noodle-y day

The weather turned colder, very quickly! (there is even snow in the Northern areas of Japan already...brr!)

So what is a better way to warm up than with noodles? I love noodles in all forms and in all styles.

We recently went to check out Marugame Seimen. They actually opened a shop up called "Marukame Udon" in Waikiki earlier this year.

I was watching a show recently and they featured Marugame Seimen, how they have 500 shops across Japan and not one has closed in this down economy!

So I searched online to see where the nearest location was for us and we went after one of Satoshi's dentist appointments.

We arrived at noon and there was a slight line, but nothing too bad.

It is cafeteria style, so you order your udon according to the styles that they serve it, then pick up what tempura you want, then pay.

Satoshi ordered the kakeudon (which is udon in hot broth)...280 yen (about US$2.80).

I ordered the hiyashi gyugobo bukkake udon (udon served in a concentrated cold broth then topped with a sweet-salty beef & burdock)...480 yen (about US$4.80).

(Even though the weather is cooler, I usually try to choose a cold broth whenever I can because I almost always end up burning my tongue when I order a hot broth.)

Satoshi chose three different types of tempura (kakiage (a tempura fried with all sorts of veggies), nasu (eggplant) & kisu (sillago))...310 yen (about US$3.10)

And I chose a kakiage..130 yen (about US$1.30).

After paying, there is a little counter area where you can put your own green onions and or tempura kasu (the bits that come up when you fry tempura).

The food was good, I especially liked the gyugobo and kakiage. The gyugobo was tender and very flavorful, loved the sweet-salty combo. And the kakiage had lots of onions and carrot, think onion rings!

When we left, seating was scarce and the line was out the door.

We'll be back especially if we're in this area.

Then for dinner, we went to our favorite neighborhood Chinese place...Chaina.

I ordered their tan tan men set, this came with a bowl of tan tan men, some kara-age (fried chicken), cole slaw, takuan (pickles) and some rice...800 yen (about US$8)

Satoshi ordered what he always does, the stamina set...900 yen (about US$9) This comes with a stir-fry of beef and garlic shoots, gyoza, kara-age (fried chicken), cole slaw, takuan (pickles), egg drop soup and some rice.

It was my first time having the tan tan men here and I loved it, it was addictingly spicy! Can you believe after eating all that food and half of my rice, Satoshi was still hungry?!

All in all, it was a great noodle-y day.

Marugame Seimen--Kita-Shinsaibashi shop
3-8-14 Minami Senba
Chuo, Osaka
Phone: 06.6282.1150
Open everyday 11:00-22:00