Benitora-ken Shinsaibashi 紅虎軒 心齋橋店 (Osaka, JAPAN) ★☆☆☆☆

My reputation as a traveling foodie took another hit today when we had to choose Chinese food over Japanese souffle pancakes (at Gram Cafe and Pancakes). That would've been okay if we were in Hong Kong but last time I checked, we were still in Osaka.



But being the good daddy that I am, I decided to go with Benitora-ken Shinsaibashi (紅虎軒 心齋橋店), a Chinese noodle bar near touristy Shinsaibashi because my baby wanted some Chinese noodle soup.



The ground-floor noodle bar was full so we were led up the staircase to the mezzanine floor where a more spacious dining room was waiting.



That's my little boss right there.....



For a small Chinese restaurant in Osaka, this sure covers a lot of ground - noodle soup, fried rice, dumplings etc. Even got some small dim sum like spring rolls.



Fried rice with barbecued pork and lettuce - This looked like a mess. The "wok hei" wasn't bad but there was way too much salt in there.



Chicken soup noodles - The noodles came in a traditional Chinese clay pot which was nice. But the soup was a little strong (MSG?) for my baby so we ended up dilating it with water.



Fried noodles with beef and mushrooms - One of the worst fried noodles I've ever had all-time. The fried noodles were all sticking together and the super gluey sauce actually made it even worse.



Boiled dumplings with minced pork and vegetables - The only dish that really tasted like something out of a professional kitchen really. 



This is outright awful from start to finish but as long as my little nugget enjoys his noodles, papa can live with it.





Food Rating: 3/10
Price: ￥￥
Address: 22-8-1 Shinsaibashisuji, Chuo-ku, Osaka, 542-0085, Japan
Closest Metro Station: Shinsaibashi
Tel: +81 (0)6 6484-3773