Ramen Yashichi

Just around the corner from the extremely popular ramen restaurant Mugi to Mensuke in Nakatsu, Osaka, is another popular ramen restaurant called Ramen Yashichi, also renowned for its popularity. This ramen store was established in 2004 and has a 20-year history. It is a legend of chicken ramen in Osaka, but it is also known as a ramen shop that is open only during lunch time on weekdays, which is a very difficult hurdle to reach the ramen.

The time to visit Ramen Yashichi finally came, and I went there on a Friday before the restaurant opened. Before visiting the restaurant, I honestly thought, “Well, even though it is a popular restaurant, it is a weekday, so I should be able to get in without waiting in line…” However, when I actually arrived at the restaurant, I found that my expectations were very naive…

Numbered tickets were distributed from 10:15 a.m. …How long are the lines and wait times at Ramen Yashichi?

I arrived at Ramen Yashichi around 10:10 a.m., about 30 minutes before the restaurant opened. It was too early for lunch, but in fact, the restaurant starts handing out numbered tickets from 10:15 in the morning…

When I arrived at the restaurant, there were two lines in front of the store like this. I counted that there were a total of 12 customers ahead of me in line. Ramen Yashichi is a small restaurant with only 11 seats (3 counter seats and 2 tables for 4 people), so I realized at this point that there was no chance of getting in on the first round. However, some of these 12 people seemed to be on the so-called “representative wait list,” and the number of the numbered ticket I actually got was…

The number was 17, which was slightly larger than the number of people in line. The estimated time to enter the restaurant was 11:29 a.m., or… about 45 minutes after the opening time, I guess that’s about right. The wait was longer than expected, and my plans for the rest of the day were off, but it couldn’t be helped. I guess I’ll just kill some time at the eat-in corner of the convenience store across the street (by the way, by the time I entered the store at 11:30, the numbered tickets were already for more than 2 hours later)…

Soy Sauce Ramen: How was the signature item on Ramen Yashichi’s “must try if you are new…” menu?

This time, I ordered the signature dish at Ramen Yashichi, Soy Sauce Ramen (900 yen including tax), which was described on the menu as a “must-try for first-timers”. After about 10 minutes of waiting, the Soy Sauce Ramen arrived in front of me, and it looked like this…

Although it is a soy sauce ramen, the soup is pure white with chicken broth. But that soup is quite small, about ⅔ to half the volume of a regular ramen. Therefore, the overall volume also feels insufficient.

The soup is, as it looks, rich in chicken flavor, with a little bit of seafood flavor behind it. Although the soup is thickened, it has a fine texture on the tongue, and it seems as if the owner’s work is directly conveyed through the soup. On the other hand, the taste of the soy sauce was quite weak. Frankly speaking, the salt content was not enough…

The noodles are straight square noodles of medium thickness, which are not often seen in other restaurants. The surface is smooth and easy to slurp up, and when you bite into it, it has a firmness comparable to Sanuki Udon, and the force of the bounce on your chin is very stmulating.

The main topping, pork belly chashu, is thinly sliced, tender, and easy to eat in one bite. To be honest, I don’t have a strong impression of it because it was so easy to eat, but it was very tender and easy to eat….

The soup and noodles were very well made, and I felt that this was indeed a popular restaurant. However, it is also true that there were some small details that left me feeling “hmmm…”. In particular, the volume of the ramen left something to be desired. For businessmen, it may not be enough to get through an afternoon’s work with just one bowl of ramen. It would be better to think of a way to fill the space in your stomach in advance, such as adding a large bowl of noodles or a side dish.

Other menu items at Ramen Yashichi (prices include tax)

• Soy sauce chashu-men: 1,200 yen
• Salt chashu-men: 1,250 yen
• Chashu tsukemen (chashu pork dipping noodles) 1,350 yen
• Salt ramen 950 yen
• Tsukemen 1050 yen

The strongest side dish, Heta-meshi, is also recommended! Ramen Yashichi is a 4-minute walk from the nearest station, Nakatsu Station on the Osaka Metro Midosuji Line.

Ramen Yashichi is a popular restaurant in Nakatsu, but in fact, hidden behind the ramen is a popular side dish, Heta-meshi…

The owner himself calls it “the strongest side menu item.” The Heta-meshi is a bowl of rice topped with the fried end part (heta) of the chashu pork. It is what is called “chashu-don,” but it is not only hearty with a lot of meat, it is also wok-fried, so it has a savory aroma unlike other chashu-don at other restaurants. To my further surprise, the meat was soft and fluffy… I could not fully appreciate the charm of this chashu just from the sliced chashu that came with the ramen. If you have room in your stomach after finishing the ramen, please order this Heta-meshi additionally. I recommend it.

Now, here are the details of the restaurant…

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