ムタヒロ (Mutahiro in Osaka)

ムタヒロ



I was wandering Osaka with my friend Ben (you know, the #1 Osaka-based ramen guy), drinking craft beers are his favorite haunts, when I saw something beautiful. One of my favorite Tokyo-based shops, Mutahiro, had opened in Osaka. And though we had already crushed a bowl together (and I had crushed one on my own before that), I had to dip in.



What can I say, I love this spot. I've written about it in my book, and on the blog here, here, and here.



The noodles come from Tokyo, where Mutahiro works closely with Nagi.



And while Nagi is a bit more intense, Mutahiro's niboshi shoyu ramen is amazing.



Official site here.





大阪府大阪市福島区福島5-6-5
Osaka, Osaka-shi, Fukushima-ku, Fukushima 5-6-5
Closest station: Fukushima

Open 11:30-15:00, 18:00-21:00
Closed Sundays

鱗 (Uroko in Osaka)

らーめん鱗 西中島店



Another shop in the Top 50, another shop I had to hit before the year runs out.



One thing I like about this list is the variety. Online user rankings tend to favor heavy soups, and they tend to favor Tokyo over anywhere else. This list is Tokyo-heavy, for sure, but they really represent the rest of the country well.



Uroko is all about shio. This shop is relatively new, and an offshoot of あす流 (Asuryu), another popular shop in Osaka. And while most shio is considered light and delicate, Uroko goes full-Osaka on this one.



Sure, the soup is light. It's a clear chicken and dried fish deal, much like the shio found elsewhere in Japan. What sets it apart is what you see on top. A heavy layer of seabura pork back fat and a sprinkling of dried bonito flakes. Two of my favorite things. You get your umami, and you get your thick, fatty mouthfeel.



I love it, and I love how Osaka is all over the place on the ramen map. Light shio made unlight by the toppings is genius.



The menu has a few more items. The mazesoba, a soupless bowl, was also legit.



Keep it up, Osaka!





大阪府大阪市淀川区西中島4-5-22
Osaka, Osaka-shi, Yodogawa-ku, Nishinakajima 4-5-22
Closest station: Nishinakajimaminamigata

Open 11:00-14:30, 18:00-22:00
Closed Sundays and holidays

弥七 (Yashichi in Osaka)

らーめん 弥七



So it begins, the great Osaka ramen hunt of 2016. You see, there is this list, and this list of the 50 best ramen shops in Japan includes many from Osaka. Many shops that I have yet to visit. This is something that needed to change.



Of course, Osaka ramen shops can be a real pain in the ass. Shops are scattered around, with popular shops in parts of town that only the most native Osakan knows about. And the hours! Many of these shops are only open for a few hours a day, closed on weekends, and prone to run out of soup. The nerve!



So plan accordingly. Give yourself ample time to get to the shop. Keep in mind that you might get lost. Account for holidays, avoid local festivals, and don't get discouraged if your plan A, B, and C all fail.



The rewards are great. Yashichi is often the highest ranked shop in Osaka (though online rankings change daily) and it shows.

The soup is a rough, thick chicken broth made with extra amounts of cartilage and skin. By adding and removing different bits from the boil at just the right time, the signature soup is made. It's very precise, and explains why they only open a few hours a day.



Definitely a bowl that I'd recommend to anyone on their Osaka ramen adventures.

Official site here.





大阪府大阪市北区豊崎三丁目4-8
Osaka, Osaka-shi, Kita-ku, Toyosaki 3-4-8
Closest station: Nakasu

Open 11:00-16:00
Closed weekends and holidays