A Japanese ramen restaurant has announced that it will not allow customers to use their phones while dining.
The restaurant’s owner, Kota Kai, put the ban in place last month after observing that patrons who were using their phones to view videos took the longest to begin eating.
He claims that the thin, millimetre-wide noodles in his restaurant can rapidly turn mushy. According to Kai, even a quick film could cause a discernible impact in the ramen’s flavour.
“It’s painful for me to see the ramen that I put my soul into making get ruined right before my eyes,” he said.
Kai stated that he likes to deal with the clients directly as opposed to displaying posters about the phone restriction.
“When the seats are full and I see people stopping eating while staring at their smartphones, I tell them (to stop),” he added.
