The Ever-Evolving Culture of Ramen
Food and Drink
Travel
In front of Osaka’s Minamikata Station is Jinrui Mina Menrui, a playful-looking ramen shop with a decidedly serious approach to crafting tasty bowls for its customers.
The look of this ramen is quite “now,” with a simple elegance. The real key, the flavor, is more delicate than imagined. The seafood/shōyu based soup balances the umami of dashi stock and the sweetness of the soy sauce for a gentle, palate-filling flavor. The house-made, ultrathick noodles have a pleasant chewy texture, and the thick slices of char siu pork overflow with meaty goodness. The shopfront is filled with a sense of playfulness—even the eatery’s name means something like “human beings are all noodle beings”—but the ramen itself is dead on. It’s not just a show, it’s serious food.
(Originally published in Japanese. Banner photo: Ramen Genten [Usugiri Yakibuta] from Jinrui Mina Menrui. ¥847. © Yamakawa Daisuke.)
Osaka
ramen
cuisine