NJ Ramen Eating Contest Draws Weird Mix Of Contestants (VIDEO)

HUDSON COUNTY, NJ — On National Noodle Day 2018, a group of 10 hungry competitors gathered at Ani Ramen House in Jersey City with one goal in mind… to scarf down as many noodles as they could in 10 minutes.

On Oct. 6, Ani Ramen House and Sun Noodle hosted the second annual “Slurp, Sip, Repeat Ramen Eating Contest.” Up for grabs was this year’s prize: a year of free ramen at any Ani Ramen location and a celebratory chef’s tasting dinner for 10 worth $1,000.

The contest drew a weird mix of contestants, event organizers reported:

• Former champ Sebastian Voltarelli, who was suited up for a wedding he was attending immediately after the contest
• A Jersey City firefighter who “got the group all fired-up with his smack talk”

However, when the table was cleared, there was only one eater left holding the “golden chopsticks”: Wayne Algenio of Queens, New York.

Contest organizers congratulated Algenio, whose eight bowls of noodles topped Voltarelli (seven bowls) and third-place runner up Charles Creamer of Hoboken (six bowls).

“I’ve done a lot of food competitions, with this being my second go at ramen eating,” said Algenio, who posts videos of his contest victories on his YouTube channel, which has more than 40,000 subscribers and shows him testing his stomach against Taco Bell, McDonald’s cheeseburgers, an all-you-can-eat buffet, empanadas, chicken nuggets and meatballs.

Proceeds raised from the evening will benefit No Kid Hungry, organizers said.

“While it was sad to see Sebastian lose the title, we’re happy for Wayne,” Ani Ramen owner Luck Sarabhayavanija said. “We hope to see them both back to compete again next year.”

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Photos: Ani Ramen