Chinese restaurant　Laohutsai｜The 9th floor of the Hanshin Department Store, Osaka

The 9th floor of the Hanshin Department Store, located right near Osaka Station, is a dining floor packed with many well-known restaurants.

All of the restaurants there are popular and bustling, and this time I went to one of them, Laohutsai, to try their tantanmen. Originally based in Kobe, it’s a famous Chinese restaurant known for being difficult to get reservations. It recently made its first appearance in Osaka with a new location in the Hanshin Department Store. I had actually wanted to sit down for a proper meal, but since I was in between plans and short on time, I decided to just have a quick bowl of tantanmen instead.

When you order the tantanmen, they serve a “Shaoxing wine–flavored cheese monaka” as an appetizer. This monaka has an incredibly deep and rich flavor—it’s absolutely delicious. If I could, I’d happily have two or three of them. After enjoying the appetizer for a short while, the tantanmen and a bowl of rice are brought out.

The tantanmen is loaded with sesame, giving it a rich and nutty flavor. The spiciness is relatively mild, but the soup is delicate and incredibly tasty. The noodles are thin egg noodles that pair perfectly with the broth. The seasoned minced meat has a pleasant sweetness and is delicious on its own, but when you mix it into the soup and let it coat the noodles, it’s absolutely fantastic. This is seriously addictive.

As you’d expect from a popular restaurant, the food was undeniably delicious. The interior was stylish and clean, and the overall quality was high—I left very satisfied.

Next time, I’d love to come back and enjoy a full course meal, so I’m definitely planning another visit. And it’s not just Laohutsai—the 9th floor of the Hanshin Department Store is home to many highly popular restaurants, so it’s well worth checking out.