BLACKILOCKS & THE 3-TON BEAR

"But it would sabo our low-carbo (diet). It's like 1-ton of mee," cried 3-ton Bear.

"Shush! Since our Tokyo trip, I need to relive the taste of springy noodles slithering down my throat," said Blackilocks. "So many ramen shops in town, so little time. We'll just check out the ones with rave reviews."

"OK," said Bear unhappily, wishing he could just hang out at the Hunny Pot with Pooh.


What a long queue to get in! "Shall I bite the humans so they'd let us move up front?" asked Bear expectantly.

"No!" hissed Blacki.

Half an hour later, they were relieved to give their feet a rest. They spotted the Jap chef making tamago rolls, so they ordered that. Such small servings, but oh so delicate. Blacki made a note to try the 7-nut broth version on the next visit. Meanwhile, Bear was wondering if the Singapore River was jumping with live salmon.

It took some time before they found the little shop at the back of the seedy building. They almost missed it while walking past sidewalk eateries.

"Where's everybody?" asked Bear. A couple of tables were filled later. The noodles came quickly. They were generously garnished with bamboo shoots and greens and look almost like 3-ton Bear's 1-ton mee. But, the broth was soooo salty. Bear hankered after some not-too-hot, not-too-cold porridge back home in the cottage in the woods.

No room in the tiny air-conditioned area. Lots of Sunday diners, many of them Japanese. But the noodle nosers were content lunching al fresco. Two cute doggies on a chair distracted them. Bear looked hungrily at them, dog chops playing in his head.

"The ramen flew in all the way from Sapporo," said Blacki, who found the shoyu miso salty as well as oily.

"So what?" Bear grouchily griped. "Papa Bear says instant noodles are instant noodles. Why only half an egg?" He looked over his shoulder again at the tender puppy flesh.


"So quiet here. Wonder if this place will survive," said Bear, looking around. "Why so few items on the menu? Why so much taugeh?"

"But oooh, the egg is done just right. Pity about our low-chol diet," said Blacki. "Oops, I dropped some yolk in the milky pork-rib soup. How? Guess, I'll have to just eat it up."

"Yeah, likely story," pouted Bear. He tilted his chair back to look about for a bee hive and then... CRACK! The chair (capacity 1-ton) shattered under Bear's bulk.