Friday, May 29, 2015

Mugen (Osaka-shi, Fukushima-ku)

中華そば 無限
ちゅうかそば むげん
Chuuka Soba Mugen

Niboshi soba: 16 / 20
(煮干そば)

Ben (from Friends in Ramen) had informed me about the Osaka Ra-Sai, a ramen festival that would last four months (from early February to the end of May), and during which you have to visit sixteen ramenya. I’m generally not a big fan of this kind of commitment-fostering event, but when looking at the shops that were participating, I saw many tempting places I had never heard about before. And here we are with Ben at Mugen, on the very first day of the operation, at the opening time!

Mugen offer quite a few different specialties: shrimp shio, chuka soba, niboshi ramen and even abura soba. I wanted to try all of them, obviously, but I went with the niboshi (and Ben with the chuka soba).


Broth: Ah, the delicious niboshi scent! One of the best niboshi broth I ever had, nothing less (and Ben's pungent shoyu broth was also quite good).

Noodles: Interesting shape, they were a bit flat and had the right texture.

Meat: What a letdown! A very insignificant slice of meat that felt as if it had been artifically put together. And a slice of chicken, barely cooked and equally pointless.

Egg: Two halves of a very runny egg. Good yolk, but quite soft, and with a tasteless white part.

Toppings: A long branch of bamboo - it may not have been menma, as it did not have a taste of preserved food; quite refreshing. The negi also fitted very well with the broth, as it usually does with niboshi.

Overall, a bowl that shines for its broth and could have been great without its very disappointing meat. Ramen-cooks over the world, please dare trying meatless ramen instead of using such industrial sh*t! The planet and our tastebuds will thank you.

More info on ramendb.

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