Kiki the corgi channels anime — and a ramen fusion pop-up
There are few meals that look as good as those in anime. The media originating from Japan has the secret recipe to make the mouth water. Of course, food in many shows and films can be enticing. Hence, cooking shows hold a large audience and the embarrassing number of restaurants I’ve stopped at after seeing them on Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives.
But anime just does it better. It’s incredibly enticing the way the light hits the golden ramen noodles. The brilliant green of the veggies, displaying their crispness as the protagonist takes a bite with a glorious crunch. The beautiful fluffiness from the bao buns, freshly steamed and emitting swirls from the bamboo basket, alluring the viewer through the screen.
I came across Kiki’s Noodle Bowl on Instagram one fortunate evening. Just like the many autumn nights, watching the subtitled movies all those times before, I found myself craving the delectable texture. The thick noodles, tender and soft, made the stomach growl. Birria, tender to the touch, had such a deepness in its color, hinting at the richness in flavor. The curiosity and intrigue from the perfect animated lines translated effortlessly into reality. It created a hunger for more.
Kiki’s Service
Kiki’s Noodle Bowl is a soon-to-launch ramen fusion pop-up in Columbia, Missouri. Vinnie DeBono, owner and creator, finds inspiration from the idea of fusion because of his own background.
“I think it’s just because I’m a fusion person,” he says. DeBono was born in South Korea and adopted into a Hispanic-Italian family in Chicago, Illinois. He got a taste for different cultures through his family. Fusion embraces and represents a large portion of himself both professionally and personally. “It’s like it was kind of hard not to want to try to do a little bit of everything.”
With the concept of the noodle bowl itself displayed boldly, you may be wondering who exactly Kiki is in the business. She’s the star, of course. Named after the Studio Ghibli film, Kiki’s Delivery Service, Kiki is an adorable, soft-spoken, loving corgi.
DeBono sweetly boasts heavily about her presence in his life, as if she is a muse. Their partnership warms and comforts the heart. The duo is easily imaginable on an adventure together, riding trains to distant lands or befriending friendly wood spirits as bonds have done prior in other various Hayao Miyazaki-created films.
Kiki’s quite the charmer wherever she goes, it seems. Roommate to the duo, Bharani Kumar, has enjoyed being around the sweet, little corgi as well.
“Kiki has the special ability to bring a smile to everyone’s face. It’s hard to feel sad or upset about anything when Kiki bombards you with her love and energy,” Kumar gushes.
For the pup’s touch, the pop-up will have a few dog-friendly supporting plot lines. The event itself will be dog-encouraged. DeBono is hoping Kiki will make many furry friends, to make it just as much an event for them as it is for the people attending. There will be a dish titled in the Kiki namesake specifically for dogs to dine on. It will be just as refined and crafted with broth strained of excess fat, some meat from broth extraction, and a milk bone to top it off.
Before Kiki’s Flight
From the enticing dishes to the creative pet treats, the concept has been on the creator’s mind for nearly three years. DeB0no was inspired and mesmerized when assisting friends and coworkers with their own respective pop-ups, always willing to help and assist. In turn, he learned a great deal and experienced the process second-hand, creating a comfort now as DeBono anticipates his first event approaching.
Even beyond simply the inspiration, DeBono’s journey has unfolded largely thanks to family, friends, and coworkers along the way. He moved from Chicago, Illinois to Columbia, Missouri to go to school at the University of Missouri for engineering, but it never quite fit his character.
“I just didn’t have any kind of passion or drive for it, especially during my capstone project,” he reminisces. After graduation, he branched into the business and the startup industry. This led to Hempsley Health, a business educating on cannabis and legalization for mental health.
DeBono worked there as COO until a fateful day when Peachtree Catering worked an event for the company. The catering company owners were close friends with DeBono’s boss at the time. Peachtree relayed that the company was hiring to which his boss suggested DeBono and his cooking abilities — a happiness he had not yet realized — being a great match.
“In terms of my cooking experience. [As a kid,] I was the one who cooked dinner for everyone or my entire family growing up,” he recalls. “I learned a little bit of Italian from my dad. And my mom would always do Taco Tuesdays. Having them, having to make dinner for my family, and then also watching Food Network a lot rather than Cartoon Network made up a little bit of my food history.”
After the recommendation, DeBono was brought in to work at the extension of Peachtree Catering company, Beetbox. This began a new chapter — one ripe with passion.
Finding the Spirit
Doubling as a taste tester, Kumar relays, “I think what makes Kiki’s Noodle Bowl special is the fact that Vinnie is putting himself into every dish. While the base of each dish is just noodles and broth, the flavors and cuisine that make up each dish are inspired by his experiences and background.”
Flavors from DeBono’s family are certainly melding and simmering through the noodle bowls. He’s finding a heavy intrigue stemming from Italian-inspired ramen: think cacio e pepe and Italian wedding soup. He’s invested in emulating these traditional, warm dishes with ramen noodles.
He adds, “All the cultures — Asian, Italian, and then Hispanic — kind of have a soup slash noodle tie to it. So it’s kind of finding those avenues where they cross. That’s where I’ve been having fun.”
The noodle bowl concept is in the depths and turning point of setting up dates and finalizing recipe creations. The creator has been using his engineering degree as he crunches on numbers. He explains, “When I got my engineering degree, and then I went into the kitchen, the thing I told myself was that, despite me not using the engineering degree for things like mechanical engineering, I’m still engineering food and engineering flavor. As much of a cushion that is for my own ego for not using my degree, I feel like it still reigns through.”
He has been able to use skills learned through managing Beetbox’s social media, to, in turn, manage his own.
The Instagram — @KikisNoodleBowl — has demonstrated the logo-making process, paired along with recipes coming together in fruition. It is all in preparation for the opening date. October 23, 2023, is Kiki’s birthday as well as the goal date for the first noodle bowl pop-up. It will be hosted at Beetbox, DeBono’s “second home” in the Arcade District at 602 Fay Street. Kiki will be dressed up to look like her Delivery Service character, large red bow and all. Live music may also be present, setting the mood for the service. DeBono encourages reaching out on Instagram for a reservation to the opening night or the next date to come.
At its core, Kiki’s Noodle Bowl is like the moment of victory for the drawn-up main character. The bright colors and smiles gracing the screen somehow bring just as much contentment to the viewer. It’s a celebration of Vinnie DeBono, his many cultures, his journey, and who he’s become. It’s finally tasting the most-coveted food in media, in all its golden, soft, burst-of-flavor glory. The brush strokes and perfectly placed lines coming to life in a bowl of warm, authentically inauthentic goodness.
It’s a party for Kiki, her birthday, and the bond built between the two. It’s friendly, joyous, and a good time for people and their sidekicks alike. And, it’s an opportunity for Kiki to make a lot of new friends.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Lydia Graves is a culinary writer enamored with the food communities in both Columbia, Missouri, and Des Moines, Iowa.
With several years in the food and service industry, Lydia has a knowledgeable, descriptive, and enticing voice backed by wit and energy. She will graduate with a BFA in communications and a BS in business from Stephens College in spring of 2024.
Catch up with all of Lydia’s stories here:
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