the same time. They had one eye on their soup pots and the other on the large plasma flat-screen TV playing J-pop videos.

The cook put a humongous steaming bowl of soup with the most delicious ramen I've ever tasted. I think it might be physically impossible to eat the whole thing. But I did my best.

After ramen we took took the Texans back to their hotel (the Hyatt Regency Osaka, gorgoeous). The can I was in took us to the back entrance where we almost had to scale a small fence to get in. Not to worry, the Texans were prepared to lift me over the fence. Luckily, this was not necessary.

Me with the Texans who almost airlifted me. The crab is a famous ad icon in Osaka.

Finally, three of us got into a cab to take us to our hotel (The Bay Tower Hotel, crappy). The Pres fell dead asleep in the cab. I had to wake him up when we got to the hotel.

Catching Zzzzzzzs in the cab.

I was so tired that I thought I'd fall asleep right away, but I guess I got my second wind. So I watched crazy English lessons on Japanese TV.