Here we go! This is a sequel to the previous scene! After working at my home shop in Tennoji and returning to Tsuruhashi, I once again found myself getting off at Tsuruhashi Station. I was already familiar with this place, but this time, right in front of me as I got off the train... So, I decided to go in! I felt like visiting one more place and was craving for some cold menu items, so I looked around. I saw a variety of cold menu options lined up at the storefront. Since ordering just one item seemed boring, I decided to go for a zaru soba set with chicken tempura (paid ¥100 in cash at the counter). The order was served not from the front display case, but from the back where it was kept warm. The unique thing about this place is that the serving size is about enough for two people... well, maybe just one if someone else was there. There was a short counter facing the platform, which felt like a little paradise. It wasn't exactly paradise, but close enough. I'm not a food critic, just a regular guy, so I'll leave it at that! Laughing.

When it's too hot, my appetite tends to disappear, but I often find myself craving cold noodles. I felt like having cold udon, so when I saw "cold udon" written at the standing udon and soba shop in Tsuruhashi Station, I decided to try it. The cold udon was served quickly for 320 yen. The broth was quite strong, and the udon itself made me realize it was just a lump of flour. Maybe hot dishes are better at soba shops in train stations. The price was similar to Marugame Seimen's cold udon for 390 yen, so I might choose that next time. But the convenience of being able to eat quickly during a layover is hard to beat. It brought back memories of my student days.

I'm a bit tired from my local rounds and it's raining lightly, so it's good. I arrived at Tsuruhashi Station around 10:20 and it was about 60% full of customers. There was a ticket machine outside, so I paid 500 yen in cash and bought beef curry. They asked if I wanted soba or udon inside, and I decided to go with soba curry since I don't remember eating it much before. I found a spot near the entrance and received my order in about a minute. The broth was okay, but the curry was good so I finished it all. The noodles were decent, considering it's a standing eatery. The meat was a bit tough, but it's cheap so it's okay. The green onions were average. Now, I'm heading back home.

I was out early on Sunday morning and wanted something warm to eat on my way back, so I searched on Tabelog. This is the perfect standing-eating place in the station. They have soba and udon noodles. You might think it's a chain store under JR's umbrella, but the broth is excellent! In my experience, chain store noodles are all sourced from the same factory to reduce costs, so there isn't much difference in quality between stations. However, each store has its own unique broth preparation method, and this noodle shop inside Tsuruhashi Station probably prepares their own broth. I visited around 9:30 AM and bought a ticket from the machine outside the store before entering. The store had a long counter with a partition, and only female staff was working that day. The key here is speed because it's a station eatery! The noodles were Osaka-style, and the broth had a perfect balance of bonito and kelp flavors. The egg was served with the shell on, and you had to crack it yourself to make tamago kake gohan. The rice was freshly cooked and had a moist texture when mixed with the egg. The salted kelp on the side also complemented the tamago kake gohan well. The noodles, broth, and tamago kake gohan were all delicious and perfect for breakfast. The breakfast set cost 350 yen.

I went to "Menya Tsuruhashi" in Tennoji Ward, Osaka Prefecture. The restaurant is located inside JR Tsuruhashi Station. It is a typical station soba shop, and it is right in front of the platform. You eat standing up here. They have a ticket machine. I tried the croquette soba, which costs 350 yen. It was ready in just over 2 minutes. I like how the croquette coating melts in the sweet broth. The crispy tempura bits add a nice texture. It was delicious.

Starting this year, my commuting route has changed, and I find myself heading more towards the east side of the JR Osaka Loop Line. I decided to explore some of the ramen shops located at various stations along the loop line. I had a positive experience trying the croquette ramen at "Menya Shin-Osaka Uptown," so I wanted to see if other locations also offered it. Unfortunately, when I visited "Menya Osaka Midou," they didn't have it. This made me curious to visit all the "Menya" shops along the loop line to see if I could find the croquette ramen. Despite the disappointment, I enjoyed the experience of eating regular meat ramen at "Menya Tsuruhashi," located on the platform of JR Tsuruhashi Station. I have yet to visit the "Menya" shops at Kyobashi and Tennoji stations. I'm excited to continue exploring and trying new dishes.

Inside the station building, it was so hot that I was craving something cold. When it comes to cold noodles, soba is the way to go. I ordered the Cold Soba for 260 yen. The soba noodles were thick and dark, with a rough texture and lacking in firmness. I thought warm soba would have been better. The dipping sauce for the cold soba was weak in bonito flavor and strong in sweetness from ingredients like kelp. The seasoning was mild and lacked a punch. It didn't pair well with the soba or wasabi. Overall, the portion included small kamaboko and plenty of green onions. But still, considering the price at this station TGS, it was quite cheap!! Thank you for the meal.

"Furatoo Ojama☆*:;;;:**:;;;:*☆*:;;;:**:;;;:*☆*:;;;:**:;;;:*☆*:;;;:**:;;;:*☆ ■■■ Standing Udon Soba at Menya Tsuruhashi (Osaka, inside JR Tsuruhashi Station ticket gate) ■■■ [This Visit's Dish] (Site visited this time: October 2019, First visit: October 2019) Ordered item: Kitsune Udon 350 yen + Draft Beer 290 yen = 640 yen per person [Result] The taste is appropriate for the price. No complaints at this price. Thank you for the meal~(*^_^*)☺☻☺☻☺☻ ********** ********** ********** ********** ********* [Revisit] Added photos - Thank you for the meal~(*^_^*)☺☻☺☻☺☻ ☆*:;;;:**:;;;:*☆*:;;;:**:;;;:*☆*:;;;:**:;;;:*☆*:;;;:**:;;;:*☆ ********** ********** ********** ********** *********"

At JR Tsuruhashi Station, I had a light meal at this place on the inbound platform. First, I bought a meal ticket at the ticket machine in front of the store and then went inside. You can use transportation IC cards like ICOCA as well. I ordered the kitsune soba. Let's dig in! The portion looks quite large. The flavor is rich and satisfying. The noodles are the typical stand-up-eating kind. The broth has that comforting taste of a noodle shop. Overall, it was a delicious meal! Being inside the ticket gates, it's convenient to grab a quick meal and leave, making it useful during busy times.

I missed my usual train and had to wait about 5 minutes for the next one. With 5 minutes to spare, I decided to grab a quick meal at the station soba restaurant "Menya." I ordered the kake soba (250 yen), and since Menya offers free tempura crumbs at all their stores, it was a nice bonus. The taste was as expected from Menya, consistently delicious. The texture of the noodles, despite not being frozen or fresh, was impressive. I like Menya because it's affordable, quick, and allows me to experience the taste of Kansai.

In the evening, I transferred from Kintetsu to JR, and I started to feel a little hungry. I had already had plenty to drink, but there was still some time before dinner. So, I made a detour at the station and had the Marutoku Toriten Gokaku Soba for 560 yen. It had a consistently good taste and I was satisfied. Thank you for the meal.

Mini Japanese-style beef curry bowl for 300 yen. The curry was watery, so it felt like I was eating porridge. Also, the curry flavor was weak. I probably won't eat it again.

All the standing udon and soba shops within JR station premises, which used to be operated by "Tsuruhashi Department Store", have been renovated into "Menya" all at once. The previous "Tsuruhashi Udon" was a place I frequented both inside and outside the station, but now it has completely changed, and all JR Loop Line stations offer udon and soba of the same quality. Each shop provides self-service toppings like tempura crumbs, shichimi pepper, and ground sesame. The tempura crumbs are unlimited, and you can see that each shop's staff fry them differently, resulting in varying shapes and textures. Personally, I prefer the fluffy and finely textured ones found in Kyobashi and Bentencho. Surprisingly, the greatness of the ground sesame is a blind spot (laughs). I had never thought about the compatibility of warm udon with ground sesame before, but it surprisingly goes well together. Just plain udon is enough. Add plenty of tempura crumbs to the udon and evenly sprinkle ground sesame at your table. For first-timers, try adding a small amount first. You'll soon want to add more (￣∇￣). Shichimi pepper should be used as an accent. The green onions at Menya are thickly cut into thin, diagonal slices, resembling white negi. This creates a visually appealing dish even for a standing meal. Enjoy the visual appeal with plenty of tempura crumbs, sesame, and shichimi pepper, giving it a junk food vibe. It's an evolved version of standing udon enjoyed as a snack in the late afternoon when you missed lunch. If you visit a shop with fluffy tempura crumbs, the thick soup will resemble the rich broth of ramen, creating a thick soup that you scoop up with a spoon while enjoying the occasional green onion or udon. The man next to you, meticulously sprinkling sesame, may just be the perfect image of "felyo" (￣∇￣) lol. Depending on the shape of the tempura crumbs, this final state can feel completely different, so try it out at various Menya shops!

Today is Saturday. For lunch, I decided to eat at a udon and soba restaurant in Tsuruhashi. I was planning to transfer from JR to Kintetsu, but I came across a udon and soba restaurant called "Menya" on the platform inside the Osaka Loop Line (Kyobashi/Osaka Station direction). It seems like they are known for their chicken tempura and homemade curry. You purchase a meal ticket from the ticket machine outside and then enter the restaurant. I used my ICOCA card, which was convenient. I bought a meal ticket for the chicken tempura bowl (regular size) for 480 yen. You hand over the meal ticket at the counter inside and receive your food. Most people were eating udon or soba, as it is a udon and soba restaurant. The chicken tempura bowl comes with a side of broth, which reminded me of the broth used in my family's New Year's soup. It was a comforting taste. The bowl had four large pieces of chicken tempura, which provided a satisfying meal. Although it wasn't freshly fried, the chicken tempura was juicy and delicious. I imagine it would be even better if it was freshly fried. It was a good meal, and I finished it feeling satisfied. I would like to eat this bowl not only inside the JR station but also outside.

When I was heading towards JR Osaka and didn't have time to enjoy a leisurely lunch, I decided to stop by this restaurant. It's one of those "station-side standing udon/soba" places. However, this restaurant has a wide variety of menu options, so it took a while to decide what to order. In the end, I chose the "Chicken Tempura Curry Udon" that was also featured on a large poster. The udon had a decent texture for a standing-eating place. While there are still places around Namba serving soft noodles, it seems like standing-eating udon places are evolving. The curry had a good balance of broth flavor, sweetness, and a bit of spiciness. The combination of chicken tempura and curry was new to me, but it was definitely a delicious match. I wish other chicken tempura places would serve this kind of sauce. It was delicious.

On a certain day in April 2017, at noon, there is a standing eatery inside the JR Loop Line Tsuruhashi Station. It is operated by JR West Japan Food Service Network. Recently, it is common to see the morning hustle at JR West Japan stations as people head off on their travels. I had some time before transferring to the Kintetsu line, so I decided to visit. There is a ticket machine at the entrance where I ordered the morning set (udon) for 320 yen. You can choose between soba and udon, and I chose udon. It comes with rice, raw egg, and kelp. It is a simple udon dish with kamaboko and green onions. I added some free tenkasu by myself. The rich flavor of the broth, the umami of the kelp, and the delicious soy sauce all combine to create a flavorful dish. The noodles are slightly thin and soft, which I think is typical of the Kansai region. I paired it with a raw egg over rice, and it was a perfect combination. This affordable eatery offers delicious food, even in the morning. It is a standing eatery, but there were only two chairs available. A student who was there before me kindly pulled one chair over for me. I was grateful for the gesture. Thank you for the meal.

Flying, flying, spinning around♪ (Song: Hiroshi Madoka) Once again, it's afternoon and it's time to fill my stomach at "Menya" restaurant. The interior is quite narrow, but cozy. I ordered the tempura soba for 400 yen plus seaweed for 90 yen. I like to sprinkle plenty of ground sesame and shichimi on top. The light and sweet broth is quite delicious. The tempura is full of vegetables, which is nice. The female staff's farewell of "Take care on your way out!" really touched my heart.

When there was a noodle shop in Momotani, I used it often. This is my first time at a noodle shop near Tsuruhashi Station. I chose Sanuki udon noodles, which are boiled for about 15 minutes, rinsed with water, and then instantly frozen. They say it's close to the taste of freshly boiled noodles. The price is around 800 yen, but it seems to be just as good as the homemade noodle udon specialty shops. The noodle shop also has delicious tempura soba, especially the tempura is tasty. So, I recommend trying the kake udon or soba, and the haikara udon or soba = tanuki udon or soba set, as they are both delicious and a good deal. However, it's a bit disappointing that there is some variation depending on the shop or the person making it.