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Kinryu Ramen 金龍?, Dotonbori, Osaka

Location: 1-7-26 Dotonbori, Chuo-ku, Osaka
Opening Hours: 24/7
Telephone Number: +81-06-6211-3999
Official Website: www.dotonbori.or.jp

Kinryu Ramen 金龍, Dotonbori, Osaka

My experience at Ippudo left me such a strong impression one night, sober and all, that it was one of the best ramen I had in Osaka. The Akamaru Shinaji ramen was one spectacular bowl of ramen. But it doesn’t stop there, as I had my second runner up ramen at Kamakura, its shoyu broth surprising me with its simplicity in all irony of complex recipes.

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So I was left with three possible contenders: Kinryu Ramen, Hanamaruken Ramen and Shi-Ten-Noh 西天王 Ramen. One of my friends recommended Hanamaruken to me, whose store in Japan was unlike what we are used to here in Manila. Shi-Ten-Noh was something stewing in my bucket for a while, but Kamakura won my choice. Then there was Kinryu Ramen, where my experience wasn’t quite what I expected.

I was half-assed drunk after three glasses of white wine and a shot of Hibiki at Pitari, but still conscious.

My friend and I were finding a place to stay sober and Kinryu was the first thing that popped on his Google Maps. Of course! It has a TripAdvisor rating of 4 out of 5, and tourists recommended it as a must try in Osaka.

The bowl of cheap Miso-based ramen, only costing 750 yen, was something I had to find out.

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It was one huge disappointment. And I was drunk. I wasn’t that drunk to forget its revolting taste. And I’m telling you it’s not the alcohol talking.

Somebody, save me from this.

There was something in that broth that tasted sorely like instant noodles mixed with chemicals and oils and MSG and stuffed into a microwave oven. I hated the taste. It was the first ramen bowl in my life that I did not finish. After two or three slurps of noodles, I couldn’t take it anymore. Maybe you have to try it yourself to believe me.

Folks, don’t believe when people say everything in Japan tastes good. Because this is one stark example of a ramen gone wrong.

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That Golden Dragon looks legit, but it doesn’t come close to Ippudo, Ichiran, and Kamakura.

Kinryu Ramen Rating:

[usrlist “Taste and Originality: 1” “Customer Experience: 3” “Value for Money: 3.5” “Brick and Mortar: 3.5”]