Shoudouten

Established in 1971, this long-established ramen shop has been loved for over 50 years in an alleyway in Sennichimae. Among the many ramen shops in the Namba/Nipponbashi area, establishments with over half a century of history are rare. It is known as a sanctuary for shime ramen (ramen to cap off a night out), quietly slurped by locals and regulars returning from drinks late at night. The two main pillars of the menu are a clear, chicken bone-based shio (salt) soup and gyoza with skins handmade from scratch. While the shio soup isn't flashy, its pure clear broth (chintan) leaves no unpleasant aftertaste, and its gentle nature, which smoothly permeates the body late at night, is its hallmark. The simple composition of chewy, thin Chinese noodles, bean sprouts, green onions, and braised pork (nibuta) is a perfected form that has been preserved for half a century, untouched by trends. A sprinkle of table pepper halfway through allows you to enjoy it without getting bored, down to the very last drop. The gyoza are small, handmade from scratch, and their chewy texture is a signature. Their excellent compatibility with beer and quality make it understandable why many regulars enjoy them with ramen as a shime. While shio ramen is the signature, wontonmen also enjoys enduring popularity, offering a dish where you can savor the contrast between the smooth wonton wrappers and the braised pork. The narrow space with only 11 counter seats, the local customers' style of eating quickly and leaving promptly, and the Showa-era atmosphere itself, devoid of flashy decorations, all function as part of Sennichimae's nightscape. It's a shop worth visiting just for being "shio ramen that has survived 50 years in the middle of a tourist area."