Behind the Counter at a Japanese Ramen Yatai Stand

This is behind the counter at a local Japanese ramen yatai truck Okay, so i'm just outside of tokyo and we're doing something completely different never done on this series before Usually in the behind the counter videos we do a shop but this time we are doing a yatai food stall So i'm super excited for this one. So that all said let's get this one started Today i'm taking you behind the counter at a yatai traditional japanese-style food cart called Menya Miyabi this mobile street food stand just outside of tokyo at Fudoa misuno station is run by an aspiring young man following in the footsteps of his father a ramen master based in hokkaido Using his father's original legendary ramen recipe He's dedicated himself to continuing on the family's legacy away from home as he crafts that are rich and flavorful First let's see how he prepares the food truck What are you doing now So this is kenta he's 26 years old and the owner solely running this kawaguchi ramen shop daily for the last six years But within this year decided to start his own mobile food stall and now once a week wednesday and friday evenings He tirelessly sets up his food stand in hopes to reach more customers Kenta are you running the food stall by yourself? I bet it is. Hey, is the person helping you your girlfriend? Oh, don't you have one? I thought so. What does she do? Oh, that's cool, how'd you do me? Wow, that's crazy And like most typical japanese yatai He does his food prep at a remote kitchen before traveling to set up his food stall to ensure he's able to serve the perfect Bowl of ramen each and every time in a timely and efficient manner Kenta, so is the ramen at the stand exactly the same as the one in the shop? Interesting while the ramen shop specializes in hokkaido style miso ramen The yatai offers its own unique tonkotsu shoyu ramen a pork based soy sauce ramen though The toppings are the same each style boasts its own unique flavor profile giving customers a distinctly different culinary experience So kenta grew up in hokkaido where his father ran a ramen shop as early as elementary school He was helping out in the kitchen making noodles instead of like most kids who were playing outside at first to him It was just a family chore But over time he started to notice his father's passion for the craft and the same love for ramen slowly grew within him Wow, the chashu looks so good The braised pork is actually boiled for over two hours mainly in soy sauce and sugar to create its tender and flavorful taste Now that he prepared all of the ingredients he needs to pack it up in the truck So have you ever forgotten anything? I guess no money more problems In addition to bringing all of the ingredients He must also bring all the basic cooking necessities such as gas water and even power so he has a lot to load up His food truck is parked nearby so it's just a short walk to get it. Hey, that's a beast of a bike Oh, really So how long has it been since you started doing the yatai wow and why yatai Well, you never know until you try Did you originally have this truck Oh, how much was it? Oh, that's not bad After quickly loading the truck he makes his way to urawa misono which takes about 40 minutes Around 4 p.m. He finally arrives at the location nice the other workers here Nice to meet you. So how'd you find this job? Really you're such a businessman Now the two focus on building the food stand which requires quite an effort to put together each time Do you work every day at the shop too? That's impressive so what do you do on your day off? Oh, how much do you bench? There you go Well, I guess it's a good thing that he enjoys lifting heavy objects giving what he does for work So how old are you? Oh, so you're a student? Nice what's your major? Cool what do you plan to do in the future? Awesome By the way, we don't really see yatai in tokyo these days, huh? In addition to a very strict application process street vendors say that finding a location is one of the biggest challenges in tokyo As public spaces are nearly impossible to use securing a location often requires having a strong connection So running a food stall business in tokyo isn't an easy option for most people In fact, even in saitama kenta struggled finding a place to run his yatai He actually started at a different location, but after some time he had to close down due to space issues It was quite a tough setback for him after already getting started But he didn't give up dedicated to securing a new location He contacted many places and after over a month of rejections. He finally found this spot Hey, so before we continue what I want to tell you about the sponsor of this video sakurako Who want you to experience japan from the comfort of your own home through their snack boxes? Once it's been delivered to my home I can't wait to open up this carefully curated box filled with traditional and seasonal snacks all supporting local makers across japan Always unique to the month itself This one's theme is taste of kyushu japan's southernmost island with seven prefectures and a diverse landscape known for its culture Craftsmanship and confectionery. They've got all these cool surprises like this gyokoro chocolate wafer nagasaki Honey, castella black sesame taiko and i'm loving these kumamoto watermelon gummies. It's just so fun to try everything Oh, yeah, you also get this tirana yokucha tea to pair with the snacks and even these dope wakasa lacquer chopsticks So get your own snack box today or even get the loved one and experience japan from the comfort of your own home Use my code paolo and link in description and get five dollars off your first order So, how did your father react to your yatai idea? Wow, he's super supportive. How was your relationship growing up? What was your dream back then nice What's your father like? Kenta actually constructed the sand together with his father back in hokkaido and they shipped it all the way to tokyo Thanks to a kind friend of his father's who offered the wood at a reasonable price kenta wasn't overburdened by the initial cost In fact, he says that he's deeply grateful for the support and trust of all those who helped him bring his dream to life At 5 30 the shop finally opens Like clockwork loyal customers are already waiting to enjoy his delicious ramen Apparently during peak times there can be as many as 30 people waiting in line And since the shop is only open until 8 p.m. Customers make sure not to miss it Wow, the ramen smells incredible The broth is made by simmering pork knuckles and spine for over 14 hours to extract the savory richness of the marrow Producing a deep and umami rich soup, which is then combined with a straight fresh noodle and delicious toppings Hi How does it taste Kenta truly wants every customer to enjoy more than just a bowl of ramen He aims to create a warm fun and welcoming atmosphere and watching him It's clear that he does it effortlessly His positive energy is a secret ingredient that elevates the whole yatai experience It's something that he learned from his father make customers happy and cook ramen with a passion In addition to serving the ramen the stand must handle the used dishes as they go along It's hard to watch in small places, huh? Is there anything you need to be extra careful with? Ah, I see since the water supply is limited she's also careful about how much she uses Although kenta appears to be doing well these days This wasn't always the case when he started running his ramen shop He was only 20 and because he looked younger than his age back then Some customers didn't take him seriously and often treated him poorly from this experience He promised himself to never judge a book by its cover and to treat all customers with equal respect Hi, is this your first time? You came back, huh? How was your first bowl here Cool, so what do you like about the ramen? Nice are you students around here? So kenta what's the most important thing for you when it comes to running a ramen business Great answer. So what's your dream for the future now? Well, I hope his dream comes true in the future and even though it's only been a few months since he started his yatai He's already accomplished so much building a strong customer base It goes to show that any dream whether big or small with focused dedication and perseverance can be more than possible And this is another one in the books If you want to check out this yatai for yourself, i'll be sure to leave a link in the description So this was behind the counter had a japanese yatai ramen truck I hope you guys like this video And if you did help me out and hit that like button if you guys want to help with the channel check out my hot sauce On paolo from tokyohotsauce.com and as many of you guys know, I have a vending machine now in shibuya, tokyo So go check that out And finally if you guys want to see more videos like this or anything related to japan Hit that subscribe button in the above button. I'll catch you guys in the next one