NEXT SHIKAKU
【Foodholic Nako @ Osaka, Japan】
"NEXT SHIKAKU" is a popular ramen shop located in the shopping street of Sennichimae Douguya-suji, near Namba Station in Osaka, not far from Kuromon Ichiba Market.
The store's decor is very different from typical ramen shops, featuring a bar-like dim, colorful lighting ambiance. The broth goes beyond simple pork bone or chicken white soup flavors, specializing instead in an oyster broth.
P.S. I overheard a tour guide with a group of Western tourists saying, "This is my favorite ramen shop."
You need to buy a meal ticket before queuing and can only pay electronically. The ordering machine supports multiple languages, including Chinese, Japanese, English, and Korean, which is friendly to foreign customers.
We arrived on Saturday at 11:30 and waited for 1.5 hours before being seated, but when we walked past the ramen shop the next day, we noticed there were not as many people in line, likely only a half-hour wait would be okay.
Oyster Chicken White Soup Ramen ¥1120
The broth is made from oysters, pork, and chicken, resulting in a super rich flavor that combines the freshness of seafood oysters and the savory depth of chicken broth. I personally really liked it!
The protein component includes one slice of pork chashu and one small oyster, which felt a bit lacking. The pork was average and not particularly memorable; the oyster seemed a bit small? Perhaps because it is an oyster-themed ramen shop, I felt a slight disappointment when I saw it.
Fried Oysters ¥400
There are three pieces, and these oysters are quite large, not just batter. You can taste the sweet freshness of the oysters without any strange fishy taste; they also come with lemon and salt. While they already have a salty flavor, I personally think they don’t need salt, but a squeeze of lemon would make them even more refreshing.
The staff's service attitude is excellent, as they not only help hang your coat and assist you with wearing it but also accompany customers to the door while bowing at a 90-degree angle, making one feel quite respected. They are also very friendly to non-Japanese customers!