Grasping the Nagashi Somen (Flowing Noodles)

The British have fallen in love with Japanese cuisine, which means anyone planning a new restaurant or café in the UK would be well advised to look to the East for inspiration on eating out trends and food flavours.

Apart from the use of fresh ingredients and minimal cooking – keeping the nutritional value high – there is another reason that Japanese inspired dining is growing in popularly. Put simply, Japanese food is about theatre, as much as flavour.

Flowing noodles - the next big thing? This is clearly illustrated by one of the latest food fascinations to gain a foothold in the UK - Nagashi Somen (Flowing Noodles).

The premise is simple. Noodles are kept cool and moist by immersing them in cold, flowing water. This is usually bamboo troughs with a gentle water source.

As the noodles glide passed diners, they catch them with their chopsticks. The noodles can then be added to flavoured broths or soy based sauces that are already in their eating bowls.

Apart from delivering totally fresh and chilled noodles, this is of course great fun. Diners can sit on a dining table with a bench, and reach out to pick up more noodles as a sociable dining experience.

Low-cost restaurant start-up idea - For any new entrepreneur or expanding restaurant chain, Nagashi Somen offers a relatively low-cost hospitality start-up. Invest in good quality restaurant furniture, appropriate décor and a bamboo cascade system, and you have a highly novel dining experience.

Among the other benefits of using the Land of the Rising Sun as inspiration for a new café, restaurant or product offering, is that it is a cuisine that matches the UK’s new interest in controlled portion sizes and seasonally appropriate meals.

Other Japanese inspiration - Ramen is already hugely popular with the lunchtime trade – a quick, nutritious meal that can even be bought “to go”. Meaning you only need to add café tables and chairs and a takeaway counter to mop up on this trend.

Bubble Tea and Mochi ice cream are gaining ground across Europe and sushi shows no signs of going out of fashion.

Picture perfect food - One last factor in the growing popularity of Japanese food is how “visual” it is. In an era when people photograph their food and share it profusely via social media, if you can place something visually appealing on a café table, then your viral marketing is a done deal.

Contact us today to keep your start-up or refurbishment costs down, with the best restaurant and café furniture. All of our prices are designed to keep your profits “flowing”.