Okanagan’s first Asian-style self-serve ramen bar
A Vernon bubble tea shop recently introduced a novelty lunch option, a self-serve ramen bar.
Rich Tea Vernon has an Asian grocery store connected to it and owner Daryl Andrade says adding a self-serve ramen bar to the bubble tea side of the business just made sense.
“We were thinking we would love to have a ramen bar added to our store. It’s a concept that is very popular in Asia and my wife is from the Philippines and that’s something people love there,” Andrade said.
Self-serve ramen machines are relatively new to B.C.
“People love it. What I think they find interesting is the machine. I think ours will be the third one in B.C. and the only instant ramen machine in the Okanagan,” he said.
Andrade says he wants people to see there are still affordable options for an outing.
“I think cheap options are something we lack these days,” he said. “People can see there are still affordable options to go out, not just McDonald’s.”
He said the machine is pretty simple. You pick your toppings, the type of ramen noodles you want, pop it all into the machine and a few minutes later it’s ready to go.
Andrade says people typically think of ramen as something they make at home, but his goal is to make it a fun experience.
“Get out, have some quality time with friends and do something different.”
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