Operator of innovative Osaka ramen shops including Torisoba Zagin and Men’s Room Kamitora, noodle impresarios Gin no Budo opened this sleek fish-focused eatery in 2018. Maru de Sankaku (‘Circle and Triangle’) has won a loyal following over the past five years with its seabream ramen, especially in the form of the signature Tai Paitan Torori. The dish features thin noodles soaked in a rich and creamy soup combining seabream and clam broths, which is given a foamy, cappuccino-like finish before serving.
More than a photo-friendly gimmick, the trick makes the soup stick readily to the noodles and enhances its umami flavour. The toppings of seabream flakes, lemon, and chopped yuzu peel add a hint of freshness to the mix.
Tai Tsukemen Kirari, the dipping-noodle version, is a lighter but equally flavourful concoction built around a clear chintan soup that combines seabream and konbu broth with a house-made salt mixture. The flat noodles it comes with are flavoured with konbu before serving and make for a moreish match with the soup, which contains a handful of sticky akamoku seaweed to help soak up the liquid. Also included is a selection of toppings such as pickled seabream, steamed chicken and menma, plus plum jelly and oyster-flavoured olive oil that can be added halfway to spice up the soup.