This post was written in 2006. Shop details and prices may have changed since then.
I went to Imai, which has been selling udon right in the heart of Dotonbori for decades. Apparently they built an eight-story building out of udon sales… impressive stuff. Osaka has always been known for its udon, but these days it’s been losing ground to Sanuki udon from Shikoku. Still, I had to find out for myself what traditional Osaka udon tastes like.
The front entrance
We were shown up to the 4th floor.
Oyakodon.
It’s a rice bowl made with chicken and egg, hence oyako (“parent and child”) don. Taste was ordinary.
Zaru udon.
The noodles were ordinary. Sanuki udon, which is so popular lately, uses chewy, springy, flavorful noodles, so I guess these felt fairly ordinary by comparison.
Kizami udon, one of the house specialties.
Udon topped with sliced fried tofu. The light seafood-based broth soothes and warms your stomach, and it more than makes up for what the noodles lack. With Sanuki udon the focus is on the noodle texture, so the broth is often just so-so, but Imai’s udon seems to win on the broth. I was very satisfied.