A tiny Japanese woman has become Hong Kong's first ramen-eating champion.
Tomoko Miyake devoured two giant bowls of the Japanese noodles in 20 minutes to win the HK$50,000 Ramen Champion grand prize.
The 29-year-old professional eater stands just 152cm tall and weighs only 40kg. She holds the record for eating ramen: 15 bowls in 10 minutes.
She said she would spend some of the prize on her favourite Hong Kong food: (pork and prawn dumplings).
The four other finalists, all local men, sweated over their steaming bowls while Miyake's make-up remained remarkably intact.
She said she felt "relaxed" after the contest, her stomach noticeably larger than at the start.
She said she did not have breakfast that morning, but ate a banana 20 minutes before the contest.
Miyake said she liked all-you-can-eat buffets, where she could eat 30 to 40 helpings, after which she weighed 8kg or 9kg more.
She heads to Singapore today for the Ramen Champion final.
Ramsey Yau Siu-lung, 24, and 43-year-old "Santa" Johnny Wu Hung-shing tied for second place.
The 36 entrants who competed in Monday's heats had to eat six bowls in 60 minutes to qualify for the final.
Yau, who had never competed in an eating contest before, qualified first in 18 minutes. He was first to finish the initial giant bowl of ramen in the final, but the consistent Miyake pulled ahead on the second bowl.
Wu, who has won many local eating contests as well as placing third in a world's best Santa competition, stood up to eat, and made a balloon flower for the winner.
Yau and Wu managed about one-and-a-half bowls each.
This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as: Tiny champion was hungry to win
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