Osaka shoyu ramen! Enjoy extra thick chashu with your ramen at Jinrui Mina Menrui

Everyone is talking about Jinrui Mina Menrui, a ramen shop located near Osaka’s Minamikata Station. I'd heard it looks no different from your average ramen shop, but that it's their original soup, noodles, and toppings that set them apart from the rest.

With that in mind, I decided to get a head start and line up before it opened for the evening. However, I arrived to find that there were already a number of people ahead of me. In no time the line had reached over 50 meters! Good thing I'd come early.

On the inside you’ll find an open kitchen surrounded by counter seats, as well as a single 4-person table. Bright and clean with up-beat music playing in the background, the atmosphere beckons one to enter without hesitation.

Everything on the menu sounded excellent, too: "macro" shellfish ramen, "micro" soy sauce ramen, and their original "genten"(原点) bonito ramen (all only 800 yen). I decided to order the genten ramen as it’s the original dish that made them famous. And as per recommendation of the staff, I also ordered their extra thick bamboo shoots and chashu, or roasted pork fillet.

When my order was placed before me, I was astonished at the size of the chashu! It was so tender it could be easily broken apart with chopsticks. The salty-sweet flavour was unmatchable, the melt-in-your-mouth texture surprisingly substantial. The bamboo shoots were equally tasty, both crunchy and juicy. All in all, it was certainly a unique dining experience of the best kind.

Before I devoured all the chashu, I wanted to check the quality of the noodles and soup as well. The soup was solid; the aroma of the bonito-based broth was balanced well with hints of the soy sauce’s umami. And the slightly thick, curly noodles were pleasantly chewy. As time went on, the slowly melting fat of the chashu really added something to the already delicious soup, changing the flavour ever so slightly.

By the end of the meal I was stuffed. 800 yen for that amount of volume felt like an amazing deal.

Even I, with my large appetite, was left extremely satisfied. Next time, I want to try their garlic-free “ginger gyoza” (250 yen) and their pork rice bowl (250 yen).