On April 1, 2023, a hidden gem of a mixed soba restaurant called "soba MAREN Higobashi" will have its grand opening near Higobashi Station. The elegant and refined stylish facade, with a grayish exterior and gold plates that catch the eye. The interior, softly lit by indirect lighting, offers a cozy urban modern space with an L-shaped counter. The high stools with different fabric designs and the industrial and artistic high-sense decor add to the ambiance. You can watch the soba being skillfully made in the semi-open kitchen, adding to the excitement. The "Char Siu Chicken Salt Mixed Soba with Large Leaf Oil (with mini rice)" features rare shoulder loin char siu, chicken breast char siu, mitsuba, chopped green onions, chopped bamboo shoots, pickled shiba, and chicken breast meat with lemon for flavor variation. The balance of shoulder loin and chicken breast char siu, chopped onions, salt sauce, and deep green large leaf oil is exquisite. The green sauce with a hint of large leaf flavor gradually unfolds, reminiscent of basil, and is balanced with chopped onions, allowing you to enjoy the hybrid mix of Japanese and Western flavors until the end. The "Char Siu Soy Sauce Mixed Soba" features shoulder loin char siu, diced char siu, chopped onions, mitsuba, watercress, bamboo shoots, and egg yolk, with a black pepper accent at the end. The sauce is a sweet soy sauce with extracted oyster sweetness and chicken oil, paired with noodles made from "Kitahonami" Japanese wheat combined with whole wheat for a rich flavor and chewy texture that stands out against the punchy sauce. The side menu of Char Siu Don is served in a vibrant pink bowl with plenty of rice and a generous serving of rose-colored char siu, offering a visually appealing and voluminous dish. Enjoy the changing flavors with black pepper, bonito vinegar, and chili oil on the table. This Kansai mixed soba legend will further liven up the competitive ramen area around Kitahama to Higobashi Station. The strikingly stylish exterior and serene chic atmosphere make it a great recommendation even for solo female diners.

First visit to the Higobashi branch of maren, famous for their mixed noodles. This area is bustling with salarymen, but the interior of the restaurant is very clean and there are also female customers. I ordered the Char Siu Shoyu mixed noodles. It arrived in less than 10 minutes. The mixed noodles have a good balance of soy sauce flavor and sweetness, but they lack the punchy umami that is often found in typical mixed noodles. Additionally, it seems unnecessary to add extra Char Siu.

I went to a newly opened mixed noodle restaurant near Higobashi Station on the Yotsubashi subway line, a 4-minute walk away. I ordered the Char Siu Shoyu Mixed Noodles and a bottle of beer (Carlsberg). The cooking and service were done by two modern young women. The mixed noodles come with extra rice at the end. If I had to point out one thing, it would be that I would prefer a medium-sized bottle of beer.

I visited the restaurant on my way home from work. Maybe it was because of the rain, or maybe I just got lucky, but I was able to enter the shop without waiting in line. The food was really delicious. To be honest, I felt like the portion was a bit small and left me wanting more. Even though I am a light eater, I didn't feel satisfied, so I think getting a larger portion like the extra-large size would be better. Next time, I want to try the mixed noodles!

While out and about after dinner, I felt like having just one more dish and wandered around looking for a place that was still open late. I ended up finding an interesting soupless noodle dish that was surprisingly delicious. I was considering ordering a regular mixed noodles or ramen, but decided on a Western-style mixed noodles with tomato and basil sauce. When it arrived, it looked like a twist on cold noodles as shown in the picture on the menu, but as I started eating, it transformed into something more like Italian cuisine. As I dug into the noodles, the basil flavor spread, making it a truly Western-style dish. The noodles were flat and had a pasta-like texture, making it a bit confusing to eat, but if it tastes good, then it's all good. Overall, it was a delicious meal. If I have the chance, I would like to try other items on the menu as well.

Today's lunch outing took me to a restaurant in Higobashi, MAREN, which has been expanding its stores recently. While the original store in Miyakojima specializes in ramen, the relocated Kyobashi store offers tsukemen, and here at the Higobashi store, I decided to try their mazesoba, which I had not yet tasted. It's my third consecutive day having mazesoba for lunch, but oh well! This restaurant seems to focus more on mazesoba. Although their signature is soy sauce-based, I was drawn to the salt-based mazesoba this time. The key ingredient here is "shiso oil." I ordered the Chicken Salt Mazesoba 930 yen (with shiso oil). When the mazesoba was served, it had a subtle sense of sophistication. The visual presentation of the soy sauce mazesoba typically features a yolk in the center, but this Chicken Salt Mazesoba has a somewhat unique feel. It's almost artistic or what one might call "New Wave" in an old-fashioned sense. Instead of a yolk in the center, there's a creative purple ingredient that seems like shredded chicken mixed with pickled shiso. It creates a stunning color effect. In addition, there are large pieces of chicken breast chashu, finely chopped bamboo shoots, chopped green onions, mitsuba, and lemon slices. This combination alone is already a masterpiece. When mixed, the overall color scheme turns green. It almost resembles olive oil, which I suspect is the effect of the "shiso oil" mentioned in the menu. The thick, chewy flat noodles have a bounce and weight to them, so you have to be careful when lifting them, or they might splatter the ingredients on your shirt. But that's a sign of quality. The texture infused with the shiso oil is innovative, giving a feeling of eating pasta. Choosing this was definitely the right decision. Although I intended to resist the temptation, I couldn't resist the urge to have the mini rice dish that had collected at the bottom. I thoroughly enjoyed this unique mazesoba. Thank you for the meal.

Arrived at 12:00 and lined up behind 3 customers. Waited 25 minutes to be seated. Purchased ticket from the machine before being seated. Got the chicken mixed ramen for 930 yen with a side of mini rice. Once seated, the ramen was served immediately. The vibrant pink color of the chicken flakes and large pieces of onion stood out as accents. The noodles were medium thickness and curly. The instructions said to mix well before eating, but I mixed too much. I couldn't taste the flavor of the noodles as they were all soaked in oil. The noodles had a slight firmness to them, which some may like, but I found it a bit too chewy. It might have a good kick for younger people, but it was a bit too strong for older individuals like myself.

A small and stylish restaurant with about 6 counter seats. It's clean and welcoming for women. Purchase a meal ticket at the entrance before taking a seat. The menu consists of either soy sauce mixed noodles, chicken salt mixed noodles, or chicken salt ramen, with the option to add char siu. This time, I chose the chicken salt mixed noodles. It came with mini rice and medium-thick curly noodles, coated with basil oil with a hint of garlic flavor. Toppings included healthy chicken breast char siu, chicken and plum mayo or oil mixture, lemon, menma, minced onions, and mitsuba. The chicken breast char siu was healthy and the garlic flavor was just right. They also offer free garlic on the side, but I skipped it for lunch. They provide paper aprons and hair ties, which is nice. I really like basil oil, so this chicken salt mixed noodles were quite to my liking. If it were closer, I might visit more often. Thank you for the meal. [Station] About 2 minutes walk from Higobashi Station [Seating] About 6 counter seats [Visit time] Around 11:40 on a weekday [Crowdedness] 4 customers before me [Dish] Chicken salt mixed noodles [Price] 930 yen

Located just a short walk from Higobashi Station, this newly opened mixed soba restaurant is tucked away down a narrow street. Despite its small size, the restaurant is modern and clean. I had passed by a few times before and noticed that it wasn't very crowded, unlike the long lines at the nearby Zauo restaurant, so I visited without high expectations. I ordered the Chashu Shoyu Mixed Soba. There is also a salt option available, but I decided to go with the recommended menu item. The dish came with chicken breast chashu, a slice of pork chashu, diced chashu, a beautiful egg yolk, chopped homemade shinachiku, diced onions, and mitsuba. It was quite a generous portion. The noodles were thin with a slight curl. When mixed together, the dish was light but flavorful, with plenty of toppings that mixed well with the sauce. Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by how delicious and satisfying the meal was. I plan to come back next time to try the salt-flavored mixed soba.

Today (5/20), I visited this restaurant near Higobashi Station on the Osaka Metro Yotsubashi Line, which opened last month. I entered as soon as it opened at 11:00 and purchased a ticket for "Chicken Salt Shio Ramen (880 yen)" at the ticket machine. The specialty here is the mixed ramen, but like other maren, I chose this dish. When I tried to sit at the counter, I was directed to the farthest seat, but I requested a different seat and although there was some resistance, I managed to sit where I wanted. As a result, there were no other customers entering or leaving from the time I arrived until I left. Since it wasn't a busy lunch hour, there was no need to specify seats every time. I think customers should be allowed to sit wherever they prefer. The bowl arrived quickly, looking almost the same as other maren, with a pure white soup topped with rare chashu, bamboo shoots, shredded burdock tempura, chopped green onions, and the tip of trefoil. When I slurped the soup, it was indeed a rich, potage-like soup similar to other maren, with a slightly strong saltiness, but quite delicious. When I pulled out the noodles that were submerged in the soup, I found straight thin noodles that were cooked reasonably well and effectively tangled with the slightly thick soup. Eating the soup-coated noodles, I couldn't help but feel like I was eating pasta rather than ramen. The toppings were also reasonably tasty, but only the chopped green onions seemed to be quite cold, as if they had just been taken out of the refrigerator, which was a bit off-putting. I'm not sure what could be done, but I wish there was some way to serve them at room temperature. With that, I finished the meal and the drink. Overall, it was very delicious, similar to what I had at the maren in Nakazakicho in March. However, due to the seat assignment issue mentioned earlier and the temperature of the chopped green onions, I have given it a slightly lower rating than the Nakazakicho location.

Higo Bridge ◇ Mixed Soba ◇ [1-chome Edo-bori, Nishi-ku] Located on the right side after going down the first street to the south at the intersection of Tosa-bori Street and Yotsuhashi-suji (Higo Bridge), you will find the [soba MAREN Higo Bridge store] which is open from 11:00. Menu includes: ◆Soy sauce mixed soba (930 yen) ◆Char siu soy sauce mixed soba (1150 yen) ◆Chicken salt mixed soba (930 yen) ◆Char siu chicken salt mixed soba (1150 yen) ◆Chicken salt white broth soba (880 yen) There is a ticket vending machine immediately on the right after entering, with a small menu so you can order quickly. There are 7 seats at the L-shaped counter, starting from the back. Background music is lively rap music playing. The food is ready in just 7 minutes. The soy sauce mixed soba includes slightly thick straight noodles, egg yolk, mitsuba (Japanese parsley), chopped onions, chopped char siu, and chopped menma (seasoned bamboo shoots) mixed together. The combination of textures creates a symphony in your mouth. The mitsuba adds a nice accent, and the egg yolk and noodles mix well together. The onions are crunchy and add a good flavor (adding extra garlic would be even better). Finally, finish by adding a small amount of rice to the remaining soup and enjoy. "Thank you for the meal."

On May 10, 2023, at 12:15, there were 7 people waiting outside. I entered the restaurant at 12:30 and had the soy sauce mixed noodles for ¥930. Compared to the previous salt flavor, this one had a stronger taste with just the right amount of soy sauce. The addition of egg yolk made the dish smooth, and the coriander and onions made it a classic dish. The portion of the final rice dish was just right, leaving a satisfying feeling of fullness. Overall, it was neither outstanding nor disappointing, just average.

Hmm? A ramen shop opened up in this place? The name sounds familiar... Oh, it's the shop that used to be in Kyobashi before moving here! It's a franchise store. There are only 7 counter seats. You purchase your meal ticket from the ticket machine on the right as soon as you enter. I had the Chashu Shoyu Mazesoba (1,150 yen). Honestly, I don't usually order mazesoba because I'm not satisfied with how the ingredients mix together. However, it's a fact that mazesoba allows you to better taste the wheat flavor of the noodles, and this shop does it well. The thick noodles coat nicely in the sauce, and mixing in the rich egg yolk that's left unprocessed, as you eat, you think, "Hmm, this is delicious." I thought the amount of rice that comes with it by default was a bit small, but it's the perfect match with the remaining broth. I'd like to try the Chicken Salt Shirodashi next time. There are black pepper and shiokara for flavoring, but personally, I prefer the black pepper. I feel like the shiokara could use a bit more of a punch from the dried fish. Thank you for the meal!

During the weekday afternoon, there were about two people waiting in line at a nearby shop (Zaigin), so I decided to go to this shop instead. This time, I ordered the chicken white broth ramen. Perhaps because it's a mazesoba shop, but it didn't suit my taste. I felt that the flavor was lacking. (Personal opinion)

Chicken Salt Ramen (Chicken + Salt 880 yen) ★★★☆ The soup is a chicken-based salty flavor. The noodles are flat straight noodles. The toppings include shoulder loin pork chashu, chopped onions, mitsuba, fried burdock, bamboo shoots, and seasoned boiled egg. The soup is made from whole chicken, chicken bones, and pork bones, with a moderate amount of chicken oil added, and a shio base extracted from Rausu kelp, resulting in a smooth and creamy taste. The noodles are made from a blend of Kitahonami and whole wheat flour from Tsurumi Seimenjo, with a firm and crunchy texture and a good wheat flavor. The large, thin chashu is moist and well-seasoned, making it very delicious. Black pepper, dried fish vinegar, chili oil, and ichimi are provided as condiments for flavor variations. I received a seasoned boiled egg as a bonus. (Soup is recommended) 2023.04.23 soba MAREN Higobashi Branch [Main Menu] Soy Sauce Mazesoba (with mini rice): 930 yen Chicken Salt Mazesoba (with mini rice): 930 yen Chicken Salt Ramen: 880 yen Extra Noodles: +120 yen Izumo Egg Flavored Egg: +100 yen Extra Chashu: +250 yen Juicy Meat Dumplings: 280 yen

The newly opened Higobashi branch has been receiving great reviews for its Maze-soba. I ordered the Shoyu Maze-soba and the Chicken Salt White Broth Ramen. The Chicken Salt White Broth Ramen had a rich and creamy taste, similar to clam chowder. It would have been even better with clams in it. As for the Shoyu Maze-soba, it had a completely different flavor. The egg mixed well with the deep soy sauce flavor. The thick noodles went down smoothly. The Maze-soba came with a small bowl of rice to mix in at the end, which could be a satisfying meal on its own. I recommend adding a generous amount of black pepper for an extra kick. I'll have to try the Chicken Salt Maze-soba next time and finish with the rice!

I visited "soba MAREN" in Nishi Ward, Osaka for lunch. It is a new restaurant that opened about 10 days ago. The restaurant is located a few minutes' walk from Higobashi Station on the Osaka Metro. I arrived around 12:50 on a weekday and had to wait about 15 minutes before being seated. The restaurant has a counter with 7 seats. They mainly serve mixed soba, with a side of mini rice that everyone orders, so the turnover is a bit slower compared to regular ramen shops. I purchased a 1,000 yen meal ticket which included: - Chicken salt white broth soba for 880 yen - Izumo egg flavored egg for 120 yen I waited about 7 minutes for my food to arrive. The chicken salt white broth soba had a creamy and salty soup with thin noodles. The noodles were cooked quite soft. The toppings included chopped onions, thinly sliced fried potatoes, mitsuba, bamboo shoots, a small amount of chashu, and an additional flavored egg. Personally, I found the soup too creamy and the noodles too soft for my liking. However, since this is a restaurant known for mixed soba, I would need to try that dish to give a fair assessment. The restaurant is small but has a clean and pleasant atmosphere.

I tried the shoyu mazesoba at a newly opened shop this month. The broth was light and delicious! When you add vinegar, it becomes even smoother. They also provide a bit of rice to mix with the remaining broth at the end. I will definitely go back again!

I used it for lunch. The interior of the restaurant has only a counter, and even though it was before 12 o'clock, there was a waiting time. I ordered soy sauce mixed noodles, and it came with a finishing rice, so I was quite full. The taste is also very delicious with a strong garlic flavor!

Bird salt mixed noodles... It was my first time trying the taste of stylish mixed noodles. Despite being mixed noodles, it had a refreshing feel. Adding powdered cheese as a topping made it more Western-style and delicious with flavor variations. Soy sauce mixed noodles... It had the typical mixed noodles feel, but with an elegant taste. Being able to change the flavor with condiments on the table made it delicious without getting tired until the end.

On 2023/04/05 at 19:25, I had the Chicken Salt Mazesoba for ¥930 and the Pork Rare Chashu Don for ¥380, cash only. This is a new restaurant that opened on 4/1, but it's actually their second location. It seems like a lot of people order soy sauce here, so I decided to go with the salt option. The purple thing in the dish turned out to be pickled eggplant! The noodles were thick and chewy, with a good bite to them. The salt sauce was flavorful and didn't overpower the noodles, with a nice hint of fish powder. The rare chashu was juicy and made with chicken breast, but I would have preferred pork belly. The bamboo shoots were finely chopped and mixed with onions, adding a nice crunch to the dish. However, the pickled eggplant was a bit too soft for my liking - I would have preferred something crunchier like pickled radish. Overall, it was a good meal but could have been better with a few tweaks.