A new late-night dining option for Penn students — an autonomous ramen vending machine offering hot meals on demand — recently opened at 1920 Commons .
College sophomore and Undergraduate Assembly representative Ishika Narsingani — a former Daily Pennsylvanian staffer — spearheaded building the “Noodle Nook,” which was installed in the space formerly belonging to Amazon@Penn last week. Developed in partnership with Penn Dining and Business Services, the machine serves noodle dishes costing anywhere between $7.99 and $12.99.
Narsingani told the DP that she brought her proposal to Penn Dining administrators in November 2025 after noticing “a lack of late-night, affordable and customizable casual dining options near student housing.”
Over the next four months, she helped bring the project from concept to installation — coordinating meetings with administrators, researching comparable models, and gathering student feedback.
“All I had was an idea,” Narsingani said. “I didn’t have funding. I didn’t have a team. I just went to administration and made it happen.”
The final machine — powered by Yo-Kai Express technology — uses a patented autonomous cooking system to prepare chef-designed meals in approximately 90 seconds. Meals are stored flash-frozen inside the machine and cooked on demand, and the system automatically sanitizes itself between orders to prevent cross-contamination.
Menu options include tonkotsu ramen, shrimp tempura udon, and pesto pasta with shrimp, with flexibility to adjust selections based on demand. According to Narsingani, student feedback will play a central role in shaping future menu changes, including the possibility of expanding options to accommodate dietary restrictions.
“This is a project built for students, by a student,” Narsingani emphasized. “I’m using peer feedback to make real changes.”
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Narsingani also told the DP that the Commons installation is “the first machine at an Ivy League university,” adding that she hoped that her efforts might help pave the way for more student-led initiatives on campus.
“I hope it brings joy,” Narsingani said. “But more than that, I hope it shows students that they can create change on this campus.”
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Staff reporter Hailey Hilsabeck covers facilities and infrastructure and can be reached at hilsabeck@thedp.com. At Penn, she studies cinema and media studies and English. Follow her on X @hhilsabeckk.
