The Glow-In-The-Dark Ramen You Never Knew Existed
There is no shortage of ways to upgrade your ramen, from adding an egg or two to adding coconut milk, veggies, and even American cheese as a secret ingredient! But Nakamura.ke Mobile Kitchen has definitely taken ramen to new realms by becoming the "first-even glow-in-the-dark ramen shop in the world" (via Forbes). A collaboration between several award-winning designers and chefs, Nakamura.ke, or the House of Nakamura, is a "totally immersive dining experience including theatrics, storytelling, art, and folklore" (via Dashboard).
As the story goes, the Nakamuras are a family of yokai, or Japanese folk spirits, who are roaming the globe in search of their parents. In the meantime, they are serving their ghostly lumen ramen, a family recipe, along with equally luminescent shochu, sake, and other cocktails to lucky diners (via Atlanta Magazine). The pop-up proved incredibly popular. So far, Nakamura.ke has reached Atlanta (where tickets quickly sold out), Charlotte, and Los Angeles in 2019 (via Dashboard), and their fans on Instagram clamoring for more.
The glow is all natural
So what makes the lumen ramen glow in the dark? Fans of gin and tonic may already know the answer, which turns out to be quinine (via LA Mag), along with other natural ingredients such as vitamin B, amino acids, and plants high in chlorophyll (via "Good Morning America"). And while foods don't generally glow in the dark on their own, they can glow under black light (via Science Notes), which is also used in the Nakamura.ke pop-ups.
Nor is quinine the only food item that glows under black light, as Science Notes goes on to explain, though it does have the brightest glow. Other foods that also glow under a black light include olive oil, eggs, ketchup, milk, yogurt, and sliced lettuce or other greens. You can also create extra glow in different foods by adding vitamin B2.
According to Dashboard, other more location announcements will be made soon. So if you're hoping to get a chance to experience Nakamura.ke's glow-in-the-dark ramen, keep checking the Dashboard website for news and be ready to pounce when tickets get released. Until then, try your hand at creating your own glow-in-the-dark creations. Though perhaps not ramen, which is one of the dishes that's recommended you never make at home.