The third stop of the recent bar-hopping night was a snack bar in Namba where we ended up getting drunk with a group of friendly 40-something moms. It seemed to be a popular spot as people were coming and going all night. However, being the kind of person with a bit of a mean streak, I couldn't help but pick on the mom who was always saying nice things and finding faults with her, which eventually got me kicked out (laughs). I wanted to have ramen in Sakaihigashi, but we had to split up due to the last train, so I ended up taking a taxi to Namba. It would have been a waste to ruin the whole day with a taxi ride, but luckily we made it in time for the last train, making it a great night out in Sakaihigashi. It's an area I'd like to visit at least once a month. The standing udon shop nearby isn't exactly my favorite, but it's convenient and open 24 hours, so I end up going there occasionally. This time, I ordered Curry Udon with fried toppings and egg toppings, which cost 930 yen including tax. #Barhopping #SakaihigashiSnackBar #NambaGourmet #NambaStandingUdon #StandingUdonMaruichiya

A standing udon and soba shop near Namba Station. Open 24 hours. Cash payment is recommended with a smile. I was told that taxi drivers sometimes stop by for a late-night meal. I could only find zaru soba as a cold option, but it seems like a good choice for a late-night meal in autumn and winter. I thought katsu udon would have pork cutlet, but it actually had meat. It doesn't seem like electronic payments are accepted yet.

Tempura udon for 330 yen. The shop has a nostalgic feel and is easy to drop by. Located on a side street in the hotel district, it has a good atmosphere. The prices are cheap and since it's a standing-only shop, customers come and go quickly. The taste is decent, but it's a place I would like to visit again if I'm nearby.

The stand kombu dashi and salt flavor, representative of Osaka, are perfectly balanced and delicious! The udon noodles are a bit soft, but they are cheap so no problem! Topping with oboro kombu is delicious! I finished all the broth! Thank you for the delicious meal during my Osaka stand expedition!

I wanted to try Osaka udon, so I searched for a udon shop that was open early in the morning and visited Maruichiya, which is open 24 hours. I experienced quite a culture shock with Osaka udon for the first time. The broth was delicious as expected, and the round udon noodles had a unique texture with not much chewiness. The fried tofu topping absorbed the tasty broth well and was a great choice. The inari sushi had a good balance of sweetness and acidity in the seasoned rice, and it was delicious. Plus, it was really cheap.

Located near Namba Station, right next to the bus terminal, this standing udon shop is open 24 hours a day. I visited for breakfast before heading to work early in the morning, and there was only one other customer in the store. I tried the Kitsune Udon, which had a strong Kansai-style flavor with a hint of bonito in the broth. The udon noodles were cooked soft, which is a standard for standing udon shops.

From early morning, I took the Kintetsu Limited Express to Namba and Honmachi to run some errands, then headed from Itami Airport to Haneda... Tonight at Suntory Hall, there will be a performance by Tokyo City Philharmonic conducted by Yasujiro Imori, featuring Bruckner's Romantic Symphony. Everything went smoothly, so I walked from the 31st exit of Namba Station on the Yotsubashi Line to the Limousine Bus stop for Itami Airport. Along the way, I found Maruichiya, a standing udon/soba shop open 24 hours, which was a rare find. This morning, I had the "kizaso" - shredded soba noodles, for 330 yen. The broth had its usual salt base, with a refreshing taste. It was delicious.

A 24-hour standing soba shop near Namba's limousine bus stop. Osaka's specialty meat udon for 410 yen. The piping hot broth is exceptionally delicious. It's a popular spot with customers coming in constantly even late at night. Perfect for ending a night of drinking.

Having breakfast in Namba, Osaka. Maruichiya here is open 24 hours. After drinking in Minami, have breakfast, lunch. No matter the occasion, it satisfies the stomachs of Osaka citizens. In addition, it is much cheaper than eating udon at Shin-Osaka Station or Itami Airport. Even in this inflation, can you believe it? A serving of udon is only 250 yen! The tenacity of Osaka merchants is here! I ordered the meat udon for 410 yen. The meat udon that was served had a small amount of meat, but it was enough for me. The meat was pre-cooked and then simmered again with the udon broth until the udon was cooked. The udon broth, typical of Kansai, had a transparent clarity where you could see the white udon. The meat was simmered in a sweet and savory sauce with onions, but it was not overly thick. There was some fat in the meat, but it added to the sweetness and deliciousness. The udon noodles were a bit thick. They had a fluffy texture and flowed smoothly down the throat. With this kind of taste, you wouldn't get tired of eating it every day.

This morning, I took the Kintetsu limited express train for an outing early in the morning. Before boarding, I wanted to eat something small, but there were no lunch places open in Namba Station or the surrounding underground shopping areas until lunchtime... Very inconvenient. The only stand-up udon/soba shop open before 6 am is Maruichiya in the back alley (Matsuya on Minami-dori opens at 6:30 am). There was one customer before me, and after me, 6 more people came in. People who had just finished their late-night shifts, people heading to work, workers from the night shift, and young people who had been out all night drinking and were now heading home... Various people come to this warm udon/soba shop to be comforted by a bowl of noodles. This morning, I had the Osaka specialty Abura Kasu Udon for 490 yen and 3 pieces of Inari Sushi for 230 yen. When you see a sign in Osaka that says "Kasu Udon," people who are not from Osaka might wonder what kind of udon it is. "Is it udon with sake kasu soup?" The "kasu" in Kasu Udon is fried beef offal. When you order it, they pour broth, onions, and fried beef offal into a small pot, simmer it for a bit, then pour it over the boiled udon in a bowl. Even though it has the same broth as kitsune or tempura udon, just simmering onions and fried beef offal in a small pot makes the broth shine a golden color ✨ That's the magic of "Abura Kasu Udon." The Inari Sushi was moist and flavorful with plenty of sesame seeds. I enjoyed it deliciously this morning. Now, I have a busy schedule until Tuesday evening. I hope everything goes smoothly (although I was disqualified from the chopstick competition...)

"Namba, a 24-hour udon restaurant in Zaura. This time, I went to Maruichiya on my way to Itami. I ordered Stamina Soba and Inari Sushi. Stamina Soba comes with tempura and a raw egg on top. The broth made in-house has a nice aroma and tastes delicious. The Inari Sushi also has a great flavor. With this, my energy is fully charged! Thank you for the meal."

After drinking, before an early morning movie, Maruichiya, open 24 hours, welcomes soup lovers at any time of the day with its generous hospitality. The photo shows the indulgent katsu udon. The delicious broth and the flavor of the katsu create a wonderful synergy. ✨

The restaurant is roughly located past the Hanshin Expressway from Namba. We stumbled upon it on our way back to the hotel after a night of drinking in Minami, so we decided to check it out. It's a Showa-era udon shop with only counter seats and no ticket machine. The kake udon (250 yen) has a wonderful aroma from the broth, which has a delicious kelp flavor. It's a comforting and tasty udon with just the right amount of chewiness and a smooth texture. It's the perfect way to end a night of drinking. The next morning, we checked out of the hotel and found the shop right in front of us. With its 24-hour operation, it's a great option for breakfast as well. Truly amazing Osaka udon!

I often visit Kuromon and Sotomachi in Namba, but today I went to Maruichiya, a little further away. In the past, before Kansai Airport was built, I used to take the bus to the airport from next to this udon shop when going on business trips from Itami Airport. Before boarding the bus, I would quickly slurp up a bowl of "niku udon." I loved the soft Osaka-style broth with rich beef flavor. My job required me to commute between the Yurakucho office in Tokyo and the Shinsaibashi office in Osaka every week. With national business trips mixed in, life was hectic but enjoyable. I had decided to have soba in Tokyo and udon in Osaka, but with all the back and forth, I sometimes accidentally ordered the wrong one at a standing eatery. Reflecting on those memories, I decided to have soba in Osaka that day and ordered "niku soba." The waitress asked, "Soba?" and I repeated my order. It was my first time seeing this waitress, and I wondered if the old man with the wrinkled face was still doing well. But that was 30 years ago. Looking at the "niku soba" topped with lots of green onions, I realized that I am now older than that old man from back then.

This morning, I had a task near Takashimaya in Namba, so I left home a bit early and decided to visit Maruichiya, which I remembered after a long time. I arrived at the shop at 7:00 AM and the exterior looked the same as before. Despite the early hour, there were a few customers inside. I ordered a meat udon and onigiri. The kitchen was being run by a young man alone, who cooked the meat and onions with broth until it arrived. The steam from the meat udon had a nostalgic feel to it, although the broth seemed slightly different from before. The onigiri seemed like it had been made a while ago, which was a bit concerning. Later, a family of four from a foreign country arrived, with the children running around and the parents talking loudly. It made the breakfast atmosphere a bit chaotic, which was a bit disappointing. I wondered how they found this deep shop. I realized that it's not good to rely solely on online reviews to choose restaurants. The prices have gone up slightly, but they are still reasonable. I was satisfied with the meal and now I will head off to work. Thank you for the meal. The meat udon was 410 yen and the onigiri was 190 yen.

It had been a while since my last visit. The fact that they are open 24 hours is amazing! It's common for standing eateries to have a pre-payment system with two staff members. I ordered tempura udon and handed over 330 yen, but the staff member seemed confused and said it was 410 yen. So I clarified that I ordered tempura udon, and they asked if I wanted tempura udon. When I originally ordered tempura udon and confirmed it, why the confusion? After finishing the udon, I wanted to add a rice ball but they took away the udon. I was left bewildered. The udon itself was mild, which is typical for the Kansai region. Oh well, it can't be helped, I guess.

Located in Naniwa, Osaka City. Just a 1-minute walk from exit 31 of Namba Station on the Osaka Metro Yotsubashi Line. A udon and soba restaurant called Maruichiya. I visited this place for a quick bite. It's a standing-eating style counter. This is my routine stop for a drink after work. I ordered kitsune udon. First, I paid at the counter, searching for coins in my wallet and placing them on the tray. It cost 330 yen. I sprinkled plenty of shichimi spice and enjoyed the hot broth. Mmm, it warms me up from the inside out. The udon had a nice chewy texture, and the fried tofu was slightly sweet. It was a generous portion. I really like this old-fashioned standing-eating style. I quickly stop by, slurp down the udon, and head home. I love this atmosphere. The next day, I didn't have a hangover. It was delicious. Thank you for the meal. I definitely want to visit again.

During my university days, I used to hang out in this area a lot, but the scenery has changed and my memories have faded, so there were few familiar sights. I imagine this restaurant has been around since that time. I had the tempura soba. It was simple, but it made me think of Japanese culture as I stood and slurped the soba. Other customers were customizing their orders with extra toppings and large portions. They seemed like regulars.

I arrived in Namba later than planned due to a delayed flight from Niigata to Itami. Feeling a bit hungry, I decided to stop by this udon restaurant near the bus terminal. There were no other customers at the time. You pay when you order here. The prices have gone up by about 20 yen since my last visit two years ago, but it's still very reasonable. I ordered the Tempura Udon (330 yen) this time, as I had Kitsune Udon last time. The tempura here has a nice flavor to it. The udon is cut into small pieces since it's a standing udon place, but the broth is delicious. As the tempura starts to soften in the broth, the flavor becomes richer. I usually don't finish the broth, but this one was so good that I drank it all. Osaka was getting colder that day, but this meal warmed me up and satisfied my hunger. Thank you for the meal!

A well-established standing udon shop near Nankai Namba Station, close to the airport limousine bus stop. The menu today was Special Soba and Inari Sushi. The dashi broth made in-house was rich in flavor. The Inari Sushi was also meticulously prepared in-house. And yet, the cost performance was great. Oh, it was delicious, thank you for the meal!