Teuchi Soba Akari Noodle Shop - Minami Area

Teuchi Soba Akari - now Akari - is a small, cozy soba restaurant run by an elderly couple. Miraculously, it is located on Dotonbori itself, a few dozen meters from where the action and stimulation are concentrated. Akari is a magical getaway from the city. The smell of sizzling sesame oil wafts in as you walk in, the bells jingle as the door closes behind you. Jazz set melody. The music moved from slow-burn melodies to piano jazz as Ella Fitzgerald dug into an old microphone. I didn't realize how exhausted a few days in Osaka had been until I sat down here.

It doesn't matter what restaurant you're at - soba is clearly better than cold. No one likes soft, mushy noodles, which is what happens when you eat hot soba too slowly. Akari's soba could have been washed a bit more to get rid of the last starch on the noodles but I'm not complaining. You can order tenzaru (cold soba with tempura), or kamo-jiru (duck broth) soba. Why not have the best of both worlds? You can only stay here once.

You know - the seasons and the weather dictate what you eat in this country, so even the fried foods here will change with the seasons. When cumin is the late autumn version of shrimp, cherry blossom and pumpkin, a combination of ocean and land, tastes like a greasy little pillow from the sea. It tastes even better when you dip it in duck broth instead of the accompanying yuzu chutney.

The duck broth is the special thing here. It is a thick noodle dipping broth, the essence of soy and meat and allium to grate your noodles. It has a characteristic salty taste. Dip the noodles in and slurp straight from the bowl. If you have never liked leeks before, now you will. When soba-yu is mixed with hot, starchy soba water to dilute the sauce and make a wonderful hot soup in Osaka's cold air

Akari shop has only been open for 11 years and is a quiet place, quiet over time. The food is palatable to the surroundings. Many people come here to eat with the newspaper in hand - what a wonderful sight in today's fast-paced smart phone era! Or they were here in pairs, beautiful couples and quietly choosing to follow each other's orders. You can eat here alone, sitting at the counter with your back to the river, the sunlight shining on the pages of your book. Enjoy one last soba before you venture into the frenetic crowds of urban Osaka once again.

Open door

Monday - Friday & Public Holidays : 12:00 - 03:00, 18:00 - 00:00

Saturday, Sunday : 11:30 -00:00

Closed Unknown

Phone +81-6-6212-5450