IKARETA NOODLE Fishtons

IKARATA NOODLE Fishtons…The restaurant with this unique name is a very popular Tsukemen specialty restaurant in Osaka right now. The owner is from Osaka’s prestigious ramen restaurant, Menya Ki, and after opening in December 2017 in the fashionable Horie district of Osaka, the restaurant’s reputation quickly spread, and as of August 2023, it has been awarded the “Ramen WEST 100 Best Restaurants in the Tabelog for 4 consecutive years from 2019 to 2022. As of August 2023, we have been awarded the “Tabelog Ramen WEST 100 Best Restaurants for four consecutive years from 2019 to 2022. It is one of the most popular restaurants in Osaka that always ranks high in the Tsukemen popularity ranking.

What kind of tsukemen can you eat at IKARETA NOODLE Fishtons? As usual, I was curious, so I visited the restaurant before opening time on a certain weekend. I was sure the line would be long even before the restaurant opened. I walked towards the restaurant with trepidation…

To prevent any trouble, please follow the rules… How to get in line at the IKARETA NOODLE Fishtons!

I arrived at IKARETA NOODLE Fishtons 30 minutes before the noon opening time, and there were already two customers in line at the store. I was third from the front, so it was almost certain that I would be the first one to enter the store on the first round of opening. I was able to spend a leisurely 30 minutes waiting while surfing the Internet on my phone. By the way, the line at the opening time that day was about 14 to 15 people. According to the restaurant log, there are a total of 12 seats in the restaurant, so if you visit the restaurant right before opening time, you may miss the first round of entry.

Now, there are a few rules to follow when waiting in line at this IKARETA NOODLE Fishtons…

First, as indicated in the guide above, only the first three people in line at the store are allowed to stand in line, and after the fourth person from the front of the line, the rule is to line up along the coin-operated parking lot diagonally across the street. Waiting for a representative is not allowed, and everyone must wait in line when everyone is present. Meal tickets are purchased from the ticket vending machine to the left of the entrance when entering the restaurant. Bicycles are allowed to park in front of the storefront only (no bikes), but we do not recommend visiting by bicycle as there is little space to begin with.

Other rules are a bit stricter, such as no smoking around the restaurant before entering or after leaving, and no entry if you are wearing strong-smelling perfume, etc. Please check the above information thoroughly before visiting. However, the owner and staff are not strict in their customer service, so there is no need to feel intimidated.

Special thick tsukemen: I tried IKARETA NOODLE Fishtons’ top tsukemen menu, which has won the “100 Best Restaurants in Japan” award for four consecutive years.

What I ordered at IKARETA NOODLE Fishtons this time was the store’s most popular menu item, specially thick tsukemen (price: 1,350 yen including tax). You can choose the amount of noodles to be served from 300g (large), 200g (medium), or 150g (small) (you can also order 400g (extra large, +150 yen) for free, but this time I chose the large amount.

Less than 15 minutes after ordering, the special thick tsukemen appeared in front of me…

Unlike what I imagined, the dipping sauce and noodles came together on a tray. Spicy meat miso and chopped onions were also included in the set, giving it a slightly luxurious appearance. The noodles are topped with two kinds of chashu pork and a half-boiled egg. The volume as a large bowl is also sufficient.

Now, let’s follow the restaurant’s recommended way of eating it written here…

First, try just slurping the noodles without dipping them in the dipping sauce… The noodles are homemade extra-thick noodles that seem to contain whole wheat flour, and they have sharp edges so you feel a sharp stimulation when you put them in your mouth. The noodles are firm and have a crispy texture due in part to the fact that they are tightly packed in cold water. When you bite into it, you feel a slight sweetness, and the aroma of wheat wafts softly toward your nose.

The dipping sauce on the other hand, as the name “Fish Tongs” suggests, has a thick pork bone and seafood flavor, but it is not the typical “Mataama-kei” (spicy and stimulating) flavor. Although the spiciness is different, it is probably in the same direction as that of Enaku, a tsukemen specialty restaurant in Kyoto. The taste of niboshi (dried sardines) is quite strong and stimulating not only to the sense of taste but also to the sense of smell. It is interesting to feel the crispness of the dipping sauce in your mouth, but it may not be suitable for those who do not like spicy food.

Now, dip the noodles in the dipping sauce… The dipping sauce is originally quite thick, so as recommended by the restaurant, I think it is best to dip about half to one third of the noodles in the dipping sauce. The stimulation of the dipping sauce and the crispy texture of the extra-thick noodles combine to make a tremendous impact. It is quite a satisfying meal. On the other hand, there is more than enough stimulation, so the spicy miso paste and chopped onions may not be necessary… This is just my personal opinion, but I think it would be a good idea to add items that change the flavor to reduce the spiciness for those who do not like spicy food.

The main topping, chashu pork, consisted of two pieces each of rare chashu pork and seared chashu pork, for a total of four pieces. Both pieces were about 1 cm thick, and were very meaty. The rare chashu pork is moist and rich in juices, while the seared chashu pork has the aroma of burnt fat.

The other topping, ajitama, is perfectly boiled, leaving the yolk of the egg thick and tender. When dipped in the dipping sauce, the thick yolk and plump egg white neutralize the spiciness of the dipping sauce, while the egg yolk adds an even richer and more chaotic flavor. I prefer to use the boiled egg as a flavor-altering item rather than the two other items that come with the dipping sauce. In that sense, you may want to soften the yolk a little more to match this tsukemen.

After finishing the noodles, you can drink the soup as you do with tsukemen at other restaurants, but this time I decided to order another option, dive rice (priced at 100 yen), and let the rice absorb the tsukemen and collect the tsukemen. Don’t worry if the dipping sauce gets cold, it will be reheated at this time. The rice, which has a risotto-like texture, was smoothly poured into my stomach and I finished the dish while feeling the flavor of pork bones and seafood. With a price of less than 1,500 yen, I am sure that your picky eater’s stomach will be satisfied with such a meal.

IKARETA NOODLE Fishtons’ special thick tsukemen noodles were so good that they were awarded the “Ramen WEST 100 Best Ramen Restaurants in the Tabelog for four consecutive years from 2019 to 2022. Both the noodles and the dipping sauce have a strong impact, so it will be popular among young people who are looking for stimulation. It is close to Amerika-mura, a young people’s town, and of course there will be a long line of customers. When you are in the mood for something stimulating, the thick tsukemen here is the perfect choice.

Other tsukemen dishes at IKARETA NOODLE Fishtons (prices include tax)

• Aimori wooden bucket soy sauce tsukemen (1,600 yen)
• Wooden bucket soy sauce tsukemen 1,200 yen
• Ajitama thick tsukemen 1150 yen
• Niboshi tsukemen 1100 yen
• Spiced tsukemen 1100 yen
• Spiced mazesoba 1100 yen
• Konetsu tsukemen 1000 yen

Frozen thick tsukemen to-go are available… To get to IKARETA NOODLE Fishtons, walk 4 minutes from Nishi-Ohashi Station on the Osaka Metro Nagahori Tsurumi-ryokuchi Line, the nearest station.

IKARETA NOODLE Fishtons also offers frozen thick tsukemen to go. It comes with fresh thick noodles, frozen soup, and cubed pork, and is priced at 1,000 yen including tax. As with in-store dining, you can choose from large, medium, and small noodle amounts for free (further noodle increases are available for an additional charge), and it appears that you can order from a single serving. There are also special tsukemen and mazesoba (priced at 1,100 yen including tax) on the takeout menu, so if you are interested, why not check the details at the restaurant?

Now, here are the details of the restaurant. Store data is here…

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