Gokuraku Udon TKU

Attracted by the somewhat impressive name of the restaurant, I went to a restaurant called Gokuraku Udon TKU in Tamatsukuri, Osaka. I happened to find a gourmet blog on the Internet and learned of the existence of this restaurant. It seems to be a popular restaurant that has won the “Tabelog 100 Best Udon Restaurants in the West” award six times in total by 2024.

So, I wondered if the “TKU” in the name of the restaurant stands for “tamago kake udon” (udon with egg on top). With that in mind, I headed to the restaurant to try that TKU if it was on the menu, but after entering the restaurant, I found something that I could never ignore. What it was…

This is the birthplace of chicken egg curry udon… Gokuraku Udon TKU is such a restaurant

What I could never ignore at Gokuraku Udon TKU…

This plate that says “The birthplace of chicken egg curry udon”. Aside from the idea of adding a twist to curry udon, chicken egg udon is a Kyoto specialty, so when I saw the sign that said “Birthplace of chicken egg curry udon,” I thought, “You’re kidding!”. Until this moment, I had always thought that this chicken egg curry udon was Tsukumo Udon‘s original menu, but this restaurant was founded on August 3, 2009, which is older than Tsukumo Udon, which was founded in 2018, so I have to agree with them that this is the originator of this dish.

Aside from that, Gokuraku Udon TKU is about the size of a regular ramen shop, with a kitchen in the back and two rows of counter seats for customers in the front, totaling 13 chairs. When I visited the restaurant at around 11:15 on a weekday, there were still barely any empty seats, and I was able to easily take a seat without any waiting time, but after 11:30, businessmen in the vicinity gathered at once. By the time I finished my udon and left the restaurant, there was a crowd in front of the restaurant, so it would be better to be prepared to wait a certain amount of time during peak lunch hours.

This is the taste of the original! How was the chicken egg curry udon with chicken tempula that I ordered at Gokuraku Udon TKU?

Let me introduce the chicken egg curry udon with chicken tempula I ordered at Gokuraku Udon TKU on that day. The price is 1,410 yen (including tax), which is quite expensive for udon, but for this price, the amount of noodles can be increased from a normal serving (400g) to a medium serving (500g), and a mini rice dish can also be added. Not only that, but I was surprised when I saw what was actually brought in front of me…

The ramen bowl is about the same size as a bowl of ramen, with the chicken egg sauce covering the very edge of the bowl, making it a very large portion. If this is all I could eat, then the price of 1,410 yen per bowl was well worth it.

Now, let’s start with the curry broth with the chicken egg sauce… The broth is very light, and compared to Tsukumo Udon’s chicken egg curry udon, the broth seems to be a little thin and subdued. The curry broth underneath is quite spicy and warms the body from the core as eating goes on, but compared to the curry broth, the presence of the chicken egg sauce is also modest and does not leave much of an impression after eating, which I think is a bit of a waste.

On the other hand, the noodles for this dish are homemade extra-thick noodles with an irregular shape and a handmade feel. Unlike Tsukumo Udon’s sticky noodles with a sense of maturity, these noodles are genuine stiff noodles. I think there are a lot of people who are expecting this kind of Sanuki udon, so in that sense, it is exactly what you would expect from Sanuki udon. A medium-sized portion of this noodle contains 500 grams, so most people will probably be able to feel that they have eaten their fill of Sanuki udon.

Now, the main topping, chicken tempura, surprised me at first glance. First of all, the size of the chicken tempura is about the same size as a large chicken egg, and even just one piece is quite filling. The knife is cut in the center to make it easier to eat, and the cross section is a nice medium-rare color…who wouldn’t find this appetizing? The outer batter was slightly thick and crispy, and the breast meat inside was juicy and tender, just as I expected. The default number of chicken tempura is three. Actually, I was not sure whether to order the “Tenku chicken egg curry udon with chicken tempula” (priced at 2010 yen including tax), which contains nine pieces of chicken tempura, but the default three pieces were enough to satisfy my taste buds.

Finally, I put the chicken tempura on top of the included mini rice and topped it with a generous amount of curry broth for a last spurt until I finished the dish as chicken tempura curry rice. I was satisfied that my stomach was sufficiently filled… No wonder this is one of the 100 best udon restaurants on the Tabelog. If you want to fill up on Sanuki udon, Gokuraku Udon TKU will definitely be one of your choices.

Examples of other udon menu items at Gokuraku Udon TKU (prices include tax)

• Kasu Wakame Udon: 1080 yen
• Gokuraku Kake Udon: 1620 yen
• Meat Kitsune Wakame Udon: 1480 yen
• Negidaku Chicken Egg Curry Udon: 1220 yen
• TKU: 1200 yen
• Kamatama Udon with Chicken Tempula: 1170 yen
• Chicken Egg Curry Udon: 1100 yen

There is a super-large menu for big eaters and a backstage menu… Access to Gokuraku Udon TKU is a 1-minute walk from the nearest station, Tamatsukuri Station on the JR Loop Line.

At Gokuraku Udon TKU, a super-large menu for big eaters is also available…

The system is such that you must first finish 1 kg of noodles, after which the maximum amount of noodles is increased little by little. It is very nice that the price remains the same at 430 yen plus no matter how much noodles you eat after that. Also, this restaurant offers a back menu that changes monthly. If you want to enjoy a different taste, I recommend that you check the link above to see what’s on the back menu before visiting the restaurant.

Now, here are the details of the restaurant…

From Tamatsukuri station on OsakaMetro Nagahori Tsurumi-ryokuchi line, it takes 3 minutes on foot.

P.S. If you are looking for delicious udon in Osaka, please stop by this article below…