This is thee best bowl of $6 ramen that I have ever had. You can't get a better value-for-money meal after a night of drinking and pub-crawling on the always-busy Dontobori in Osaka.
This is a solid 3.5 star place for what it is offering and for the crowd they want to attract. This is ramen for everybody and at affordable price.
What's even better is that this place is open 24 hours so you can always find yourself a hot steaming bowl of ramen. It's good to note that they have two shops that are very close by to each other. The more picturesque one with the giant dragon on the corner doesn't have a lot of seats but it attracts the tourists. The other location is much larger and about one block away on the adjacent corner and usually is a lot less crowded too.
The vending machine has English so that you can decide between their very short and succinct menu options:
Ramen with chashu Ramen with extra chashu
Hand in your ticket to the always busy staff and wait until they call your number. The food does come out rather quickly here so try to find a good seat and keep your ears on alert.
The pork broth is thick and creamy while the ramen noodles are done respectfully. They are el-dente with the right amount of chew and slurp up great. It is topped off with a few slices of chashu and a sprinkle of green onions for the finish.
Kinryu also offers free sides that you can help yourself while having a bowl of their yummy ramen. You can get some kimchi, pickled spicy green onions/chives, and minced garlic cloves.
The tables at Kinryu are kind of unique. They are raised tables where you can take off your shoes and sit cross-legged whilst enjoying your bowl. It's a little more awkward to eat it with your legs dangling off the side but I would encourage you to take off those shoes.
This is the best place for a meal before, during, or after your time on...
Read moreMy boyfriend and I stayed in Tokyo and Osaka this past summer. While we had a lot of different ramen, this was simply the best. We went at night, so it was fairly busy, and we had to wait in line for about twenty minutes. Once we got up to the front to order, there were only two menu options, which roughly translated to "Noodles With Meat" and "Noodles With More Meat". I personally loved the simplicity of it. My boyfriend got the bigger portion, and I got the smaller. It was less than $10 USD for both of us to eat. The tables are small, up on little pedestals. It is common courtesy to take off your shoes, and sit cross legged in front of the table. I have bad knees, so I could not sit as such, but still found it comfortable to be seated on the pedestal. The food came out quickly, and smelled amazing. On the counters surrounding the cooking space, there were bowls with green onion and kimchi, which you could add to your ramen at your own discretion, as well as little cups you could fill with water from their dispenser.
The atmosphere was amazing, sitting and eating a delicious meal while watching the crowds walk the streets. It was the perfect meal. The noodles were tender and the meat was just right, and the broth was to die for. It was one of if not the best meal we...
Read moreKinryu Ramen is another well known restaurant in Dotonbori, easily recognisable for it's incredible Dragon facade. Also has another branch on the street off the main area of Dotonbori.
Came to their main branch twice on my recent trip located near the Tazaemon Bridge at around 11AM - 12PM and for me, it was one of those restaurants you have to try at least once when visiting Osaka.
This restaurant can have a queue to dine in as on both my ocassions it did but it moved fast. Costs ¥800 for Standard ramen and ¥1100 for Cha Shu ramen (more meat), tried both of them on my visits and they were tasty, They also have garlic, chives and kimchi as condiments, kimchi is very interesting for ramen I must say. Definitely the cheapest ramen joint in Osaka.
What is also good is is that this restaurant is 24 hours, so if you fancy a late night ramen, this would definitely be on your late night dining lists.
Will certainly be back when I'm next in Osaka and sending some love from...
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