Winkie's farewell part 1: at the ramen shop from hell

With fellow co-worker and fellow sometimes-Omuta-commuter Winkie back to Canada next month, time was fast running out on a long held promise - to sample the ramen of the fetid-smelling ramen shop opposite YouMe Town in Omuta.

Having walked past it for months and months, swearing and cursing about the smell that is distinctly "pig's arse", "old man's arse" or "old pig's arse", we made a pact that sometime before August, we'd pay it a visit. There was an abortive attempt (my hangover prevented me eating much of anything, let alone stuff that smelled like a fat nan's pits after a bit of huffy puffy) but we finally bit the bullet and ended up there last Sunday.

Standing outside, Winkie wrinkled her nose and said some not-too positive words about the aroma. Surely it would be better inside? Well, no... if anything it was worse, as we then had a greasy-shop smell to go with the pig's arse. At first sitting behind a giant pillar, we then moved to a normal table.

Ramen times two was the order of the day, and stench of the shop aside it was quite paletable, as Winks' cheerful grin attests... one little boy across the shop spent the whole time staring at us open mouthed, but generally it was a pretty good meal.

Though we did refrain from drinking the broth...

And our clothes and hair stank of pig's arse all the way home on the train...