Toripaitan Soba Kishira

In August of 2021, a ramen shop called Toripaitan Soba Kishira opened in a quiet residential neighborhood in Suita City. I often pass by this area, but it’s quite a distance from the nearest station, and—to put it bluntly—it’s a residential neighborhood with absolutely nothing around. I remember seeing the newly opened shop and wondering, “A ramen shop in a place like this?” But now, five years later, it seems to have become so popular that people are lining up to get in. “Well, then I have to go check it out at least once!” I thought to myself, so one evening I headed to Satsukigaoka in Suita City, where the shop is located, but…

It’s actually part of a chain of famous restaurants in Toyonaka… Here’s what Toripaitan Soba Kishira is like…

One evening when I visited Toripaitan Soba Kishira, perhaps I just got lucky that day—there were a few empty seats inside, so I was able to walk right in without waiting. The cozy interior features nine counter seats arranged around the kitchen. The interior is simple and doesn’t try to be anything fancy, so it seems like a place where women and families with children can feel comfortable dining. Honestly, up to this point, my impression was that it was just an ordinary restaurant—neither particularly good nor bad—and I didn’t really feel the kind of impact you’d expect from a place with long lines…

But when I looked it up online later, it turns out that Toripaitan Soba Kishira is part of the same chain as the famous Shimada Seimen Shokudo in neighboring Toyonaka City. It seems the chefs here also trained at that restaurant and other locations in the chain. I see… In that case, I don’t need to worry about the taste at all. I guess I’ll just look forward to trying the specialty “Toripaitan Soba,” which is even in the shop’s name…

Quite a robust flavor… Toripaitan Soba Kishira’s signature dish, Toripaitan Soba—so how did it actually taste?

Now, let me introduce the restaurant’s signature dish, the Toripaitan Soba, which I ordered that day at Toripaitan Soba Kishira. This time, I treated myself to the Hyogo Tajima Rice Bowl as a side dish, bringing the total price to 1,520 yen (tax included)…

About 10 minutes after placing my order, the set of Toripaitan Soba and Hyogo Tajima Rice Bowl was brought to my table. The Toripaitan soup had a well-frothy broth, giving it a mellow appearance. In contrast, the Hyogo Tajima Rice Bowl side dish immediately caught my eye with the egg yolk sitting prominently in the center.

Well then, let’s start with the chicken white soup… It looked well-frothy and seemed mellow, but when I actually tasted it, the soup had a surprisingly rich flavor. The soy sauce base was quite strong, making it significantly more intense than the chicken white soups at other restaurants. Strangely enough, though, the flavor doesn’t linger unpleasantly. So, I never got tired of it halfway through; even while thinking, “This is really rich…,” I found myself drinking every last drop.

The noodles paired with this are medium-thick, flat-cut noodles like these. While their surface is smooth, the frothy soup ensures they cling to it well. They soak up the soup thoroughly, delivering the rich, meaty umami to the mouth. They’re cooked on the softer side, with a texture that’s a bit beyond chewy—more of a light, fluffy firmness. Personally, I found myself thinking, “I wish they were a bit firmer…,” but in contrast to the bold, impactful broth, the noodles have a gentle texture, and I appreciated how easy they were to eat.

Now, turning our attention to the toppings, I was pleasantly surprised to find four slices of chicken breast chashu. At Toripaitan Soba Kishira’s Toripaitan Soba, there’s no option to add extra chashu—this is the standard serving. But looking at it another way, that means even if you order only the cheapest “Toripaitan” bowl, you’ll still get four slices of chicken breast chashu. This is a real treat for meat lovers… As for the texture, it wasn’t the moist style you often find at other shops; instead, it was well-done all the way through, resulting in a rich, substantial finish.

Finally, the condiments on the table. There were three types of vinegar available: dried sardine vinegar, exotic vinegar, and orange vinegar, but personally, none of them really clicked with me… If I had to pick, I’d say the dried sardine vinegar was my favorite, but maybe it’s best to just enjoy it as is. Toripaitan Soba Kishira’s Toripaitan Soba has a pretty robust flavor, so I got the impression it’s geared more toward younger people…

【Bonus】 This time’s bonus is the Hyogo Tajima Rice Bowl, which I ordered as a side dish. As the name suggests, it apparently uses Tajima chicken, a brand-name chicken from Hyogo. Like the chashu, the well-done meat is enjoyable, and there’s plenty of it, which is great, but it was a bit of a letdown that the sauce tasted like store-bought soba broth.

Other Menu Items at Toripaitan Soba Kishira (Prices include tax)

• Miso Toripaitan: 1,020 yen
• Shibikara Toripaitan: 1,020 yen
• Toripaitan: 1,000 yen
• TKM (Egg-Topped Noodles): 900 yen
• Hyogo Tajima Chicken Rice Bowl: 520 yen

Get great deals by using social media… To get to Toripaitan Soba Kishira, take the Hankyu Bus Route 2 bound for JR Suita Station from Minami-Senri Station (on the Hankyu Senri Line), get off at Inokodani Bus Stop, and walk for 2 minutes.

At Toripaitan Soba Kishira, they offer special deals for students…

Follow us on Instagram and upload a photo to get one of the following for free: rice, takana rice, or “Dive Rice.” It’s great that you can choose your favorite from these three options, isn’t it? Separately, non-students can also collect LINE stickers to get special perks. Make the most of these social media platforms to enjoy a great noodle-filled life!

Now, here are the restaurant details…

P.S. If you’re looking for delicious ramen in Osaka, be sure to check out this article as well…