Menya Katsu

Japan, at least recently, has only two seasons.  The long winter, and the long summer.  In between those two, you are rewarded with short stop-gap periods of nice weather, three-week long periods that are normally called "spring" and "autumn".  It's during this time especially that you have to take advantage of the fact that the outdoors is as pleasant as it will ever be.

That of course means a ramen walk.  A walk to Fukushima, home of many ramen shops.  This time the goal was Mitsuboshi Seimenjo.  Unfortunately, my poor timing put me there just as it closed.  There were people inside enjoying their thick, fishy ramen, and there I was outside in front of the "we're sorry, but we've already taken the last order" sign.  That means it's time to wander around and look for another place.

Menya Katsu is right next to Fukushima Station; I wondered how I had never seen it before.  It's because it just opened six months ago.  Abura soba is a rare treat in Osaka, so I went in and ordered the standard shoyu abura soba.

Information
麺や 克
7-6-23 Fukushima

The Bowl
Abura soba bowls can really go either way based on the toppings.  A normal bowl with only the basic boring toppings like vinegar and chili oil tastes fairly generic.  Katsu offered a whole variety of free and premium toppings, so in addition to the toppings you can see in the picture, I added diced onions, spicy miso, and takana, a kind mustard greens.  They had apple vinegar on the side, too, which was pretty good and I threw on in small quantities.  The toppings really added a lot of variety, though, to be honest, the light shoyu flavor of the firm noodles was pretty good on its own.  A good flavor and a solid bowl.

Would I Go Again?
Yeah, there's no other place I know of in Osaka to get abura soba now that Menji Abura closed.

Should You Go?
Yeah, try some of the soup-less goodness.