Osaka Ramen Route

Update: Osaka Ramen Route is now over. But the shops are still around, so please go around and try them yourself!

When I first came to Osaka, there was little to no information about ramen in Osaka in English. I started this blog to fix that, by documenting my own experiences eating in Kansai. Now it's time for the next step.

Presenting Osaka Ramen Route!

Osaka Ramen Route is a ramen stamp rally: a simple event where you get a bowl of ramen at five different shops, collect stamps, and earn a certificate proving your ramen mastery. It's running from now through July, so check out the site, eat some ramen, and post about it with #ramenroute!

https://www.osakaramenroute.com/

Tori Soba Kobako

I like when shops open up in Nishi-ku, they're slightly away from downtown but still easy to get to. Kobako is a chicken ramen shop in Awaza, and I ordered the chicken fish soba.

西区で店が開いてうれしいです。難波とかからちょっと離れていますけど、ぜんぜん行きやすいです。「小箱」という鶏系専門店は阿波座ら辺にあって、そこで鶏魚煮込みそばを頼みました。

The Bowl
I came in hungry and happily received the ramen, a bubbling-with-oil, extra thick, extra salty chicken gravy. It was good for the first few bites of the short, medium noodles, but it was a bit much to handle for much more than that. The toppings were good though; the pork was a well-textured piece of sausage that had an almost cheese-like aftertaste.

おなかがすいて、油濃い、とろーとした塩辛鶏ガララーメンをもらいました。最初の一口とかは結構うまかったですけど、それ以上かなり濃かったです。トッピングがうまかったです。チャーシューはソーセージみたいな形で、歯ごたえがよくて、後味がなんかチーズに似ていました。

Would I Go Again?
There was good to be had here, but the broth was a bit too strong for me.

おいしかったはおいしかったですけど、私にはちょっと濃かったです。

Should You Go?
Only check out Kobako if you can handle your salt.

塩辛が苦手な人は気を付けてください。

Information
鶏そば 小箱

Kyo Tsukemen Tsurukame

A trip to Kyoto and a chance to try more Kyoto ramen! This time I visited Kyo Tsukemen Tsurukame and their Nishikyo miso tantan tsukemen.

京都の日帰りプラス京都ラーメン！今回「京つけめん つるかめ」の西京味噌担々つけめんを食べました。

The Bowl
Just as it looks in the photo above, this tantan tsukemen was more smooth than spicy. There was just a tickle of spice, which was fine since the sesame and rayu did the job of keeping the bowl flavorful and interesting. The noodles were fat and grainy, and there were thin slices of chashu, too, that were juicy and brimming with flavor.

上の写真とわかるかもしれません、スープは激辛じゃなくて、まろやかでした。ピリ辛だけでしたけど、ゴマとラー油などの味で満足しました。麺は太くてつぶつぶとしました。チャーシューはほそめで、濃くてうまかったです。

Would I Go Again?
Yes.

はい。

Should You Go?
A good stop for anyone looking for something a little different in Kyoto.

京都で普通じゃないものを食べたい人にお勧めします。

Information
京つけめん つるかめ

Marotei

A friend of mine had long suggested I visit Marotei, a shop that is not strictly a ramen shop, but a curry noodle shop. I ordered the standard dish, curry noodles.

友達にずっと「まろ亭」というカリー麺の店にお勧めしてもらっています。厳しく見ると、ラーメンじゃなくて、カリー麺なんですけど、一応頼みました。

The Bowl
Unlike other curry noodle dishes I've had, this was not sweet but rather savory, not too thick but with a smidge of spice and a peppery roughness. The noodles were long and flat, and there was a single bridge of chashu, laying along the bowl's diameter. At the end throwing in a bit of cayenne pepper added a final kick.

ほかのカレーの麺類と違って、甘くなくて、うまみがしました。ほんのり香辛料が効いて、胡椒も味しました。麺は長くて平面で、チャーシューは橋みたいな一個でした。最後に一味を入れて、ピリ辛の一滴になりました。

Would I Go Again?
Yes, it was solid.

うん、おいしかったです。

Should You Go?
I recommend it for any curry lover.

カレーが好きな方に行ってみてください。

Information
イレブンスパイス まろ亭

Joto Rekka

Yamagata is not a place you hear about a lot when it comes to ramen, but Joto Rekka is a shop that has brought Yamagata noodles to Osaska. On my visit to the Gamo Yonchome shop, I ordered not normal ramen, but a take on Yamagata's famous hippari udon: hippari mazesoba.

山形というと、あまりラーメンのイメージがしませんけど、「城東烈火」が山形の麺を大阪に提供しています。蒲生四丁目支店に行って、ひっぱりうどんみたいな「山形ひっぱり混ぜそば」を頼みました。

The Bowl
This is no ordinary bowl of maze soba. The toppings include mackerel, natto, and spicy miso. The mackerel ended up being the primary flavor in the bowl, which worked out because it's my favorite fish. The other toppings worked together to add seasoning to the bowl: the natto made the dish a bit goopier, and the miso and seaweed added a bit of spice and salt, respectively.

こちらは普段のまぜそばじゃありませんでした。サバをはじめ、納豆、辛みそのトッピングが乗っていました。一番濃い味がサバなんですけど、かなりサバがお気に入りなのでおいしかったです。ほかの具が混ざって、麺の下味みたいなことになりました。納豆の影響でたれがちょっととろみがあって、海苔と味噌で塩辛くなってきました。

Would I Go Again?
Yes.

はい。

Should You Go?
Yes.

はい。

Information
城東烈火

Jinjo Menya Gyukotsuo

It's not every day I get to visit a beef ramen shop. Jinjo Menya Gyukotsuo happened to open up in Nagahoribashi, though, so I stopped by to try the beef bone paitan ramen.

牛骨ラーメンは割とレアなものです。人情麵家 牛骨王が長堀橋でできたので、牛骨白湯ラーメンを頼みました。

The Bowl
It was advertised that there was no pork or chicken in this bowl, only beef, and it tasted it. It was strong and syrupy, tasting not unlike beef tendon, topped off with some crushed pepper. The noodles were bunched up, thin and firm, like giving beef bone ramen the Hakata treatment. Speaking of beef tendon, there were little niblets of beef innards in the soup, chewy and gelatinous.

スープにある動物系は牛肉だけと書いてあって、味で分かったかもしれません。スープが濃くて、とろみがあって、牛筋的な味がしました。その上にすっきりとした胡椒が乗っていました。麺は博多麺みたいに細くて、硬めでした。スープに入っている肉は何か歯ごたえがある柔らかい牛肉でした。

Would I Go Again?
Yes, I'm curious about their other beef concoctions.

ほかにどんな牛骨ラーメンがあるか気になるので、また行くかもしれません。

Should You Go?
Anyone feeling beef or avoiding pork should stop by.

牛肉の気分の方にどうぞ。

Information
人情麺家 牛骨王

Chuka Soba Sen

One day I ended up in Abiko, and was able to visit one of those well-regarded shops in outer Osaka. Sen is a shop dedicated to chuka soba, so I ordered the special shoyu and took a seat.

ある日に、あびこにいて、好評しているちょっと遠い店に行けました。中華そば閃は名前通り中華そば専門店で、特製醤油中華そばにしました。

The Bowl
The bowl was made with a blend of shoyus, including some from notable island Shodoshima in Kagawa. The broth was sharp and clear brown, strong and refreshing. The noodles were long and yellow; firm and extra chewy, which an interesting departure from the simpler noodles I find in shoyu bowls. The toppings weren't anything super special, but the basics of this bowl were on point.

スープに小豆島の大豆をはじめ、いろいろな国産の醤油が入っていました。スープはしっかりとした半透明な茶色で、濃いめでした。麺は長くて、黄色くて歯ごたえがありました。普通の醤油ラーメンの柔らかい面と違って、なんか面白かったです。全体的に、このラーメンの基礎がうまかったです。

Would I Go Again?
If I'm in the area.

またその辺にいれば。

Should You Go?
Shoyu fans or anyone looking for a walk from Nagai park should.

醤油のファンと長居公園から散歩したい人におすすめします。

Information
中華そば 閃