Seimenya

A while ago, a few shops in Namba and Nipponbashi banded together to start a stamp rally. The idea behind this stamp rally was that each shop would do a bowl similar to the ramen another shop serves. Though it was my first trip to Seimenya, I decided to try their Joroku-inspired shoyu.

この前に、なんばと日本橋のラーメン屋さんが一緒にスタンプラリーを開催しました。参加する店が全部ほかの店のスタイルを真似して、インスパイアされたラーメンを作りました。清麵屋に初めて行きましたけど、丈六系醤油にしました。

The Bowl
The bowl was a solid rendition of Takaida-style shoyu: dark and peppery, and a little less salty and therefore more drinkable than the original. The broth itself had a kind of hoisin-like taste, similar to other classic chuka soba. The noodles were fat and hard. They were good, and I think they could have even afforded to be a little thicker, given the saltiness of the soup.

高井田系醤油ラーメンでした。黒くて、胡椒風味ですけど、似ているラーメンよりちょっと塩が薄めで割と飲みやすかったです。スープ自体は中華的な味がして、中華そばって感じがしました。麺は硬くて、太かったです。うまくて、スープが塩辛かったなのでもうちょっと太くてもよかったかもしれません。

Would I Go Again?
Yes, the ramen was good and I was curious to try their specialty too.

おいしくて、あと名物も一回食べてみたかったのでまた行きました。

Should You Go?
Unfortunately they don't serve this dish any more, but their other bowls looked good.

このラーメンはもう終わっていますけど、ほかのメニューがおいしそうでした。

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清麺屋

Not bad.

悪くはないです。

Menya Joroku

I've visited the famous Joroku before when it was known as Marujo. Unfortunately, even though I'd been there a couple times, I had never actually uploaded my experience to the blog. Any excuse to return to Joroku is a good one! I got the standard chuka soba, which is done in the Takaida-kei style.

「丸丈」と呼ばれた時代に丈六に行きました。残念ですけど、その時にブログに投稿しませんでした。でも、丈六に行く言い訳になります！今回定番の高井田系の中華そばにしました。

The Bowl
A take on the standard Takaida-kei super salty shoyu, Joroku presents a bowl just as dark and flavorful, but peppery and much more drinkable. The noodles, too, are thinner, but still plenty wheaty, able to handle the relatively less sodium in the bowl. This is still the kind of bowl I like to see: a modern, excellent execution of a standard style.

高井田系ラーメンはふつう激しょっぱいなんですけど、丈六のラーメンはバランスが取れて、飲みやすいです。でも、もっと薄くなるわけじゃありません。逆に、故障とかの香辛料でほんのりスパイスが効いています。麺も普通の高井田系より細いですけど、小麦の味できます。昔のスタイルを守りながら、ちょっとおニュー物を入れるラーメンがやっぱり最高です。

Would I Go Again?
Yes.

はい。

Should You Go?
Yes.

はい。

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麺屋 丈六

Menya 7.5Hz+

I had just recently visited Menya 7.5Hz+, when I found I was due for another visit. Ramen Adventures blogger Brian was in town, and with just a couple of hours before his train left, we had to think fast to find an interesting shop. I was happy to introduce Brian to the Osakan specialty Takaida-kei ramen, and what better place than Menya 7.5Hz+? I had just tried the ramen again recently, so I went for their advertised Takaida tsukemen this time.

最近麺屋7.5Hz+に行きましたけど、また行くことになりました。Ramen Adventuresのブロガーブライアンぱいせんはたまたま大阪にいて、あまり時間がなかったので早くどっかに行かないとだめでした。結局大阪の名物高井田系ラーメンを紹介しようと決めて、麺屋7.5Hz+へ行くことにしました。前回ラーメンを食べたので今回つけ麺にしました。

The Bowl
Wow, they really just took their soup and separated it from the noodles. These noodles were a bit thicker than the already thick noodles that they use for the ramen, which meant they were were fat and firm. They did not benefit from having lots of salt soaked in them as Takaida-kei ramen usually does, so it fell a little flat overall.

ラーメンのスープとそのまま麺を取っただけみたいです。麺がラーメンで使われた麺より太くて、超固かったです。普通の高井田系ラーメンと違って、麺がスープの塩分を吸収していませんでしたから味がちょっと薄かったです。

Would I Go Again?
Yes, but I would switch back to the ramen.

また行きたいですけど、やっぱりラーメンにします。

Should You Go?
Yes; get the ramen.

はい。ラーメンがおすすめです。

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麺屋7.5Hz+

Tuna

In Uehonmachi, a new shop, "Tuna" has opened. Their name is 綱, pronounced "tsuna" in Japanese, but I guess they chose "Tuna" because they make seafood ramen? Wrong. Straight up shoyu chuka soba for this joint, but what's in a name, anyway?

上本町に「綱」という店ができました。綱の字何ですけど、英字で「TUNA」と書いてあります。魚系ラーメンだからかな？違います。中華そば専門店です。でも、名前は何でもいいじゃないですか？

The Bowl
This ramen was reminiscent of Takaida-kei bowls, the super dark and salty shoyu from the east of Osaka. Unlike those bowls, though, Tuna's broth was much smoother, making it easier to drink, but with the downside that the smooth, ropey noodles were a bit too thick for the soup.  The menma were a bit peppery, an unusual but welcome addition, and a single thin slice of juicy chashu topped the bowl.

けっこう高井田系ラーメンに似ていました。でも、普通の高井田系と違って、スープがまろやかで飲みやすかったです。その一方、麺がちょっと太くて味がうすかったです。メンマに黒こしょうがかけられて意外とうまかったです。最後に、ジューシーチャーシュー一枚が乗っていました。

Would I Go Again?
Maybe, it was solid but I'm not in a rush to return.

おいしかったですけど、また行くかもしれません。

Should You Go?
This shop would be good for anyone who wants to try a version of Takaida-kei ramen that is very drinkable.

けっこう飲みやすい高井田系ラーメンなので、それに興味ある方におすすめします。

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麺処 綱（TUNA）

Menya 7.5Hz+

Menya 7.5Hz+ was one of the first shops I visited in Osaka, in the dark days where I wasn't recording my every meal for the internet to watch. It was in those times that I wasn't aware that 7.5Hz+ is one of the big Takaida-kei ramen shops, and I didn't appreciate how accessible it was sitting in Umeda. It had been too long and I was due for a visit, so in I went.

大阪に引っ越ししたばかりな時代に初めて麺屋7.5Hz+に行きました。その時まだブログを作っていませんでした。麺屋7.5Hzは高井田系の有名な店の一つも全く知りませんでした。ずっとまだ行ってなかったので、また行くことにしました。

The Bowl
Takaida-kei bowls are simple, and I really appreciate it. A dark and very salty broth, offset by plentiful green onions, and thick noodles that take in the salt and come out as wheaty ropes. Add some menma, a few slices of thin chashu, but avoid a blood pressure test.

高井田系はシンプルなラーメンです。真っ暗な塩辛いスープでネギだらけです。極太麺が塩分を吸収して、小麦粉の香りがします。メンマも細いチャーシューを何枚かを加えて、血圧診断をしない方がいいです。

Would I Go Again?
Yeah, Takaida-kei is great and 7.5Hz+ does it justice.

高井田系はおいしくて、麺屋7.5Hz+はいい代表です。

Should You Go?
You should try a Takaida-kei shop once, and Menya 7.5Hz+ may just be the most convenient.

絶対一回高井田系を食べるべきです。麺屋7.5Hzはうまくて便利なので一押しします。

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麺屋7.5Hz+

Miyazaki Kyodo Ryori Dogyan

When looking online for a good shop to go to, I stumbled upon Miyazaki Kyodo Ryori Dogyan. Some places listed it as a ramen shop, some as an izakaya, but all praised its ramen. So I went to have a look. It turned out to be more of an izakaya, albeit one that serves ramen, similar to the other shop I went to recently, Danieru no Baai. I didn't bring any friends this time, so I ordered only their specialty ramen, Takaida-kei chuka soba. Of course, as a table charge, I received a small dish of horumon, or various innards.

インターネットでいいラーメン屋さんを探したら、宮崎郷土料理どぎゃんが出てきました。ラーメン屋さんか居酒屋、どっちかわかりませんでしたけど、一応行ってみることにしました。やっぱり、さっき行っただにえるの場合みたいに居酒屋のほうでした。一人で行ったので、名物の高井田中華そばしか頼みませんでしたけど、お通しのホルモンももらいました。

Nothing like delicious offal

ホルモンおいしいよね

The Bowl
As expected of Takaida-kei shoyu ramen, the broth was dark, and deep. Thankfully, though, it was less salty than other incarnations, which meant I could easily drink it all. The noodles, too, were pretty good; thick, and firm. There was one giant piece of chashu, but it didn't stand out much.

高井田系ラーメンらしいスープは暗くて濃かったです。他の高井田系ラーメンよりそんなに塩辛くなかったので、全部飲めました。麺が固めで太かったです。チャーシューの一枚があったですけど、まあまあでした。

Would I Go Again?
Yeah, I'd like to try some of their other food, too.

他のメニューも食べてみたいので、また行くと思います。

Should You Go?
It's a good place to go with friends in Honmachi.

本町に友達にいればいいと思います。

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宮崎郷土料理 どぎゃん

Sumiyoshi

Ever since I went to Koyoken, I'd been curious to try neighboring old-school Takaida-kei shop Sumiyoshi. My brother was still around, so together we made the trek east to Fuse. Sumiyoshi was very small, and reminded me of Ganso Nagahamaya in Fukuoka in that, unlike some new posh ramen shops, Sumiyoshi feels like it's filled with people from around the area just looking for a good bowl of cheap noodles.

光洋軒に行ってからその近くにある住吉という高井田系の店に行ってみたいなと思っていました。兄がまだいたので一緒に布施まで歩いて行きました。住吉は狭くて、福岡にある元祖長浜屋みたいに新しいオシャレな店じゃなくてクラシック的においしくて安いラーメンを食べたい客様が入っていました。

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住吉
Ōsaka-fu, Ōsaka-shi, Higashinari-ku, Fukaeminami, ３丁目２０−８

The Bowl
Like other Takaida-style bowls I had before, the broth was a light, but sharp and salty shoyu. The noodles were very thick and very firm. They tasted good along with the saltiness of the soup. The chashu was alright and the menma was very flavorful.

高井田系ラーメンらしくスープが塩辛くて飲みやすいしょうゆでした。麺が太くてスープの味と一緒においしくなりました。チャーシューはよくて、メンマが厚かったです。

Would I Go Again?
Maybe, it was fun to bring my brother there.

兄と一緒に行くのが面白かったのでまた行こうかな。

Should You Go?
Takaida-kei is worth trying, and this is as good a shop as any if you make it out to Fuse.

高井田系ラーメンが食べる価値があるので、もし布施にいたら行ったらいいかもしれません。

Koyoken

Takaida.  What was an old bus stop, is now a subway stop, and will forever remain an Osakan style of ramen.  Takaida-kei ramen is a classic chuka soba, simple shoyu ramen.  What makes it stand out is that the broth is a much darker, richer, soy sauce, and that the noodles are fat and straight.  This style is not famous at all, but as an Osakan ramen amateur, it's come across my radar a number of times.  I've tried the most famous chain, Kinguemon, but I've always wanted to try one of the original places.

Koyoken was one of the first, having been established in 1953.  I walked all the way out to Fuse, expecting that a place of lore like this would have a huge line all day long.  Nope, there was only one other customer in the shop when I got there, and no one else came while I ate.

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光洋軒
3-20 Fukaeminami

The Bowl
Something tasted very "raw" about this shoyu broth.  It wasn't as dark as the other Takaida-kei shops I had been to.  It was much saltier, though, and therefore harder to drink.  It kind of tasted like what would happen if you took the sauce of some Chinese stir-fry dish and turned it into a soup.  The noodles were a bit better, being fat and straight they absorbed the flavor of the broth and just the right amount of salt.  The menma was alright, and the chashu was standard.

Would I Go Again?
I'm glad I tried it but I can understand why people flock to the newer shops.  I'd like to go back to Takaida, but I think I'll hit one of the other classic shops.

Should You Go?
Eh, it's far.  I'm curious about the other shops in the area, but you'd be better off heading to Kinguemon or Marujoe in town.

Kinguemon

This post has been a long time in the making.  Kinguemon is one of the more famous chains of ramen shops in Osaka, and I had heard about it from a few different places.  One of my coworkers ate there a few weeks before, and raved about it.  I knew I wanted to go, but the stores were always a bit out of the way.  But then, the other day, I discovered there was a branch right on Dotonbori.  I'm not sure how I missed that before, but it doesn't matter.  All that matters is that it was easy to grab on my way home from work one day.

Kinguemon is known for their varieties of shoyu ramen.  There are three different kinds assigned by color: gold, red, and black, which have different blends of soy sauce in them.  But Kinguemon's original is the separate Osaka black and its mix-it-yourself seafood counterpart, Naniwa black.  I'm sure I'll visit another branch and try a different style (spoiler alert!), but this time I went with the classic Osaka black.

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金久右衛門
Ōsaka-fu, Ōsaka-shi, Chūō-ku, Dōtonbori, １丁目４−１７
Kinguemon is just off of Dotonbori, a block or two to the east of the Shinsaibashi shopping arcade.

The Bowl
This was a deep, roasty shoyu bowl, very much in the vein of Marujoe and Toyama Black.  It smelled fairly strongly of menma.  The menma in the bowl were some of the thickest I've ever hard, and actually kind of hard to chew.  The noodles were flat, but quite firm, and the chashu was just one big, tender slice.

Would I Go Again?
Yeah, I want to try the other varieties.  I'll choose another branch, though.

Should You Go?
Yeah.  It's right on Dotonbori, so it couldn't be more convenient.

Marujoe

It was a Sunday night with my friend in Namba, and we were looking for something to eat.  I took out the Ramen Walker and noticed a shop that I had been meaning to go to, but because of its closing time (8PM), I could never make it on a weekday.  Sunday though, was fine.  Marujoe does not have many options available, and the main one is it's Chuka soba.

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中華そば ◯丈
Ōsaka-fu Ōsaka-shi Chūō-ku Nanbasennichimae６−１６
Marujoe is in an alley in between Nankai Namba Station and Sakai-suji.

The Bowl
Marujoe offered a dark shoyu broth very similar to Toyama Black.  It tasted a bit like roasted soy sauce, with, as you can see if you look closely, a ton of black pepper and onions.  The noodles were medium sized and not too hard nor chewy, and the chashu was in thin slices that tasted mostly like the pepper they were covered in.

Would I Go Again?
I enjoyed the broth, but I don't think I'll get a huge craving for it and would rather just wait until I can find a closer alternative to Toyama Black.

Should You Go?
It's in a convenient location, and it might be interesting if you haven't tried this kind of soy sauce flavor before, but it's not a must-go.