Crab, Claaaaab, and high prices in Asakusa.

Rising prices in Japan have put ramen restaurants in a tricky position, since part of what makes the beloved noodle dish so beloved is that, traditionally, it’s been not only a tasty meal option, but an affordable one too. As inflation continues, though, a growing number of ramen restaurants are now charging more than 1,000 yen (US$6.50) for a bowl of ramen, and crossing over the four-figure threshold in price has made restaurant ramen a tougher sell to the general public.

So with that going on, it’s a bold choice by Kani O, a new ramen restaurant in Tokyo’s Asakusa neighborhood, to start their ramen pricing at 2,000 yen a bowl. Bold and divisive, as online reviews and chatter about Kani O, which started serving customers on May 4, have been sharply divided into love-it and hate-it camps.

Making the situation even more complex is that some (though not all) of the negative reviews our Japanese-language reporter P.K. Sanjun has seen seem to be from people who haven’t actually eaten at the restaurant. Meanwhile, on the other end of the spectrum, some of the most glowing reviews of the place that P.K. has seen come from social media influencers who’re personal acquaintances of Kani O’s owner, mixed martial artist Komeo.

In short, the buzz about the place is a sea of chaos, and so P.K. made the decision to wade into those waters and try Kani O’s ramen for himself (and just to be clear, this was before his heart attack that currently has him in the hospital).

The Kani O name is written in Japanese (かにを) on the storefront, but even if you can’t read the hiragana characters you’ll know you’re there when you see the “SPICY CRAB RAMEN” underneath it and “ARE YOU READY?” across the noren cloth hanging in the doorway. Oddly enough, Kani O calls its standard ramen “The Claaaaab,” with an L, so maybe some of the negative reviews are from linguists.

But P.K. was here to evaluate their ramen, not their spelling, and so he ordered a bowl of The Claaaaab, for 2,000 yen. You can select a spiciness level from 0 to 10, and P.K. asked for his right in the middle, at spiciness level 5.

▼ And yes, that’s a whole soft-shelled crab in the bowl.

Despite its eye-catching coloring, a common complaint online about Kani O’s ramen is that the broth is bland. P.K. started his tasting by trying a spoonful, and while we wouldn’t say it was flavorless, it didn’t have an immediate strong impact on his taste buds either, nor did the level-5 spiciness set his mouth on fire. The primary players in its flavor profile were the umami shellfish notes, making for a surprisingly delicate sensation, and the gap between how the broth looks like it’s going to taste versus how it actually does taste might be contributing to some of the griping about Kani O’s broth being bland, more so than a true lack of flavor.

The noodles are neither thick nor thin, but right in the middle of the bell curve for ramen in Japan.

And then there’s the soft-shelled crab, imported from China and deep-fried before going into your ramen bowl. This is a proper piece of seafood, rich in flavor and even adding some of its aroma to The Claaaaab’s bouquet.

So after trying Kani Wo’s ramen for himself, does P.K. agree with the haters? Not really. In particular, he doesn’t agree wit the criticism about the broth being bland, and instead feels like it’s purposely crafted to have a mild flavor to encourage customers to drink every last drop.

On the other hand, he can see how someone could come away unsatisfied from a meal here, especially at the price of 2,000 yen. That’s a lot to ask for a bowl of ramen, and P.K. didn’t feel like Kani O’s version of the dish is on some sort of completely different level than ramen restaurants with sub-2,000-yen offerings, which aren’t at all hard to find. He’s impressed by the level of originality on display in Kani O’s ramen, but since the flavor didn’t necessarily blow him away, the novelty factor isn’t strong enough to convince him to become a repeat customer.

This puts P.K. in the unusual position of thinking “Yeah, it’s not bad, but not great either” about this love-it-or-hate-it ramen restaurant. However, with nearly a dozen people already waiting to get into the restaurant when P.K. showed up 20 minutes before opening time on a Saturday, it looks like there are currently enough people who love the place, or at least think they will, for it to stick around for at least a while.

Restaurant information
Kani O / かにを
Address: Tokyo-to, Taito-ku, Asakusa 2-22-8
東京都台東区浅草2-22-8
Open 11:30 a.m.-9:30 p.m.

Photos ©SoraNews24
● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

Let’s a-go (to Mcdonald’s)!

Last month, the cast of the Chiikawa anime/manga showed up at McDonald’s Japan, but now it’s time for a new group to take their place. With Chiikawa being one of Japan’s most popular franchises these days the next batch of Happy Meal toys has some very big shoes to fill, but next up are some of Japan’s very brightest pop culture stars, Super Mario and friends (and some enemies too).

Specifically, McDonald’s Japan’s new Happy Meal toys feature Nintendo’s characters in their The Super Mario Galaxy Movie forms.

今日6/12(金)から！
マリオたちと大冒険にでかけよう！

詳しくは画像をタップ！

— マクドナルド (@McDonaldsJapan) June 12, 2026

Starting June 12, Happy Meals come with one of 12 Super Mario Galaxy figures. As has become the standard policy for high-profile Japanese Happy Meal toys, the lineup is being released in stages. Round one runs from June 12 to 18, during which Mario, Frog Luigi, Yoshi, Rosalina, Birdo, and Bowser Jr. figures will be available.

▼ Rosaline, Birdo, and Bowser Jr. are named Rosetta, Catharine, and Koopa Jr. in Japan, by the way.

Round two kicks off the day after round one ends, and from June 19 to 25 your Happy Meal will contain either a Fire Mario, Princess Peach, Toad, Bowser, Luma, or Wonder Bowser Jr. figure.

▼ Meanwhile, in Japan Toad is called Kinopio and Lumas are known as Chikos (the Mario renaming rabbit hole is surprisingly deep).

An extra-cool touch is that the figures come in boxes that look like Mario question mark blocks…

…and the star-shaped bases of each figure also let you use them as key chains or bag strap clips too, as shown in the video here.

Finally, from June 26 all 12 toys will be a possibility when purchasing a Happy Meal, ostensibly drawing from any leftover stock from the first two rounds. In total, McDonald’s Japan expects the Super Mario Galaxy Happy Meal toys to be available four about four weeks, though with demand likely to be astronomical, it’s probably a good idea to try to get one as soon as possible. Meanwhile, if you’re a hungry gamer who’s more of a Final Fantasy or Dragon Quest fan, there’re options to satisfy your appetite too.

Source: McDonald’s Japan (1, 2)
Top image: YouTube/マクドナルド公式（McDonald’s）
Insert images: McDonald’s Japan, YouTube/マクドナルド公式（McDonald’s）
● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

“It is maybe not functionally possible to design social networked technology geared towards listening. I don’t know, I’m not that smart. But the fact that the internet doesn’t have a mechanism for listening means that we’ve invented these kludgy quantification mechanisms to try and detect attention, and it is easy, so incredibly easy there are multiple books written about this, to confuse the thing you’re measuring for the metric itself.

I want to know who is visiting my site and whether they’re returning visitors and what pages they clicked through and for how long because it gives me the illusion of knowledge and control. Maybe I’ll know my project is connecting with people if I just hit some arbitrary threshold of pageviews, subscribers, conversion rate.

But none of that will tell me the thing I actually want to know, which is: am I making a difference?”

Hey I loved this. It also reminded me to go check up on the phone line and see if there were any messages that needed witnessing. I keep them close to the chest because that’s part of the project, but I will say that there were and they moved me to tears. Maybe that’s what it’s all about.

pring has a way of making you want to cook again. The farmer’s market is suddenly worth the trip, the produce drawer is full of things that are actually exciting, and dinner feels less like a chore and more like an occasion.

Pasta is our answer to all of it. Light, fresh, and endlessly adaptable, it’s the perfect vehicle for spring’s best offerings: asparagus, artichokes, peas, broccolini, arugula, mint. These aren’t the heavy, wintery pasta dishes you’ve been leaning on since October. These are bright, fast, and built for open windows and longer evenings.

9 Spring Pasta Recipes Worth Adding to Your Rotation

Consider this your permission slip to eat pasta all season long.

Lemon Ricotta Pasta

Zucchini melts into a silky, creamy sauce that clings to every noodle—brightened with lemon, artichokes, and kale. Think of it as the secret ingredient you’d never guess.

Get the recipe

Green Goddess Pasta Salad

Loaded with in-season vegetables, chickpeas, and a dressing bursting with basil, spinach, and chives, this vegan pasta salad is made for spring gatherings—and even better the next day. Don’t you love when that’s the case?

Get the recipe

Lemony Spring Pasta Salad with Olives, Artichokes, and Bacon

Crispy bacon, briny artichoke hearts, and peppery arugula come together in a bright blender dressing The kind of pasta salad that earns a permanent spot in your spring rotation (and takes a total of less than 30 minutes to make).

Get the recipe

One Pot Parmesan Orzo

All the comfort of mac and cheese, packed with spring vegetables and ready in one pot. The orzo absorbs everything as it cooks, making this one as easy to clean up as it is to eat.

Get the recipe

Broccoli Pesto Pasta

Jenny Rosenstrach’s weeknight philosophy in one dish: unfussy, real, and made entirely in one pot. Proof that pesto doesn’t have to start with basil.

Get the recipe

Blistered Broccolini Pasta with Garlic, Lemon & Toasted Breadcrumbs

Charred broccolini, tons of garlic, and a squeeze of lemon—finished with toasted breadcrumbs that add the crunch this pasta was made for. Simple ingredients, big payoff.

Get the recipe

Ratatouille-Style Roasted Vegetable Pasta

The most produce-packed pasta on the list, and worth every minute of prep. This is the one to make when you want your dinner guests to gasp a little.

Get the recipe

Green Sauce Pasta

Five ingredients, one very vibrant sauce—peas, asparagus, spinach, basil, and parmesan make this the greenest pasta on the list. Peak spring in a bowl.

Get the recipe

Pesto Pasta Primavera

Light, satisfying, and weeknight-easy, this is Camille’s go-to answer when dinner inspiration runs dry. Frozen peas are the secret weapon you didn’t see coming.

Get the recipe

This post was last updated on May 9, 2026, to include new insights.

The post The Spring Pasta Recipes That Prove Warmer Weather Makes Everything Taste Better appeared first on Camille Styles.

We’re not sure if we can say greed is good, but it does look delicious.

Japanese convenience stores are not exactly the sort of places that inspire one to a philosophy of stoic minimalism. Each and every shelf and cooler case is packed with tempting treats, and while they may not necessarily be things we need to eat, they’re definitely things we want to, and the ease of access from Japan’s dense network of such shops makes them little open-24-hours palaces to quick gratification.

7-Eleven Japan has been knowingly leaning into this with its Greedy Sandwich (or Yokubari Sandwich, it’s called in Japanese) series of decadently delicious sandwiches. The line started off with savory heavy-hitters like mincemeat cutlet and macaroni and salami sandwiches, but it’s recently expanded into desserts, which brings us to 7-Eleven’s newest offering: a sandwich of chocolate chips and whipped cream.

Actually, the official name of the Chocolate Chip and Whipped Cream Greedy Sandwich still doesn’t cover all of its indulgent wonders. Because even after putting a thick layer of whipped cream and chocolate chips between the sandwich’s slices of bread, 7-Eleven apparently took a look at it and thought “Yeah, but is there a way to give it even more chocolate?”, and then realized that they could by putting chocolate shavings all over the outward-facing surface of the cream.

Dessert members of the Yokubari Sandwich series also use special pink bread, like we saw in our recent taste test of 7-Eleven’s Chocolate Sprinkles and Whipped Cream sandwich. We’re going to have to wait a little longer before we can see how the Chocolate Chip and Whipped Cream sandwich compares, but we’re eager to find out after it goes on sale May 20 for 198 yen (US$1.30).

Source, images: PR Times
● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

Omega-3-rich salmon gets a creamy miso topping with crunchy panko bread crumbs in this easy one-pan meal. Radishes and baby bok choy cook in the same amount of time and are a unique combo, just when you were getting tired of the usual sheet pan veggies!

This is a great option for a quick, low-maintenance dinner, and it’s packed with anti-inflammatory properties from the salmon (1).

 Active time: 10 minutes | Total time: 25 minutes

Sheet Pan Miso Salmon With Baby Bok Choy

Ingredients

• Cooking spray
• 4 (5-oz./142g) salmon fillets, skin-on
• 3 tbsp mayonnaise
• 1 tbsp white miso paste
• 1 tsp lemon zest, finely grated
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1/2 cup (42g) whole-wheat panko crumbs
• 4 small baby bok choy, halved lengthwise (quartered if larger)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 450°F (232°C). Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and coat generously with cooking spray. Using tweezers or needle-nose pliers, remove any pin bones from the salmon fillets. Arrange the fillets skin-side down in the center of the prepared baking sheet.

In a small bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, miso paste, lemon zest, and lemon juice until smooth. Spread the mixture evenly over the top of each fillet, then gently press the panko crumbs onto the surface so they adhere.

In a medium bowl, toss the bok choy with the oil until evenly coated. Scatter the vegetables around the salmon and season with the salt and pepper. Roast, rotating the pan once halfway through, until the salmon is cooked through to an internal temperature of 145°F, about 12–15 minutes.

To serve, slide a spatula gently between the flesh and skin of each fillet — the skin should release easily from the foil. Transfer to plates, discarding the skin, and serve immediately.

Serves: 4 | Serving Size: 1 salmon fillet, 2 bok choy halves

Nutrition (per serving): Calories: 445; Total Fat: 31g; Saturated Fat: 6g; Monounsaturated Fat: 10g; Polyunsaturated Fat: 11g; Cholesterol: 82mg; Sodium: 569mg; Carbohydrate: 10g; Dietary Fiber: 2g; Sugar: 3g; Protein: 32g

Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin D: 156%; Calcium: 11%; Iron: 9%; Potassium: 908mg; Vitamin A: 94%; Vitamin C: 56%

The post Sheet Pan Miso Salmon With Baby Bok Choy appeared first on MyFitnessPal Blog.