Mazeru

Just out getting drinks with a friend, but where better than a Taiwan maze soba shop? I got a drink at Mazeru and ordered the standard Taiwan Maze Soba.

友達と飲みに行くには、台湾まぜそば屋さんでいいですよね？まぜるで何か飲んで、定番の台湾まぜそばを注文しました。

The Bowl
Just what I wanted: not too strong, but with a bit of spice and glazed noodles. Good to eat when sober, and good drunk too!

その気分でぴったりでした。濃すぎなく、ピリ辛でつるっとした卵がかかった麺。素面でも、酔っぱらってもおすすめ！

Would I Go Again?


Should You Go?


Information
まぜる

Tori Shio Ramen Hippo

A ramen shop called Hippo has appeared in a few areas of Osaka. With a name like "hippo", you might think it's some kind of super-thick ramen, but what Hippo serves is quite the opposite: light shio. I went with the chicken shio ramen.

「Hippo」という店が大阪でいろいろな場所で出てきたりしています。「Hippo」という動物が大きいのでなんかのどろどろ系のラーメンかと思うかもしれませんけど、実はあっさり系塩です。私は鶏塩ラーメンにしました。

The Bowl
The broth was clear yellow, simple with an almost citrus-like tanginess. The noodles came in thin white strands: a style that fit the soup well. Instead of chashu, there were meaty pieces of chicken. They were tasty, and kept the light theme of the bowl.

スープは半透明で黄色で、柑橘的な味がしました。麺が白い細麺でした。あっさりとしたスープにちょうどよかったです。普通のチャーシューの代わりに、旨味が効いてる鶏が乗っていました。豚のチャーシューより軽くて美味しかったです。

Would I Go Again?
I would, maybe to one of their other branches.

また違う支店とかに行くかもしれません。

Should You Go?
It's a good stop for something light.

なんかさっぱりものが欲しい時に行ってください。

Information
鶏塩ラーメン Hippo

Ramen Zikon

Menya Jikon is a shop that I had wanted to visit for a long time before I actually went out to Daito city to check it out. Shortly afterwards, though, they opened up a branch right in Yotsubashi. Of course I had to stop by. Different from the basic shoyu and shio offered at the original shop, Zikon's main dish is a clam shio.

麺屋而今に行く前にはずっと行きたかったです。その後、四ツ橋で新しい支店ができました。行かなあかんかった。麺屋而今のスタンダード醤油と塩と違って、Zikonの名物は特性天然塩あさりそばでした。

The Bowl
This was shio, for sure, but not the kind of clear simple broth you'd often see. It was cloudy and buttery, with the clam flavors seeping in all parts. Eating it with the red onions that were served made it taste almost like clam chowder. The noodles were medium and firm, about as hard as Hakata thin noodles usually come. The egg was a highlight, too, as it was creamy and simple, ready to be complemented by the flavorful soup.

完全に塩でしたけど、ザ・シオと違って、濁って濃いめの味しました。あさりの味がして、赤玉ねぎと食べて、アメリカのクラムチャウダーって感じがしました。中部と麺派はかた麺みたいに固めでした。玉子はさっぱりとして、スープと食べたらうまかったです。

Would I Go Again?
Yes.

はい。

Should You Go?
Yes.

はい。

Information
ラーメン Zikon 而今

Senba Tantanmen

Some shops in Osaka have downright unreasonable hours. Highly ranked Yashichi is only open on weekdays for lunch, but happens to conveniently be by my office. Berashio down south is just open from 11 to 1 on weekdays. Add to the list Senba Tantanmen. It's a tantanmen shop in the heart of Horie, open only for lunch while I'm working. I happened to have a random half day off, so with no other plans, I headed for Horie and ordered their Sichuan style rich tantanmen.

大阪にめっちゃ行きづらい店が何軒かあります。評価されている弥七は平日ランチのみですけど、たまたま職場に近いです。南の方にあるべらしおは平日の１１時から１３時までしか開いていません。それに船場担々麺。堀江にある平日ランチのみの担々麺専門店です。たまたま半休があったので、堀江へ向かって四川式濃厚担担麺を頼みました。

The Bowl
A bowl of red; a layer of transparent oil on top, but too murky to see inside. The soup was spicy and chunky, and I swear a sensed a tomato flavor to it, or maybe it just reminded me of tomato ramen. Floating amidst the soup were yellow translucent noodles, chewy and mixed in with the ground pork and bean sprouts. The oil wore me down a bit by the end, but the rice on the side did a lot to keep it at bay, at least until I was finished my meal and ready to lie down.

真っ赤なラーメンで上に油が浮いていました。辛くてちょっととろみがあって、中身が全く見えませんでした。ちょっとトマトの味がしたかなと思っていましたけど、トマトラーメンを思い出しただけかもしれません。もやしと豚肉を絡んでいる黄色い麺が乗っていました。最後の方に油がちょっとしんどかったですけど、ご飯と食べたらちょっとさっぱりとなりました。

Would I Go Again?
I would, if it were feasible.

行けるならまた行きたいです。

Should You Go?
This tantanmen is worth a lunch break, if you can make it.

行ければ、昼ご飯としてこの担々麺を食べてください。

Information
船場坦々麺

Oriental Cafe

It was a lazy Saturday afternoon and I had some free time to wander around. Horie is a good place to walk around on weekends, but they don't have a ton of ramen. I happened to pass a place called Oriental Cafe, though, which according to the signs in front of the shop, is known for their ramen and curry. The curry looked better, but I was in a ramen mood.

ある土曜日に、ゆっくりしながら堀江に散歩しようと思っていました。堀江は週末に散歩にいい場所ですけど、ラーメン屋さんがほとんどありません。ORIENTAL CAFEをたまたま通って、ラーメンとカレーが名物のカフェでした。カレーのほうがおいしそうでしたけど、やっぱりラーメンを食べたかったです。

Information
ORIENTAL CAFE
Ōsaka-fu, Ōsaka-shi, Nishi-ku, Kitahorie, １丁目１６−２５

The Bowl
Standard tonkotsu, through and through. This is the kind of ramen I would have been very happy with before I moved to Japan, but after eating at some three hundred or so different places, I can't quite appreciate any more. A thin and oily broth, with medium yellow noodles, and fatty, melty chashu.

普通の豚骨でした。日本に来たばかりのとき、こんなラーメンをいっぱい食べました。スープが薄めで油っぽくて、黄色い麺ととろけるチャーシューが入っていました。

Would I Go Again?
I might for the curry.

カレーをちょっと食べてみたいので、また行くかもしれません。

Should You Go?
It was a nice cafe, but don't go for the ramen.

雰囲気が良かったですけど、ラーメンを注文しなくていいです。

Ippudo

It had really been a long time since I had been to Ippudo. After a very filling yakitori, one of my friends insisted we end the night on ramen. She was from Fukuoka, and representing her hometown well, she insisted we go to a tonkotsu shop. The closest one was Ippudo, but my eye was not on the tonkotsu, but rather the limited time miso ramen. How would this compare to all of the Sapporo ramen I had recently eaten?

一風堂で食べたのが本間に久しぶりですね。焼き鳥を食べてからおなかがいっぱいなのに友達にラーメンを食べさせられました。福岡の友達なんで、福岡人らしく豚骨専門店に行かないとだめになりました。最寄りの店が一風堂でしたけど、私は普通の豚骨じゃなくて期間限定味噌ラーメンを注文しました。最近の札幌ラーメンに比べたらどうでしょうか。

Information
一風堂
Ōsaka-fu, Ōsaka-shi, Nishi-ku, Minamihorie, １丁目１２

The Bowl
What could a miso bowl by Ippudo be like? As any Ippudo ramen would be, it was very porky, oily, and rich. It almost tasted like a mix of tonkotsu and miso; different from the classic Sapporo style, but not straight tonkotsu either. Either way it was pretty good. The kara-miso added a spicy kick, and the sesame oil provided some nice flavors as well.

「一風堂が作った味噌ラーメンはどうかな」と考えていました。一風堂らしくスープがこってりで豚の味が強かったです。ちょっと豚骨と味噌の半部半分の感じがしました。普通の一風堂ラーメンじゃありませんでしたけど、普通の札幌味噌じゃありませんでした。とにかくおいしかったです。辛みそとごまの油で面白い味がつきました。

Would I Go Again?
I might, but the miso ramen is over anyway.

また行こうかなと思っているんですが、限定がもうすぎました。

Should You Go?
It's too late.

もう終わった。

Menya Taku

A rainy day is no excuse not to trek out for ramen.  If anything, it's more of a reason to go.  I did some research and picked a place in Horie.  When I got there, I realized that it looked familiar.  Very familiar.  I wasn't 100% sure, but it really looked like the spitting image of Men Life Taku, where I went shortly before I left for the holidays.  I came all this way, so I stepped inside and ordered a bowl of ramen.

Information
麺や拓
Ōsaka-fu, Ōsaka-shi, Nishi-ku, Kitahorie, ３丁目５−２
Menya Taku is south of Nagahori Dori in between Nishinagahori Station and Yotsubashi Station.

The Bowl
If I have to end up at a branch of a shop I've been to without meaning to, I'm glad it's at least one I love.  Once again the soup was not that thick, but very rich with gyokai and chicken flavors.  Good chashu, medium sized noodles, and thin, crunchy menma.  Last time I wasn't in love with the eggs, but I liked them a lot better this time for whatever reason.

Would I Go Again?
I did, and I still would.

Should You Go?
Yes, to either here or the Namba branch.  Both are a little out of the way, but worth making it out to.