- Here we are.
For the last three episodes of season three,
we're here doing Worth It Japan.
We've brought our friend, colleague, cultural guide
translator, tasty producer, Rie McClenny.
- Hi.
- Three foods, three parts, ramen, coffee, cake.
- There's gonna be trains, vending machines, walking,
other b roll, eating things that aren't in episodes,
sweating, dancing, sweating.
- This is is right?
Like we've peaked with Worth It.
- Well we didn't get to do sushi here.
- We can always come back.
- We'll already planning our second trip to Japan
and we haven't even started our first one,
I love it, let's go.
- Ramen.
- Ha!
(laughing)
Today we're gonna try three ramens at three drastically
different price points to find out which ramen
in the most worth it at its price.
- Worth It.
- Probably the most requested episode ever.
Buckle up, we're doing ramen.
- I think this is going to be an experience to ramenber.
- Okay.
(laughing)
(speaking in a foreign language)
That's so cheap, how is that possible?
(speaking in a foreign language)
How much do you eat ramen?
(speaking in a foreign language)
- We're also gonna be having gyoza today.
Can we hear about how they're made?
(speaking in a foreign language)
so he's the expert?
(speaking in a foreign language)
- We've had ramen in America,
but in Japan, is there anything that we should know
before we eat the ramen?
(speaking in a foreign language)
(laughing)
- First meal in Japan.
- I'm ready.
- Is there anything we should say before we eat our food?
(speaking in a foreign language)
- One more time?
(speaking in a foreign language)
- Kind of like thank you for this meal.
(speaking in a foreign language)
- [Both] Whoa.
- Oh I'm so happy.
Airplane Steven, go away.
- Japan Steven awaken.
Oh man, attack the bowl.
- You know what I love about noodles?
They're like French fries,
you can't just eat one french fry.
- Yes, there are two kinds of people
people who do the single fry
or people who do the claw fry and ramen is a mandatory
claw food.
I need some pork.
- Pork belly in ramen?
Oh.
Pork belly is like if bacon had bacon.
How did you start working here?
(speaking in a foreign language)
- Did you get that motorcycle?
(speaking in a foreign language)
- And you got that selling 300 yen ramen.
So how many ramen do you have to sell
to buy a motorcycle?
(laughing)
(speaking in a foreign language)
- What sauce should we use?
(speaking in a foreign language)
- Oh, more more more, oh, for Rie and Adam,
for Matt and Yu also.
Let's eat some gyoza.
(speaking in a foreign language)
- Oh my God
is that a high five?
- So many things happening in your mouth.
- Yeah, it's seared on one side
and completely soft on another.
It goes right in the mouth.
Very delicious.
(speaking in a foreign language)
- You are so quiet.
- Rin Rin for the win win.
- I don't know what I was expecting for 300 yen
but it was like the top bowl of ramen I've had.
- What can you get 300 yen, I mean like three dollars
in the state.
- A taco.
- Ready for ramen fact?
- One, two, three.
- [All] Ramen fact.
- Ramen fact.
- It's a wave, you have to do it.
- I don't have to do it.
- Japan is now home to at least 30 different types
of regional ramen varieties.
- You would have to invest some serious time
to experience every ramen.
- Hey judge my body roll.
I took dance classes.
- 2.8 out of 10.
(speaking in a foreign language)
- So many ramen places in Japan,
how did you wanna differentiate from other places?
(speaking in a foreign language)
- Thank you.
- Looks awesome.
- This is incredible.
(speaking in a foreign language)
- Enjoying the broth first.
- Does that show you ramen.
Oh.
- Yeah?
- Excuse me, once again.
- It's very very good, but you knew that, right?
- Okay tell me what it tastes like.
Give me two words.
- Primordial soup.
Flavors colliding in space until life is born,
that's what this soup is.
- Can I tell you my favorite part of this soup
are the noodles and how perfect they are for slurping,
chewing, containing the truffle flavor,
like I've never had a more perfect noodle.
- I'm gonna have a little bit of pork.
- Whoa, the pork.
- Oh my god the fat on that is unbelievable.
There's something so comforting about a bowl
of soup and noodles, you know, just like,
a warm hug.
- This is what the ramen is like,
eating a bowl of ramen is like me doing this to you.
- It's nothing like that.
- Truffle is a very strong flavor.
Soy sauce, a very strong flavor.
To be able to take all of these power houses
and have them get along is not easy.
- The best part is that you just get to steam your face
over it the whole time.
I think my face is gonna taste pretty good
after this meal.
- And the soup is gone.
- Boss is the boss of them all, just like me.
I wonder if I was supposed to shake it.
I'm gonna ask Rie.
Was I supposed to shake this.
- [Rie] I don't think so, oh yeah.
- I was?
- [Rie] Yeah.
(beeping)
- Oh my goodness, it's chunky, cheers.
- That's nice.
- It's like drinking a cake.
- Ramen fact.
(speaking in a foreign language)
- Ramen actually is believe to originate from China.
- I mean I like knowing when things come from.
- I actually don't know where we're going.
- We are going to (speaking in a foreign language)
they serve a course menu, the main course it's the ramen.
- Oh like multicourse menu.
- Yeah, it's a three course menu.
- Is there truffle?
- No truffle.
- Gold?
- No gold.
- Caviar
- No, no caviar.
- Hey!
(speaking in a foreign language)
This is one of my favorite dishes.
In Chinese it's saliva chicken, 'cause it makes you salivate
- I like that.
- Yeah.
(speaking in a foreign language)
tender.
- This counts as chicken salad?
I've been eating some bad chicken salad my whole life.
(speaking in a foreign language)
- how?
(laughing)
sorry.
- There's a little playing operation.
I do appreciate a course that makes you not eat quickly.
- Oh that's so good.
- It's like little water balloons of tasty fish
oh (beeping) it gets better the deeper you go.
You're splashing all over.
- I know I'm sorry.
- You got juice on my personalized menu.
- I'm sorry.
(speaking in a foreign language)
- Now this is actually something
I was extremely excited for.
I thought I would have to actually go to Spain
to experience this for the first time.
(speaking in a foreign language)
oh God.
Like that?
Oh nice.
Oh yeah I'm dialed in.
- How do you say wow in Japanese?
(speaking in a foreign language)
- Oh that's nice.
- That has like the flavor of bacon
but the texture of steak.
- Are you appetized ?
(speaking in a foreign language)
- Oh very good.
(speaking in a foreign language)
That's awesome, how many swipes should we do?
Until it's starts to curl right?
- [Chef] Three times.
- The tongue texture is kind of awesome.
I did think is it gonna be weird for me
to press something else's tongue against my own tongue
but no I'm really into it.
It's like I'm French kissing my food.
- Yes, hotpot is very Lim family Thanksgiving.
- I'm just gonna have a piece of the shoulder
'cause it looks awesome.
Oh that is nice.
- That is like a kiss.
Rie.
I made one for you.
(speaking in a foreign language)
- Hmm the broth is awesome.
- Refreshing.
Think about that.
It's soy sauce and it's refreshing.
- Oh they have an awesome texture.
It has a lot of chew to it.
But it's not the same as just like
an aldente spaghetti noodle.
- No it snaps really easily.
- I'm gonna try the pork.
- Okay, okay.
Oh there's the chew, oh.
- That's awesome
there's something about a bowl of ramen
that has like a lot of momentum to it as a meal.
- They just continuously evolve
as you eat more.
This is like a massage.
When you're getting a massage you're just like oh yeah.
- Oh no no no.
I'm in the most humid place I've ever been
and all I want is more hot noodle stew.
- Thank you.
- Oh my god just when I thought the progression
of comforting hot brothy things couldn't get better,
this is like the pinnacle.
- This is home.
Guys I'm so happy right now, I'm in a food coma.
- I'm like a food cobra, I've been struck
with the ramen like hanger.
Also a snake bite.
If I came back to Japan, Rin Rin would be
the first place I would go to, Tsuta would be the place
I couldn't leave without going to
so Tsuta is my worth it winner.
- My worth it winner, I wanna say the 8,500 yen
prefixed menu at (speaking in a foreign language)
I want to, but I will say, my worth it winner
goes to the 900 yen shoyu ramen at Tsuta.
- Rie, worth it winner&
- I can go to Rin Rin just like sit down
in front of (speaking in a foreign language)
and stay there for a whole day.
- Adam's what's your worth it winner?
- Rin rin?
So this is just part one of three
for our Japan adventure.
- Teaser alert.
- What do we have to eat before we leave?
- Everything.
- Okay we'll eat everything.