Osaka has long been called "Japan's Kitchen." It has developed its own unique food culture, including takoyaki, kushikatsu, and okonomiyaki. Moreover, with many sake-producing regions in the surrounding area, Osaka can be considered a gourmet city.
As the culinary center of Japan, Osaka is also the second-most populous city in the country. It concentrates 7% of Japan's population and 10% of the foreign residents living in Japan. As a result, there's high demand for restaurants, and famous establishments engage in fierce competition.
Ramen is no exception, and Osaka has many ramen shops. In this article, we'll introduce 10 ramen shops that are beloved by locals and recommended for tourists, showcasing the Osaka Best Ramen 2024 scene.
Overview and Types of Ramen
Ramen, now loved worldwide, has a relatively short history, originating in Yokohama about 100 years ago. In Japan, ramen has become a national dish, so popular that instant ramen is widely available.
There are various types of ramen, with diverse soups, noodle thicknesses and textures, and toppings. Standard ramen types include those based on miso, soy sauce, and salt.
Ramen often has regional characteristics. In the area where I grew up, ramen with beef bone-based soup was famous.
Ramen also has another name, "chuka soba." Remember that even though it has "soba" in the name, at a ramen shop, it refers to ramen.
7 Exquisite Ramen Shops Featured in the Michelin Guide 2024 - Osaka Best Ramen 2024
Ramen Hayato
Source: Tabelog
Ramen Hayato is a famous miso ramen shop that ranks high on many review sites. Hayato's miso ramen features a fragrant miso and a rich, thick soup. Various flavors blend together, including ginger, yuzu, and Sichuan pepper, giving a refreshing touch to the richness.
Not only are the noodles delicious when mixed with the soup, but the soup itself is so tasty that it can be enjoyed on its own. I always drink every last drop of the soup.
At Ramen Hayato, besides the signature miso ramen, you can also try salt ramen and soy sauce ramen. Both of these ramen dishes have a complex and deep flavor with various tastes mixed together, so they're highly recommended.
<Notice>
- Entry is prohibited if you have artificial fragrances
(perfume, cologne, hair products, cosmetics, strongly scented fabric softeners, clothes previously worn with perfume, hand cream, body cream, shampoo, etc.)
- No private conversations allowed
<Shop Information>
- Address: 1-2-2 Minamimorimachi, Kita-ku, Osaka
- Business Hours: 11:00 - until ingredients run out
- Closed: 1st Monday and Tuesday of the month, 2nd/3rd/4th/5th Sundays, occasional temporary closures
- Phone: 06-6312-8276
- Official X: https://x.com/ramen_hayato
Mugi to Mensuke (Nakatsu)
Source: Tabelog
Mugi to Mensuke is a ramen shop that offers bowls made with carefully selected ingredients, down to their origin. They have their own original brand of chicken, and you can enjoy ramen where 100% of all ingredients' goodness matches perfectly.
Mugi to Mensuke's signature dishes are "Kuradashi Shoyu Soba" and "Special Iriko Soba." The base of the "Kuradashi Shoyu Soba" soup is pheasant and chicken, resulting in a light ramen with an elegant, mild taste. "Special Iriko Soba" is a ramen based on dried sardines, allowing you to enjoy the flavor and sweetness of the sardines both in your mouth and nose.
Also, Mugi to Mensuke's Aburi Chashu Don (Grilled Pork Rice Bowl) is exceptional. The rice is covered with so much chashu that you can't see it, topped with a soft-boiled egg. The sweet sauce pairs perfectly with the grilled chashu.
It also goes well with the ramen soup, so I usually eat it while adding a bit of the ramen soup.
<Shop Information>
- Address: 3-4-12 Toyosaki, Kita-ku, Osaka
- Business Hours:
Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday: 11:00 - 15:30
Saturday, Sunday: 11:00 - 16:00
- Closed: Tuesday
- Official X: https://x.com/mugitomensuke
Chuka Soba Uemachi (Tanimachi 6-chome)
Source: Tabelog
Chuka Soba Uemachi is a ramen shop loved by locals, known for its clear soup. The signature ramen comes in soy sauce and salt flavors.
The charm of Chuka Soba Uemachi lies in its animal-based soup. The distinct-tasting soup blends well with the noodles, spreading the soup's flavor throughout your mouth with each slurp.
The noodles here are also attractive. Made with their original manufacturing process, these springy noodles release the aroma of wheat with each bite.
These noodles and soup have excellent compatibility, delivering umami in perfect harmony.
While the noodles and soup exude an elegant aroma, the chashu (pork) is very juicy. With excellent texture and deep flavor, the chashu contrasts with yet perfectly complements the noodles and soup.
<Shop Information>
- Address: Uemachi A-22, Chuo-ku, Osaka
- Business Hours: 11:00 - 14:30 / 18:00 - 21:00
- Closed: Monday
- Phone: 06-6762-5311
- Official Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/explore/locations/57025353/
Ramen Kuon (Sakaisuji Honmachi)
Source: Tabelog
Ramen Kuon is a ramen shop characterized by its gentle flavors, with the motto "Cherishing the taste of ingredients." You can enjoy a bowl of ramen where the noodles, sauce, soup, and toppings are all prepared in-house.
The soup is made from fish, shellfish, and chicken, and it's said that "the taste is meticulously composed like putting together a puzzle." All ingredients enhance each other's qualities.
What I highly recommend at Ramen Kuon is the "Oi-chazuke Set." After finishing your ramen, you pour the leftover soup over rice to make ochazuke (rice with tea).
The meticulously crafted soup also pairs well with rice, allowing you to enjoy it deliciously to the very end. It goes especially well with salt ramen.
<Shop Information>
- Address: Semba Center Building 3, B2F, 1-4-3 Semba Chuo, Chuo-ku, Osaka
- Business Hours:
Monday to Friday: 11:00 - 15:00
Saturday: 11:00 - 14:30
- Closed: Sundays and holidays
Kamigata Rainbow (Momodani)
Source: VACAN
Kamigata Rainbow is a ramen shop known for its unique ramen that you can't find anywhere else. All of their offerings are so unique that even I always have trouble deciding what to eat.
My recommendation is the "Osaka Cold Curry Ramen." This ramen has particularly unique toppings, including tomato, melon-flavored ice cream, and eggplant - things you wouldn't typically imagine pairing with ramen. However, they go perfectly with the mild soup based on seafood and soy milk. I recommend soaking them well in the soup before eating.
Kamigata Rainbow has various other unique ramen dishes, all of which you can only taste here. If you're intrigued, please give them a try.
<Shop Information>
- Address: 4-6-3 Katsuyama, Tennoji-ku, Osaka
- Business Hours: 9:00-15:00
- Closed: Wednesday and Thursday
- Phone: 06-7708-2669
- Official Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kamigatarainbow/
Honmachi Seimenjo Chuka Soba Kobo (Sakaisuji Honmachi)
Source: Tabelog
At Chuka Soba Kobo, you can enjoy ramen made from natural ingredients without using chemical seasonings. The shop is also known for its soup that emphasizes umami rather than sweetness.
My recommended menu item at this shop is "Chuka Kuro Soba." As the name suggests, it's a ramen with a pitch-black soup, made by combining rich seafood broth with multiple types of soy sauce. The flavor of black pepper and the acidity of soy sauce match well, creating a deep umami that enhances the overall appeal of the ramen.
You can also order mazemen (soupless ramen) at this shop. It allows you to experience the springiness of the noodles and the flavor of the broth more directly than regular ramen, so I recommend trying it as well.
<Shop Information>
- Address: Semba Center Building 2, B2F, 1-3-2 Semba Chuo, Chuo-ku, Osaka
- Business Hours: 11:00 - 19:00
- Closed: Sundays and holidays
- Phone: 06-4708-7717
Chuka Soba Mugen (Ebie)
Source: Tabelog
At Chuka Soba Mugen, you can enjoy simple and modest ramen. The biggest attraction of this shop's ramen is the soup. Improved over 700 times since the shop's opening, the soup has a well-balanced concentration of chicken and soy sauce umami, achieving the perfect taste. You can enjoy the soup on its own.
The toppings are also simple, with just chashu, green onions, and menma (bamboo shoots). The simple toppings match well with the umami-packed soup. The chashu is thinly sliced with a mild taste that exudes elegance and pairs well with the soup.
At Chuka Soba Mugen, a small plate is provided along with the ramen. The Mugen-style way of eating is to put a bit of soup on this plate and drink it after it has cooled slightly. The slightly cooled soup doubles the umami of the chicken.
<Shop Information>
- Address: 5-5-10 Ebie, Fukushima-ku, Osaka
- Business Hours:
Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday: 11:00 - 15:00
Saturday, Sunday: 11:00 - 15:00, 18:00 - 21:00
- Closed: Tuesday
- Official X: https://x.com/mugen_chukasoba/status/1400970335432757252
3 Recommended Ramen Shops Praised by Locals - Osaka Best Ramen 2024
Sekaiichi Himana Ramen-ya
Source: PR TIMES
The name "Sekaiichi Himana Ramen-ya" means "the most desarted ramen-bar in the world," but it's quite the opposite - a very busy ramen shop where repeat customers and locals form long queues. The unique name makes it easy to remember.
This shop offers six types of soy sauce ramen. Each has a different flavor, making it enjoyable even after multiple visits, which is one reason why it's strongly loved by locals. My top recommendation is "WITCHI'S RED." While it's the most basic ramen, it has a strong seafood flavor that makes you feel happy with each bite.
The ramen at this shop is served in large bowls, which might make the contents look small, but it's actually very filling. It's a shop where you can enjoy satisfaction beyond its price, so please give it a try.
<Shop Information>
- Address: Nakanoshima Daibiru 2F, 3-3-23 Nakanoshima, Kita-ku, Osaka
- Business Hours:
Monday to Friday: 11:00 - 22:00
Saturday, Sunday, Holidays: 10:00 - 22:00
- Closed: Irregular
- Official Website: https://sekaiichi-ramen.com/
Ryukishin RIZE Osaka Namba Branch
Source: Tabelog
Ryukishin RIZE is Japan's first specialized salt ramen shop. Its ramen, which is light yet rich, is a staple among locals as the perfect bowl to end a night of drinking.
This shop offers 10 types of salt ramen, and when you compare them, you'll be surprised at how different the flavors can be even within the same category of salt ramen.
Among these, I'd like to recommend the "Nikutori Taki-tan Shio Soba DX." This ramen has a creamy yet deeply flavored soup called tori paitan, made by simmering chicken bones until the soup turns white.
The viscous soup, packed with chicken umami, clings well to the noodles and is very delicious. Additionally, the pork loin chashu is served rare-style, pairing excellently with the sweetness of the chicken.
There are various other salt ramen options available, such as salt and green onion soba, meat salt soba, and more. Please enjoy your preferred bowl of salt ramen to fully appreciate the flavors.
<Shop Information>
- Address: Namba City Namba Komejirushi 1F, 2-10-25 Namba-naka, Naniwa-ku, Osaka
- Business Hours:
Monday to Friday: 11:30 - 16:00, 18:00 - 00:00 (Last order 23:30)
Saturday, Sunday, Holidays: 11:30 - 00:00 (Last order 23:30)
- Closed: January 1st
- Phone: 06-6644-2523
Resshi Shogyoyu Menkobo Sanku
Source: Tabelog
Resshi Shogyoyu Menkobo Sanku is a popular ramen shop known for its ramen packed with seafood umami. While you can taste the rich seafood flavor, there's no fishy aftertaste at all, and despite the seemingly strong taste, you can finish it easily. A distinctive feature is the large dried sardines and fish powder used as toppings.
My recommendation is the "Nikukake Ramen" (Meat-topped Ramen). It's a hearty dish with so much chashu piled on top that you can't see the noodles underneath. The seafood soup and chashu go well together, so I recommend eating the chashu while dipping it in the soup.
This shop, open until late at night, is a strong ally for locals who study or work late. If you're exhausted after a long day of sightseeing, a bowl of ramen from Sanku will instantly rejuvenate you.
<Shop Information>
- Address: AK Palace 1F, 2-6-5 Fukushima, Fukushima-ku, Osaka
- Business Hours: 11:39 - 14:39, 18:39 - 23:00
- Closed: Tuesday
- Phone: 06-6451-4115
- Official Website: https://www.instagram.com/sanku_sanku_3939