Great things can be found in Japanese vending machines. Forget Mars bars and Pepsi cans. In the Land of the Rising Sun, these sacred shrines can contain hot noodles and dumplings, umbrellas, socks, fresh flowers and live beetles. You can even get a wig for your dog.

Many Japanese restaurants also have vending machines, where you can order and pay for your food. “Ticket vending machines are popular in Japan because of the operation ease they provide,” Hatena Group co-owner Chris Wu tells delicious.

“A lot of ramen shops in Japan are one to two person operations, and the ticket vending machine allows for the ordering system to be automated and systemised. The goal is to save labour and to allow for less work in cash handling and order taking,” Wu explains.

Wu, along with Hatena partners Jung Shea and Mitomo Somehara, were determined to secure a Japanese ticket vending machine for their latest venue, Auru Ramen.

“From the time we decided to do a ramen shop, we thought about the vending machine and it was a must-have for our concept,” he says.

The problem, however, was finding one, with the price to ship one over from Japan being unfeasible. As a last resort, the trio put a call out to Instagram for help, and a local 3D printing company responded.

“Contour Engineering built all the hardware and software to emulate the experience you would get in Japan.”

The retro-futuristic machine glows green at the top of the stairs at the Hatena Group’s new three-level mega venue in Crows Nest, which has a yakitori restaurant on the first floor, ramen on the middle level, and a Japanese sports bar on the third.

Giant acrylic buttons the size of a business card tell you the name of each dish in both Japanese and English. Press the names of the dishes you want to order, then take your tickets to the counter to pay.

“Wrong orders are bad for business in Japan. The vending machine system means that the responsibility is on the customer and that staff are not liable for their mistakes.”

Much like the vending machine, the Ramen Auru restaurant is beige and boxy. The small dining hall has been kitted out with a square configuration of low floor tables, surrounded by tatami mats to sit on. Tables are topped with practical necessities, including chopsticks, tissue boxes and toothpicks, with a wet, folded Chux wipe for keeping things clean.

The food menu is small but satisfying. There’s three ramen bowls to choose from, including a prawn bisque, which is rich in shell stock and sweet prawns, like the luscious love child of a ramen and laksa.

Then there’s the pork tonkotsu. A big, porky bowl of smooth, blended pig. Choose your level of back fat on a scale of 1-3 for extra blubbery goodness. Rounding off the trio is the yuzu chicken ramen. The sliced breast meat is ever-so-gently poached in the light and lemony broth.

A few sides, including salted karaage and plump pork gyoza round out the meal. When you’ve slurped your last noodles, a little note on the table asks you to kindly return your bowls to the kitchen and wipe the table clean.

It’s an efficient system for sure – but most importantly, a delicious one.