I don't have many film photos captures to commemorate this day, but it was undeniably one of my favourite days of summer -- of fun and food, friends and family.
Sipping on a can of ice-cold Kirin, playing with the family dog, Chai, and of course the highlight of the day -- testing our speed and chopstick skills with nagashi sōmen.
Digging in
I had only dreamt to be trying out nagashi sōmen for myself, perhaps in a quaint restaurant in Kyoto like the Instagram posts I had seen, but this is even better. Here we are at the comfort of a home, everything made with love -- including the bamboo water slide! (If anything, I played a part smoothening the insides)
Time to drop the noods
Bigger restaurants probably have an auto function in dispensing noodles, with robots and other gadgets. Our was manual -- we took turns throwing down the noodles, and that worked out well. Those at the bottom catch, fastest hands first. The noodles that don't get caught are not wasted, thankfully -- there is a sieve at the end of the slide that catches the remaining strands.
Caught!
We dip the noodles in our bowls, filled quarter way up with Tsuyu. There is perhaps no better meal to cool down and bond with those around you than nagashi somen.
Okay, unless we include ice-cream -- but that's not a meal, right?
Chai is affectionate
The Power Couple
Maybe you will master it in a few years
Thank you to my favourite family!
