Step inside the ramen joint offering lonely singles virtual dates with Japanese idols

If the thought of slurping down a bowl of noodles alone in a casual eatery feels a little on the pathetic side, then this unique dining experience is probably going to, erm, seem even more pathetic?

Allow me to rephrase… If you've ever wondered what it's like to make virtual small talk with an adorable J-pop idol, have we got a restaurant recommendation for you.

Osaka-based chain Sasayama have kicked off an industry-first promotion in which ramen-craving singles can enjoy their meal in the company a virtual Japanese pop idol member. Oh yes, it gets better—the girl band members in question are from a group themed around hamburgers called Hamburger Z.

The chain is offering the experience at its American Village and Tenjuinbashi stores.

For those who've never heard of the group, they comprise of 15 enthusiastic burger-loving young ladies who each represent one element of the burger, which according to Japanese blog Tofugu includes "beef, lettuce, egg, tomato, Awajishima fish, Awajishima chicken, Awajishima W Onion (right), Awajishima W Onion (left), pork/bacon, pickles, avocado, pineapple, mushroom, green pepper and eggplant." Their whole schtick is singing about and promoting hamburgers, so it's intriguing to hear that they're branched out into ramen territory.

The concept works like this: Sasayama customers who order ramen are handed a QR code (a smartphone-readable barcode used to unlock URLs and data), which entitles them to one of five pre-recorded video dates starring one impossibly cute Hamburger Z member.

The date demo unveiled on Ra-men Sasayama's YouTube account features Hamburger Z member Ku-chan (who represents the "lettuce" in the group) tucking into a bowl of hot ramen and politely offering some to her date, before pinching some noodles from their bowl. Watch the video above to see if virtual dining is for you, or you'd rather go it solo.

The restaurant chain are no doubt hoping to lure Hamburger Z fans in and keep them coming back until they've been set up with their favourite member. However, if you're keen to (virtually) meet one of these lovely ladies you'd better hurry and book your plane tickets, as the promotion is only running until August 31, 2016.