kiyosato
I had some business in Osaka over the weekend and decided to stop by this restaurant before catching my Shinkansen back home. I had heard about this place before but had never actually been there. I was intrigued by the ramen that someone was carrying at the food court of Pasar Mikoshi on the Kanetsu Expressway. They had lots of vegetables in it and it looked delicious. After some research, I found out that there are a few branches in Tokyo as well, including one at Tokyo Station. But I wanted to try it for the first time at the original location in Osaka. Unfortunately, I didn't have time to go to Dotonbori, so I ended up at the Ekimarche branch for my first experience with Kanze-san's ramen.
It was a weekday around noon and there were about three people ahead of me in line. You order at the counter and then get seated. The seating arrangement included counter seats surrounding the kitchen, a few tables behind that, and some counter seats facing the wall towards the back. On the tables, there were chopped leeks and on a tray, there were soy sauce, chili oil, bean paste, and garlic. The ramen arrived in about 5 minutes.
I ordered the "Delicious Ramen" for 790 yen, which was the basic ramen. The bowl was generously filled, with ingredients like Chinese cabbage, pork belly, and chashu. The first thing I tried was the soup. It had a mild flavor with the sweetness of the vegetables coming through. It was a different kind of ramen that I had never tried before. The noodles were smooth straight noodles, the core of the Chinese cabbage was sweet, the pork belly had a good size with no unpleasant odor, and the thin and large chashu had a balanced saltiness. It reminded me of a hot pot with Chinese cabbage and pork belly. I really liked it. Next, I added the chopped leeks to the ramen. The chopped raw leeks seemed to be mixed with some spiciness (probably bean paste). When I added it, the gentle flavor turned wild. It was interesting. Then I added the garlic from the table. The initial gentle taste somehow turned wild, with the wildness becoming more prominent. The slight change in taste kept it interesting and I didn't get tired of it.
My husband ordered the "Vegetable-filled Ramen" for 1,040 yen and added bean sprouts for 130 yen. He wanted to eat lots of vegetables, so he added the bean sprouts. He said, "I love this flavor! The Chinese cabbage is really delicious, and when you add leeks midway, it becomes even better!" He seemed to really enjoy it.
He also ordered a gyoza for 260 yen, and I had a bite. The filling was minced meat with leeks, and it was well seasoned, so it was delicious even without adding any condiments.
The ramen here has a unique soup that I really like. It has a subtle quietness that might get a bit boring if you just eat it as it is, but adding leeks or garlic brings out a different deliciousness, making it endless (laughs). The operation is smooth and the turnover is fast, so I might stop by more often during the waiting time for the Shinkansen. The sign outside the restaurant says "SOUP WITH NOODLES" instead of ramen, and I thought it was a very accurate description.