Kanaya

Will it be kasu udon with onigiri on the side, or a bowl of nyumen fragrant with yuzu? At Kanaya in Nishitanabe, you can build a meal around a combination of noodles and rice.

The signature kasu udon combines Sanuki udon and bonito dashi with domestically sourced abura-kasu, or fried beef offal. Diners have described the noodles as pleasantly firm and praised the savoury dashi and the richness of the offal, while noting that the bowl does not feel too heavy. A set with onigiri is a good choice when you want to savour the broth. One diner enjoyed the pairing so much that they drank every last drop of soup.

For a lighter bowl of hot noodles, try the nyumen, made with Ibonoito somen and fragrant with yuzu and mitsuba. Diners have also mentioned a dashi broth with a pronounced yuzu note, and nyumen served with yuba, shiitake mushrooms and ume paste. Onigiri sets come in options such as 2 pieces and 6 pieces, with a choice of fillings. The selection includes medium-spicy salted salmon, okaka—bonito flakes seasoned with soy sauce, a combination said to go especially well with rice—and kombu made with Maikon, an Osaka speciality. Diners have remarked on the balance between the rice's sweetness and the salty fillings, as well as the light, tender shaping of the rice balls. One takeaway customer noted that the nori was packed separately, a thoughtful touch if you prefer to wrap it just before eating.

Beyond noodles and onigiri, the menu includes a set of beef kimbap with house-made kimchi and a gyudon made with Japanese wagyu. One diner enjoyed topping the kimbap with kimchi, making the restaurant an easy choice when you want to centre your meal on rice dishes.