Tenkaippin

Tenkaippin is a Kyoto-based ramen chain that has stores all over Japan.  I had always heard that it was supposed to be not bad, but since there are so many good ramen places out there, I never made time for this chain.  My friend had a random urge to give it a try, and on October 1st they were giving out coupons for free ramen; that was all the reason I needed to give it a go.

They offer kotteri (thick), assari (thin), or half-and-half soups, and I went for the kotteri with normal noodles.


Location
天下一品
Osaka-fu Ōsaka-shi Naniwa-ku Nanbanaka ２丁目８−９９
This branch of Tenkaippin is right next to the exit of Namba Parks by the post office.

The Bowl
Most chains I've been to before have thin soup, so I was surprised at how properly thick the soup at Tenkaippin was.  It's made with chicken and vegetables, but due to the thickness and saltiness it reminded me of Hidechan, where I had recently eaten.  The noodles were thin and very long, and there were lots of menma and onions added to the broth as well.

Would I Go Again?
I wasn't all that impressed, but it was decent for such a large chain.  I've now got this free coupon, so I may go here one more time and check out the assari version.

Should You Go?
If you're in a big city, there's probably enough options that you never have any reason to check out Tenkaippin.  Having said that, if you feel like getting some decent ramen without going very far, there's probably a Tenkaippin closer to you than anything else.