燃えよ麺助

The hunt for Osaka’s best ramen took me to the Fukushima district, not far from bustling Umeda Station. Duck ramen made with specialty ingredients is the name of the game at this popular shop. Since opening in 2016, they have been one of Osaka’s must-hit shops.

A friend in Osaka was kind enough to lend me his bicycle almost every time I visited in 2022. Osaka is flat and though they don’t really have dedicated bicycle lanes, their excess of one-way streets makes cycling the city a breeze. Speaking of breeze, cycling along the Yodo River is a great way to beat the heat.

Moeyo Mensuke has two main choices. Duck and shellfish are both ramen trends over the last decade, and you’ll find them both here. Most people go for the duck, with repeat customers mixing things up.

The Kishu duck ramen (紀州鴨そば) uses duck from the Kii region of Japan. Historically, Japan was divided into states (州). These days, the country is made up of prefectures (県), but products are often labeled by their ancient state. Kishu lies south of Osaka and includes Wakayama and parts of Mie prefectures. This area of Japan is lush, unpopulated, and covered with farms.

The shop was opened by two chefs from Kinguemon (金久右衛門), another highly-ranked Osaka ramen shop.

Looking back at all of the duck ramen I’ve encountered over the years, they all seem pretty decent. Moeyo Mensuke is on the refined side of the spectrum. The ducks are from Ota Poultry Farm (太田養鶏場) in Wakayama. These specialty birds are high in vitamins A and B2. Awaodori (阿波尾鶏) Chicken is used as well. A blend of soy sauce from Kagawa Prefecture rounds things out. Noodles come from Mori Seimen (森製麺), a noodle maker with over 70 years in the noodle business. The egg is a brand called Delicious Red (うま赤卵) from Kagoshima.

This is one of the most popular shops in the Fukushima district of Osaka, along with Jinsei JET, so expect a bit of a wait in line. While you wait, you can grab a cup of mixed juice from a stand across from the ramen shop. Osaka, for some reason, is known for mixed juice. When in Rome!

Ramen Adventures

Ramen Shop Reviews from Japan and Abroad

燃えよ麺助 (Moeyo Mensuke in Osaka)

ぼっこ志 (Bokkoshi in Osaka)

ラーメン人生 JET 福島本店 (Jinsei Jet in Osaka)

豆天狗 (Mametengu in Takayama, Gifu)

燃えよ麺助 (Moeyo Mensuke in Osaka)

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ぼっこ志 (Bokkoshi in Osaka)

ラーメン人生 JET 福島本店 (Jinsei Jet in Osaka)

豆天狗 (Mametengu in Takayama, Gifu)