Osaka Namba Udon なんば うどん
After returning from Kyoto to Umeda,
I made my way back to Namba Station to get to my accommodation.
Umeda Station, Hankyu 3rd Avenue
There were occasional Korean signs in Osaka and the Kansai region, so I never got lost.
Nowadays, with smartphones, it’s easy to navigate even in foreign countries using Google Maps,
but back in 2009, I relied on map books and signs for directions.
Namba Udon (なんば うどん)
It was late, but before heading to my accommodation, I decided to have dinner,
and I chose to have udon at the Namba Udon restaurant I had seen during my previous tour of Osaka.
Does it serve udon with meat(肉), or can I have it as soba?
Using the limited Chinese characters and Japanese I could read, I decided to place my order.
I ordered udon with meat(肉).
Open kitchen, Namba Udon
There was a central kitchen, and you could sit around the kitchen in a bar-like setup to enjoy your udon.
I saw locals enjoying udon on their way home from work.
I also took a corner seat and waited for my udon.
I watched them making udon from scratch.
Since it was an open kitchen, I could see them making the udon right in front of me.
The owner was very kind.
He was casually chatting with the guests and preparing udon, all while enjoying himself.
The owner was incredibly friendly, and his demeanor was warm.
My udon.
It had a wide sheet of fried tofu on top.
The udon consisted of udon noodles, fried tofu, and green onions in a udon broth.
Although it may not have looked like much, it was the tastiest udon I had ever eaten.
Above all, the broth was simply outstanding,
and until then, what I had thought was udon wasn’t truly udon.
Namba Udon, which satisfied my hungry stomach on a cold winter day.
I still remember it vividly.
Dec. 14, 2009