I visited the Ryokumochi Shokudo at the Midorihashi store for the first time. The place has a historical feel and the interior with old-fashioned tables and chairs makes me feel calm. I looked at the menu on the wall and hesitated, but ended up ordering the tonkatsu donburi.

Lunch at "Chikara Mochi Shokudo Midoribashi Store" located about a 5-minute bike ride from the company. It is a popular eatery that also serves sweets like rice cakes and ohagi. I often visit this place when I don't have a specific craving or restaurant in mind. It is not a chain store but an independent shop. The shop is located in Osaka, in the Higashi-Nari District, about a 5-minute walk south from the Osaka Metro Midoribashi Station. The street in front of the shop is a one-way street heading east, so you can't enter by car from the intersection. Next to the shop, there is a ramen shop called "Kin no Tamago" on the northwest corner of the intersection, and an izakaya called "Igyokagin-ta" on the east side. The shop has a blue awning tent with white letters that say "Sweets, Noodles, Rice Bowls" as well as the shop name and logo. In front of the shop, there is a takeout window and a display case with ohagi and rice cakes. Inside the shop, there are about 20 table seats with a casual dining atmosphere, complete with a TV and newspapers. "Chikara Mochi Shokudo" is a popular eatery in Kansai that is known for serving noodles, rice bowls, and sweets like rice cakes. The shop started as a steamed bun shop in Toyooka City, Hyogo Prefecture in 1889, later reopening in Kyoto in 1895, and finally establishing "Chikara Mochi" in 1903, known for its sweet red bean paste rice cakes. The shop expanded its stores to over 180 during the economic growth period of the Showa era but has since seen a decline in the number of stores due to changing food preferences, aging shop owners, and a lack of successors. The menu mainly consists of noodle dishes, rice bowls, and sweets, with a limited selection of set meals including side dishes, rice, miso soup, and pickles.

An old man had lunch at Chikara Mochi Shokudo located on Midori Bridge. He happened to come across this restaurant while cycling around the neighborhood. He ordered a mini tendon with udon, which cost around 800 yen. The udon had a strong Osaka-style kombu flavor, and the tendon had a crispy batter soaked in rich dashi. Despite not being a refined dish, the affordable meal was surprisingly delicious. The udon, with its unique Kansai-style broth, stood out among the prevalent Sanuki udon. The old man enjoyed his tasty lunch and recommended Chikara Mochi Shokudo to others, noting the decline of such flavorful establishments due to aging owners. If you come across this restaurant, be sure to give it a try!

I think it would be considered a traditional Chinese soba, but it seems a little different from the Chinese soba I ate when I was a child. It's like Marutai ramen that has been slightly boiled, and the soup is hard to describe in words, but it's like a Japanese-style broth? The toppings are essential with chashu, menma, and bean sprouts, and it's okay to have fish cake and shiitake mushrooms, but I have only found one or two places that serve the traditional Chinese soba. There is less than a 1% chance of finding it here. This ramen is more like a modern Chinese soba. The chashu was very delicious. It wasn't overshadowed by the soy sauce dressing, so it had a rich flavor and could compete with popular ramen specialty shops. The menma was crunchy, and the bean sprouts and fish cake were also tasty. The noodles and soup are more like a regular Chinese soba from a cafeteria, without any distinctive characteristics like rich tonkotsu or seafood flavors, so it seems to be suitable for everyone due to its lack of strong flavors.