Yousukou Ramen Meimon

There was once a restaurant in Umeda, Osaka, called Yousukou Ramen, which became legendary for its exceptionally clear soup. Unfortunately, this restaurant closed its doors unnoticed during the new coronavirus pandemic, but fortunately, two other restaurants have taken over its flavor and are still operating in the same Umeda area.

This time, I wanted to enjoy the taste for the first time in a long time, and visited one of the branches, Yousukou Ramen Meimon. Imagining the taste of this ramen, which is probably the only one of its kind in Japan, I walked toward the restaurant from Osaka Umeda Station…

A simple restaurant with nothing decorative, but with a certain celebrity’s autograph on a piece of paper…This is what Yousukou Ramen Meimon is all about.

Yousukou Ramen Meimon is located on the north side of Hankyu Higashidori Shoten, a slightly deep shopping street not far from Nakazaki-cho. Although it is turned north from the main street, the atmosphere of the street is almost the same, and men can be easily accosted by touts of young ladies. However, compared to Togano-cho, an entertainment district a little south, it is more crowded and brightly lit at night, so I think it is much easier to go there than another goodwill store, Yousukou Ramen Linki… I think it would be good to enjoy its deep atmosphere along with the store’s ramen.

Now, inside Yousukou Ramen Meimon, there are a total of 14 counter seats surrounding the kitchen. The atmosphere inside the restaurant is simple, with no decorative elements at all. However, there was an autograph of actor Nakamura Tomoya on the wall. I have seen many stores with celebrity autographs and photos all over the walls, but having only one on the wall struck a chord with me. However, the date of this autograph is only one month old, so perhaps the existence of this store will spread through TV variety shows, and the number of autographs may increase rapidly…

The soup is still amazing, but so are the toppings… Special Stewed Pork Belly Ramen at Yangzi Jiang Ramen Meimon

Let me introduce the Special Stewed Pork Belly Ramen I ordered at Yousukou Ramen Meimon. About 5 minutes after I placed my order, the noodles arrived in front of me like this…

The ramen came out in a flat bowl with a rather shallow bottom for a bowl of ramen. This is exactly the same style as the now defunct Sohonten. I am sure that fans who know the former Sohonten will think, “This is it!”

First, let’s start with the clear soup… The soup is based on chicken soup, but in addition to the chicken flavor, it has a harmonious flavor that is united with other flavors such as pork bones and vegetables. The soup has a moderate saltiness to it, and when put in the mouth, a sensation of umami penetrating into the body can be felt, and at the same time, the desire for the next mouthful becomes intense. The aftertaste is clean and refreshing, and it does not burden the body, or rather, the tongue does not get tired at all even if the soup is consumed all the way through. It is still an amazing soup…

The noodles are ultra-thin and straight, with a weak appearance. It is different from the noodles that are used at popular ramen restaurants these days, but don’t underestimate them either. Although ultra-thin, they are soft and fluffy, and when you bite into the noodle, it gives a soft and gentle resistance to your jaw, but there is a kind of gracefulness that allows you to bite off the noodle at just the right point. Although the noodles are quite large in volume, they are smooth and not heavy at all, so you do not feel a burden on your stomach after finishing them as you do with the soup.

The main topping that came with the potherb mustard and bean sprouts was stewed pork belly…there were four pieces of stewed pork belly in all, so much so that you had to open the mouth to get in. The meat was so elastic and meaty that when chewed, the juices from the meat combined with the soy sauce sauce oozed out from the inside. Although the size was different, this dish reminded me of the extra-thick chashu pork at Jinrui Mina Menrui. Also, if the pork belly stew is left in the soup for a while, the soy sauce sauce will gradually dissolve into the soup, and it can be used as such a flavor-altering item, making it even more profitable! It’s like that!

This is the Yousukou Ramen Meimon’s special pork belly stewed ramen. The light ramen matched the stewed pork belly without any conflict, and it was a bowl of another Yousukou Ramen with a different charm. The price of 980 yen, including tax, is a very good deal in today’s inflationary world, and it is enough to make one’s eyes start to sweat. If I have to add a small complaint, it is that there were no fried green onions on the table at Sohonten and Linki, but the default ramen is good enough to finish the meal… Of course, you can have it for lunch, but there is no better way to finish the evening than with this ramen in Umeda, Osaka. 

Examples of other menu items at Yousukou Ramen Meimon (prices include tax)

• Chashu wonton ramen: 980 yen
• Chashu ramen 930 yen
• Wonton ramen 930 yen
• Ramen noodles 880 yen
• Tenshinhan 980 yen
• Fried rice 880 yen
• Gyoza (dumplings) 380 yen

There is also a Yousukou Ramen Meimon Kamiyama branch just around the corner… Access to Yousukou Ramen Meimon is a 4-minute walk from the nearest station, Nakazakicho Station on the Osaka Metro Tanimachi Line.

The Kamiyama branch, the only branch of the Meimon brand, operates in the immediate vicinity of Yousukou Ramen Meimon. These stores are only a five-minute walk apart, and one might think, “There is no need to open a branch so close…,” but rumor has it that they have one of the most extensive menus of all the stores that carry the Yousukou Ramen sign. This means that you can enjoy the restaurant in a different way from Yousukou Ramen Meimon, which offers only a small number of dishes other than ramen. I’m really interested to see what else they have to offer besides ramen…

Now, here are the details of the restaurant…

It is a 7-minute walk from Hankyu Railway’s Osaka-Umeda Station and a 10-minute walk from JR Osaka Station.

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