Osaka: Kitsune udon and oyakodon at Dotonbori Imai Main Shop (道頓堀 今井本店) in Namba

Dotonbori Imai Main Shop (道頓堀 今井本店), a long-established restaurant, is located along the bustling Dotonbori street. Despite the busy surroundings, the atmosphere inside is quite refined and relaxing. I almost forgot we were on such a lively street while dining there. But the prices are surprisingly affordable.

Our acquaintance highly recommended this restaurant. When we entered, I noticed that there were many foreign tourists. It seems the restaurant has a strong reputation not only among Japanese visitors but also internationally.

One of their specialties is Kitsune udon. As shown in the picture, kitsune udon is a simple dish of udon noodles topped with deep-fried tofu. The word “kitsune” refers to the tofu in this dish.

This udon was perfect. The noodles had a smooth texture and went down easily. However, I found the deep-fried tofu to be a bit too sweet for my taste. I always say I don’t like sweet meals, so, to be honest, I wasn’t a fan of it. That said, the udon had a nice springy texture and was delicious. This was my friend’s order, by the way, so I only had a taste. 🙂

This was my order. Oyakodon. The staff recommended I try the oyakodon set, which includes a small udon (親子丼セット, 1480 yen), but we had already eaten quite a bit at another restaurant before visiting, so I declined the offer. My oyakodon came with clear soup and pickled vegetables.

The yolk was perfectly raw in the middle, and the chicken meat was tender and fresh. The cooked eggs were soft and flavorful.

This was definitely the best oyakodon I’ve ever had! The green onions used in the dish resembled Kujo Negi, a type of Kyoto vegetable.

By the way, while the restaurant’s appearance suggests traditional Japanese-style architecture, it is actually a reinforced-concrete building. It’s a four-story ferroconcrete building, owned by Imai, with seating on every floor. The restaurant is quite large!

About

Name Dotonbori Imai Honten (道頓堀 今井本店)
Open Lunch through dinner
Reservation Available for course or hotpot only
Credit card Available
URL Website, Twitter, Instagram

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