Foodplay: Japanese Instant Beef Rice

Have you ever tried instant food? I am pretty sure most of us do. In Malaysia we have instant noodles, instant porridge and instant soup... you know? those 2 min meal when your lazy ass are too busy to go cook or go out to have a proper meal. Or the temperature is near to 0 degree celsius and you just had a hot shower and suddenly hunger strike?


That's what happened during my trip to Japan in 2013, it was Christmas day when suddenly hunger strikes when we back in our hotel. So I went to this instant food vending machine for some food at our hotel walkway...

There were 3 choices available, they have soup with fish cake and stuffs alike:

They have beef rice:

and they have curry rice... all japanese specialty...

for a price of 900 yen, it was rather expensive.... BUT... judging the temperature outside is 0 degree and I just had my hot bath... I am very willing to give this a try...

So the lock will disarm once you inserted correct amount and selected the food you want by pressing the button beside. Even a kid knows how to do it....

Red light flashes on when the slot is empty...

As this is my first time playing this, I was very excited. Initially I though it will be pour-hot-water-and-tadaa-here's-your-food kinda instant food, I was wrong... the food it's supposed to cook by itself...
the package looked like this:

With sign language you don't need to know japanese to understand...

Container upon remove the paper cover...

First layer it was a blue packet, it feel waterish with chunks of solid inside so I supposed it is the beef with soup...

Gyudon- beef rice

There's a tearable lid inside the container...

After tear it open there's another packet inside:

It says tear it open....

And it was the rice... it was so solid that it feels like Ketupat in my hometown...

There was a string which is supposed to be handle with care and to be pulled in final stage...

After put the rice back into the container, put back the lid and the soup is placed on top before closing the final lid...

I din want to close the paper cover back as I find it unnecessary... my wife warned me better to follow instruction as she don't want any accident happen... pfff... what else can go wrong? the rice explode?

And gladly I listened to her. As soon as I pulled the string, the chemical reaction inside the bottom part of container was so furious that the whole container expands... the only thing that is holding it back from exploding was the paper cover that I was reluctant to put back on at first... you can see smoke coming out of the bulged container... and it was with funny smell and huge whistle sound... to one extend I was worried that it may trigger fire alarm o.O

Luckily this did not happened to me...

So I was hiding behind the sofa until after the fiery sound and gushing steam has passed, I opened up the lids, pour the heated beef soup on the rice and Tadaa...

Not 5 star taste, worse that average gyudon you can find on street but it's a savior . And you don't need access to hot water, gas or any kitchenware at all... How I wish i can have several of these in my room...