中華そば無限

Ultra-refined shoyu ramen is fairly common in recent years. You can find shops like this from Hokkaido to Kyushu, and big cities like Osaka obviously have their share. Mugen is the cream of the crop. The master, Mr. Okada (岡田店主) has been in the restaurant game for a long time. He ran yakiniku restaurants for over 10 years. He eventually left the restaurant industry to work as a repo man for a car rental service until his friend called from Australia. His friend wanted to expand his bento lunchbox restaurant into a ramen shop. Okada-san, with little experience in the matter, took a crash course with the Yamato Noodle School, and brought that knowledge down under. When he returned to Japan, he tried his hand at running his own ramen shop.

His first shop in Amagasaki didn’t do too well. When he moved to bustling Osaka, however, his fanbase grew and grew. Mugen is a 2019 Michelin Guide Osaka/Kyoto Bib Gourmand recipient. Their ranking on Japanese websites and in Japanese magazines is just as high. Some people hate that these refined shoyu bowls get all the critical love, but at the end of the day, that’s just the way things are. The menu features three normal choices. Chukasoba is standard. Niboshi soba and mazesoba bring back repeat customers.

The soup is made with a blend of some of Japan’s finest specialty chickens. Nagoya Cochin, Aomori Shamrock, Amakusa Daio, and Omi Black. It is rounded out with a kelp/scallop broth and a blend of soy sauces from Shimane and Kyoto.

The chicken fat aroma oil on top is made separately from Omi Black chicken fat. This is a common practice at shops like this. It’s all about control over every aspect of the bowl.

This was certainly a top-level bowl for my tastes. If you are a fan of chicken ramen shops like Rocking Billy or Touhichi, then you’ll rank this one in Osaka as a winner.

Noodles are made in-house as well. When he first started, Okada-san used a hand-crank Italian past machine. These days he’s using more professional machines to turn 100% Hokkaido wheat into something special.

Official Twitter here.

Ramen Adventures

Ramen Shop Reviews from Japan and Abroad

中華そば無限 (Chukasoba Mugen in Osaka)

麺元素 (Mengenso in Osaka)

麬にかけろ中崎壱丁中崎商店會1-6-18号ラーメン (Kasumanikakeru in Osaka)

山頭火 (Santoka in Asahikawa, Hokkaido)

中華そば 無限 (Chukasoba Mugen in Osaka)

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麺元素 (Mengenso in Osaka)

麬にかけろ 中崎壱丁 中崎商店會1-6-18号ラーメン (Kasumanikakeru in Osaka)

山頭火 (Santoka in Asahikawa, Hokkaido)

中華そば無限 (Chukasoba Mugen in Osaka)

麬にかけろ中崎壱丁中崎商店會1-6-18号ラーメン (Kasumanikakeru in Osaka)