I often use this place as a second bar on weekday nights. It has been in Abe-no since before the current ramen boom, and I used to go there often in the past. The shredded carrots made me feel nostalgic. The thickness and softness of the noodles may vary depending on personal preference, but it's a different kind of ramen from the evolved versions - more like a classic local ramen. The location may also play a role, as there are many foreign tourists and solo salarymen customers. This time, I had the Gyoza Ramen (soy sauce), but the miso ramen is also recommended.

The miso ramen at Kutan Ramen was tempting, but I also considered the Tianjin rice set. In the end, I opted for just the ramen as I didn't want to feel too full. The noodles were chewy, the miso soup was so good I finished it all, and overall, it was a consistently delicious meal. I arrived just after 11 am, so the restaurant was not crowded, but by the time I finished, it was almost full.

Ramen Kotan seems to have shops in commercial facilities, and even though I often see their stores, I had never been there before. It is common to order the classic menu items when visiting a new restaurant, but this time I decided to try the vegetable-packed ramen with a beer set. To my surprise, the beer and gyoza arrived quickly after ordering. However, the timing of the gyoza's arrival made me realize that the kitchen might be rushing the dishes, which was a bit disappointing. I ordered the Vegetable Nana Mian (970 yen) with a Beer Set (+1,000 yen) that came with 3 gyoza and 2 shrimp tempura. The ramen had plenty of vegetables, but they were boiled separately and didn't blend well with the soup. Balancing the taste of the ingredients and the soup is crucial, and in this case, it was quite off. Even though the ramen and the shrimp tempura were cooked for the same amount of time, the noodles were not properly cooked, and the wheat flavor was not brought out. I wish they would pay more attention to how they cook the noodles, especially for a ramen specialty shop. Overall, it felt similar to eating at a food court.

This was my first time at this store. It was packed after 7 PM. I ordered the Shoyu Ramen, mini fried rice, and a draft beer. I'm always tempted by the different ramen options, but I always end up choosing this menu. The Shoyu Ramen and mini fried rice were served on one tray. The Shoyu Ramen was a bit lukewarm, as mentioned in reviews, but it was just the right temperature this time. The soup of the Shoyu Ramen was consistently delicious. It had a perfect match with the noodles. It's a taste I've been enjoying since long ago, but it still warms my heart. It was delicious. Thank you for the meal.

It's a nostalgic and gentle tasting ramen. Back in my student days, there weren't many ramen specialty shops yet. I often visited the shop in the basement of Abeno while reminiscing about it. It's a simple and traditional ramen that may not be trendy today, but it offered a new taste different from the ramen at Chinese restaurants at that time, so I kept going back. I had it for the first time in a while, and it was delicious.

During my high school days, the closest bustling area was Abeno, so I have memories of occasionally going to the Kotan in the basement of Apollo Building. After that, many shops opened up around Osaka, so I distanced myself from chain stores. This time, my lunch was delayed, so I decided to have a late lunch at "Ramen Kotan Hankyu Grand Building San Plaza Store" in the basement of Grand Building in Umeda. I ordered the "Kotan Ramen" with a soy sauce base and added a set of "shrimp tempura and chicken karaage." The Kotan ramen that I had after a long time was surprisingly delicious. The soup, which is soy sauce-based, has a rich and mellow tonkotsu soup flavor, creating a deep taste. I have no memory of it from the past, but the flavor of the Kotan ramen was truly impressive, maybe even nostalgic, after about 30 years. The toppings included char siu, bean sprouts, bamboo shoots, and shredded red carrots, which added a nice touch. The presentation of the ramen was also beautiful. I thought that I wouldn't mind going there occasionally for this kind of experience. Since they have branches in almost all underground shopping streets in Osaka.

Delicious lunch! Today I wanted to eat fried rice, but I also couldn't resist dumplings. Luckily, there was a set with dumplings and half fried rice! I also ordered smoked egg ramen, which paired well with the fried rice and dumplings. The ramen was smoked on a hot plate, and the fried rice was fluffy and went well with the soup and dumplings. It's great that you can freely choose from a variety of menu items besides ramen!

Anyway, the dumplings or beer go well together! I've always thought the dumplings here were delicious, so I ordered the beer set! The dumplings have a great filling as always and go perfectly with beer, but the shrimp tempura also pairs well. And for the ramen, I ordered the smoked miso flavor! The smoked egg goes well with the noodles, and the miso soup is perfect for a cold day! It was a great dinner after work ^-^

I went to Umeda and decided to drop by this restaurant. It had been a while since I last had their food, but it was delicious as always today. In the past, there used to be a free side dish similar to kimchi with chives placed on the table, but now it's only available as a topping that you have to order. However, I understand that this is just the way things are changing over time, so I ordered it. It was definitely worth ordering, as it goes well with anything. I'm satisfied!

The newly introduced cold tantanmen at the 50-year-old restaurant, Koutan, is a great option for families. It comes with bean sprouts, cucumber, and finely chopped chili peppers, creating an artistic presentation. The dish is also packed with ground meat, making it filling on its own. The soup is similar in color to the hot tantanmen, but the spiciness is on a whole other level. It is not just mildly spicy, but rather numbing to the tongue and throat. The cold noodles enhance the spiciness, leaving a lingering tingling sensation. This unique twist on the usual gentle flavors of Koutan ramen was intriguing, although it was so spicy that it was hard to resist mentioning.

I was looking for a place where I could quickly grab a light dinner before my next appointment, and I was searching for a place that serves "noodles". I really wanted to have soba, but there weren't many soba places near the station. Also, the popular udon shops are there, but they are often located in the station building or the new Umeda dining area, and the atmosphere inside is not very relaxing. So, I ended up choosing this place. I remember there was an udon place near Sun Plaza! By the way, for some reason, I mistakenly thought that this place, which is located near Sun Plaza, was "Curry Udon Konaya" (laughs). I had passed by the front of the restaurant a few times, but I think I got the pronunciation and image of the first letter "ko" mixed up with "Konaya"... So, I had been thinking all along, "Oh, I can eat Konaya's curry udon in Osaka too!" until I realized it was not the case. When I entered the restaurant, I noticed it for the first time. "Kotan" was founded in 1968 in the underground shopping area of Abeno, Osaka. The original features include pork bone and chicken bone vegetable soup, medium-thick noodles with a lot of water, and toppings like chashu and vegetables. However, not knowing this, I was shocked that it was not "Konaya" and decided to choose cold noodles instead. After about 10 minutes of waiting, the dish arrived in a beautifully arranged bowl. There were plenty of toppings such as thinly sliced chashu, shredded egg, simmered shiitake mushrooms, tomatoes, bean sprouts, green onions, and carrots. The slightly cloudy soup had a mellow acidity. The slightly thicker and slightly chewy noodles mixed well with it. The chashu was sliced extremely thin, with a clean flavor of pork loin. It was moist and tender without any dryness, and it was delicious. Personally, I would have been happier if there was a bit more acidity or spiciness. I decided to add 5-6 packets of mustard from the table midway through the meal. Hmm, hmm, although it was not Konaya's curry udon, this cold noodle was a delightful surprise. The seating was relatively spacious, and I was able to spend a relaxing time. I found out that you can choose from "soy sauce," "miso," and "salt" for the regular ramen. I'm not particularly fond of medium-thick noodles, but I would like to try them once. Thank you for the meal. ******************************** Solo female-friendly: ♥♥♥♥♥ Willingness to revisit: ★★★☆☆ ******************************** Thank you very much for reading until the end. Instagram→ yuki.maple1125

As always, the dumplings are excellent here. It was my first visit in a while and the place was packed at noon! I ordered the dumpling ramen with extra boiled egg topping and a mini fried rice set. Everything was delicious, but the standout was definitely the dumplings! I wish I could have a beer with them instead of being at work. I'll have to come back in the evening when I can enjoy a beer!

In Osaka, there is a ramen restaurant that I often visited. Their gentle soy sauce ramen with pork bone, chicken broth, and vegetables is delicious. The medium thick noodles complement the soup well. The bean sprouts and shredded carrots topping are the perfect sidekicks to this ramen. It's a deeply satisfying ramen where you can truly taste the vegetables.

Located in Hankyu San Plaza, this is Kotan Ramen. It might be a bit challenging for those who don't usually use Hankyu to find this place. The restaurant has a handwashing area inside, which is a great feature in this day and age. When looking at the menu and wanting to try something different, I noticed the Dan Dan noodles set with half Tianjin rice for ¥1166 (tax included). The prices for individual items seem cheap, but sets are a bit on the pricier side. The order arrived quickly, and even though it wasn't piping hot, it was just right for those with sensitive tongues. The aroma of star anise was strong from the moment it was brought to the table. The noodles had a distinct star anise flavor, and the spiciness was different from what I expected from Dan Dan noodles. But it was still quite sweat-inducing. The Tianjin rice was tasty, but there was a hint of a corn-like flavor that left me a bit puzzled. The filling in the Tianjin rice was imitation crab. The place is clean, but I often find myself not noticing when the staff calls out to me. Overall, I always end up coming back to Kotan for some reason. They accept payment through PayPay as well. Thank you for the meal!

I am in Osaka. In Osaka, there is Kita, Umeda. I found this restaurant next to the Depachika of Hankyu Department Store Umeda and Hankyu San Plaza. I visited for a late lunch. Inside the restaurant, there were veteran-looking staff members who provided efficient and lively service, leaving a good impression. I was seated promptly and ordered the ramen set with half fried rice, which I had been craving even before entering the restaurant. After waiting for about 5-6 minutes, the eagerly awaited half fried rice and the classic soy sauce ramen were served. I couldn't contain my excitement! When I tried the soup of the soy sauce ramen, it was delicious but lukewarm. Perhaps the toppings were cold? Maybe the soup temperature was low to begin with? I have often noticed this at other Santoka locations. The soup tends to be lukewarm. Additionally, the freshly made fried rice was not very hot, and it felt quite greasy and sticky. I was looking forward to it so much, so I felt quite disappointed. I managed to finish the meal, but I'm not sure if I would want to go back again. I have also experienced lukewarm ramen at other Santoka restaurants in Kappa Yokocho, so perhaps this is the default experience at Santoka. It was a shame.

Located about a 3-minute walk from Hankyu Umeda Station, in Hankyu San Plaza. It's right next to the curry restaurant I went to yesterday, with another closed store in between. They are also operating with spaced out seating due to the spread of the new coronavirus. The original store is in Abeno, but I happened to stop by here. I remember eating delicious Gyoza Ramen here decades ago when I was young, at a shop in Izumi no Hiroba with my late sister. So, even though I don't eat it often, I ordered the Gyoza Ramen for ¥710 including tax. It comes with 3 pieces of fried gyoza on top of the default Kotan Ramen. The gyoza has a solid filling and tastes great. The ramen includes thinly sliced chashu, bean sprouts, carrots, green onions, etc., and with some sesame and pepper sprinkled on top, it's the usual satisfying taste. This ramen chain offers a stable taste at a reasonable price, starting from ¥600 nowadays.

R020318, Kotan in Umeda. If it's Umeda, I occasionally go to Whity. I had Misoramen with rice. It's consistently delicious. Not too rich but still packs a punch. The noodles are plentiful. The chashu is easy to eat with less fat. Thank you for the meal!

"I visited the 'Ramen Kotan Hankyu Grand Building San Hiroba Store' located in the basement of Hankyu Grand Building in Umeda and tried their 'Kotan Ramen (soy sauce) (660 yen)'. The nearest station is Hankyu Umeda Station. The menu includes: Kotan Ramen (soy sauce) - 660 yen, Gyoza Ramen (soy sauce) - 781 yen, Kun Tamago Ramen (soy sauce) - 770 yen, Char Siu Ramen (soy sauce) - 869 yen, Yuzu Scented Ramen - 869 yen, Vegetable-rich Ramen (soy sauce) - 891 yen, Tomato Ramen - 979 yen, Miso soup base - +22 yen, Salt soup base - +22 yen, Spicy Tantanmen - 946 yen, Char Siu (2 pieces) - +143 yen, Kun Tamago (1 piece) - +143 yen, Spicy Garlic Chives - +110 yen, Noodles extra portion - +110 yen. The soy sauce soup with chicken and pork bone broth has a mild and light flavor with a slight acidity, creating a smooth and refreshing taste. The noodles are medium-thick straight noodles with a good texture. The Char Siu topping is light and has the right amount of firmness and saltiness. They also offer various set menus and rice bowl options."

Osaka has seen an increase in various ramen shops, but I felt like having some old-fashioned ramen so I visited Furutani. I'm sure I've had it before, but I can't remember when. I started with the basic Furutani Ramen with soy sauce. I also ordered a set with fried rice and fried chicken. The ramen that came out had a tonkotsu base, light but with a rich flavor. It's a comforting taste. I was happy to see chopped carrots on top. The fried rice was perfectly stir-fried, and the fried chicken, while not the typical Osaka-style chicken tempura, was still delicious. I was satisfied and full for just a little over 1000 yen.

On the Friday before the Obon holiday, I tried to make plans with some people but ended up eating alone at Ramen Kotan in Hankyu Umeda after shopping. I ordered their most popular set, the Kotan Ramen and fried rice set for 900 yen. The atmosphere was pretty comfortable with many solo diners. The food arrived in about 12-13 minutes. The ramen had medium straight noodles with plenty of toppings like chashu, bean sprouts, chopped green onions, carrots, and lots of vegetables. I chose soy sauce soup, but it felt a bit lighter in flavor than usual. The fried rice was a bit oily, maybe a hint to finish up quickly. Thank you for the meal!