Bubuka Abura Soba

Today I am having Zoom training at home.
The kids are off to school.

That's right, it's lunch for one!

On the 7th, due to my lack of confirmation, I didn't expect there to be school lunch starting from the opening ceremony day...
I was feeling down, which led to the Cup Noodle 'Gyoton', but
today it's 'Bubuka' as planned.🎉

Before I explain 'Bubuka', I'd like to start by introducing my first encounter with abura soba.

That was about 10 years ago...
It was the day I attended the training required for renewing my head care manager certification.

Due to the group work schedule, the lunch break was 50 minutes.
There were no beef bowl shops nearby, and I didn't feel like going into a fancy pasta place either...
I happened to come across an 'abura soba' shop.

At the time, I knew nothing about abura soba, but I wondered if it was something like the 'yaki-ramen' you find at festival stalls?🤔
Perhaps for people like me who didn't know what abura soba was, the sign in front of the shop said,
'Simply put, abura soba is ramen without the soup!'
I see, that's easy to understand.
That was helpful.

I entered the shop with peace of mind, and when I sat at the counter, a sign titled 'How to eat abura soba' caught my eye.

'Abura soba tastes bad when it gets cold! Add the sauce and chili oil, mix it, and eat it while it's hot!'

It was a message that felt both kind and like a threat.🤣

Just as instructed, I added the sauce and chili oil, and ate it all at once while it was hot.😳

And then... it was delicious.😆

I immediately became a fan, and until the training venue changed, that shop was my go-to for lunch.👍

10 years have passed since then...
Due to the impact of COVID-19, most training, including the head care manager renewal training, has become Zoom-based.
Inevitably, I stopped going to that abura soba shop.😞
It's not that I couldn't go if I really wanted to, but I don't feel like spending over an hour on my day off, and spending money just for my own lunch.😞😞

Even so, I couldn't forget that taste...
Shops while traveling, the corner of a newspaper
Even though it shouldn't be in places like that
I was lingeringly searching for abura soba.

If my wish could come true
I'd go to you right now

Perhaps that wish was heard.
I encountered 'Bubuka' at a FamilyMart I just happened to walk into.😆

By the way, today is my third time eating 'Bubuka'.☝️

The preparation is almost the same as other cup yakisoba-style noodles; add hot water, and after 5 minutes, drain the water from the spout.
Unlike yakisoba, Bubuka uses thick noodles, so there's no need to worry about the noodles falling out of the spout.😉

The 'Futta-re!' sauce, a rich roasted pork soy sauce with the aroma of sesame oil that you add and mix after draining, is sweet, spicy, and rich.👍

As you can see in the photo, there are variations in the color of the 'Futta-re' sauce, but that's also good.👍
It feels like you can enjoy both the rich noodles and the slightly lighter-flavored ones.🎉
And by adding the toppings, a sharp spiciness is added, making it a level where it would be rude not to have white rice with it.🧐
There's no doubt you'll get hooked on the infinite loop of deliciousness that is carbohydrates + carbohydrates.🤩

And the price you're curious about is 300 yen.🎊

I've talked at length about my encounter with abura soba and 'Bubuka', but...
Regarding the theme of this article, '#HowISpendMyMoney',

"Eating something cheap and delicious"

is what it is.

Thank you for reading until the end🖐️

#HowISpendMyMoney