I had my share of trips to Japan in recent years (at least 2 per year) but surprisingly, I've never been to a Tenkaippin in my life. That's odd considering they're everywhere across Japan. In fact last year, they got voted by the locals as the second best ramen chain in Japan only behind Kourakuen (幸樂苑). Popular brands Ippudo and Ichiran only managed to finish third and fifth respectively. You may find the detailed results of this poll right here (in Chinese).
Tenkaippin is best known for their thick and tangy chicken ramen shop which is right up my alley. So, guess which of the two broths I would pick for my noodles - Kotteri (thick, creamy) and Assari (light with chicken flavors, vegetable-based)?
Char-siu Ramen (898yen) - Of course I went with their kotteri ramen soup which was both thick and creamy like it was advertised. It was perfect for the eggy noodles. The only thing I didn't like about this ramen was the char siu, or barbecued pork which was way too lean and dry for my liking.
Ton-toro Ramen (1,000yen) - This ramen came with their assari broth, which is vegetable based with added chicken flavors (cooked with chicken bones?). The clear ramen soup was obviously a lot lighter (only in volume but not the flavors!).
Personally, I like this combination a little better. I love the fatty pork neck and marinated eggs too, both were pretty delicious.
Seafood Fried rice (~200yen) - Very good "wok hei" (wok heat) and very tasty thanks to the wok frying in lard.
I was fairly impressed with the two ramens we ordered. Hopefully, we'll get another crack at these before we leave Osaka in a few days.
Food Rating: 5.1/10
Price: ¥¥
Address: 2-8-99 Nanbanaka, Osaka, 556-0011 Japan
Closest Metro Station: Namba
Tel: +81 (0)6 6641-1339
Website: www.tenkaippin.co.jp
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