One of the must-try ramens in Osaka – “Golden Dragon Ramen” features Q-textured, chewy noodles

▲The giant dragon at the entrance of Golden Dragon Ramen Shop is very eye-catching.

Photos & Text byJeff who keeps a Basan (a mythical creature)

“Golden Dragon,” “Ichiran,” “Shitenno,” and “Kamukura” are popular ramen shops you shouldn’t miss in Dotonbori, Osaka. This time, Jeff came here and, of course, wanted to give them a try. But with so many other dishes to eat (like conveyor belt sushi, tempura, and takoyaki), he could only have one bowl of ramen. In the end, he chose Golden Dragon Ramen Dotonbori Shop, which looks a bit old but has a uniquely distinctive interior.

Golden Dragon Ramen has five branches in Osaka City. Two of them feature three-dimensional giant dragons, while the other three have painted dragons on the walls. The Golden Dragon Ramen Dotonbori Shop is located at the corner of Dotonbori and Senba Nichome Shopping Street. There's a big blue dragon with a golden belly on top of the shop, making it easy to spot.. The interior is semi-open, with seating on three sides right next to the streets and alleys, surrounding the noodle-making counter. The seating at Golden Dragon Ramen is also quite unique — it’s a raised tatami-style platform. If you don’t take off your shoes and sit cross-legged, you end up sitting at an angle, which most people do while eating their ramen.


▲The seating at Golden Dragon Ramen surrounds the noodle-making counter.

Golden Dragon Ramen operates on a semi-self-service basis. First, you buy a meal ticket from the vending machine. Although there are four buttons on the machine, it actually sells only two types of ramen: the ¥600 ramen and the ¥900 pork-belly ramen (which comes with more than double the amount of pork). After inserting yen coins, the ticket is dispensed, which you then hand to the ramen chef at the counter. Once your ramen is ready, the chef will call you to pick it up yourself.


▲The meal ticket vending machine.


▲Although there are two buttons, they both sell the same type of ramen — one button is labeled in Japanese, the other in English.


▲You can select the quantity of ramen.


▲After getting the ticket, hand it to the staff at the counter.

Another special feature of Golden Dragon Ramen is that you can add your own spicy kimchi, spicy leek, and chopped garlic. However, Jeff can’t eat spicy food, so he didn’t add any. For those who enjoy spicy flavors, you might want to try adding some spicy kimchi, spicy leek, or chopped garlic after eating half of your ramen as is.


▲Spicy kimchi, spicy leek, and chopped garlic are available for self-service at the counter.

Golden Dragon Ramen is essentially a pork bone broth soup. While the flavor might be a bit strong for Taiwanese palates, it’s not overly salty, and Jeff was able to finish all the soup. As for the noodles, they were truly impressive — Q-textured and chewy, with a mouthfeel very different from many other Japanese ramens. If Jeff ever comes back to Dotonbori again, as long as his stomach has room, he’ll definitely order another bowl.


▲%The rich pork bone broth may be intense, but it’s not unbearably salty. Jeff even finished all the soup.


Golden Dragon Ramen Dotonbori Shop
Address: 1-7-26 Dotonbori, Chuo-ku, Osaka, Osaka Prefecture
Phone: 06-6211-6202