Dotonbori Imai Honten

Imai has served udon on Dotonbori since 1946, and in a street dominated by giant signs and loud food it offers something quieter: a bowl of noodles in a clear, carefully made broth. Osaka's udon tradition is all about dashi, the stock that forms the soup, and Imai says the flavour of its dashi has not changed since the business was founded. It is made fresh every day using wild kombu kelp from Hokkaido.

The noodles are the Osaka style, soft yet springy and smooth, served hot in the dashi with a range of toppings, or cold with a dipping sauce. A simple hot udon with few toppings is the best way to taste the broth on its own terms, and the rest of the menu builds from there. Soba noodles and nabe hot pots are also on the menu, the latter good for a group on a cold evening. The restaurant publishes typical spending of around a couple of thousand yen per person, which makes it a mid-priced choice for Dotonbori.

The building is larger than it looks from the street, with 138 seats, private rooms for up to eight people and space for banquets of up to 40. The dining rooms are non-smoking. Major credit cards are accepted, as are IC transport cards such as ICOCA and Suica, which is convenient for visitors.

Imai is closed on Wednesdays. Lunchtimes and early evenings are busiest, although the large number of seats helps keep waits short. It suits families, older travellers and anyone wanting a lighter meal between the deep-fried and griddled specialities of Minami, and the simple flavours make it a good introduction to Japanese noodles for children. For a quieter visit, go after the lunchtime rush or before the evening crowds arrive on Dotonbori. If you are new to Japanese noodle etiquette, slurping is perfectly normal, and drinking the last of the broth from the bowl is the best compliment you can pay a dashi this carefully made.

The restaurant is about five minutes' walk from Namba Station on the Osaka Metro Midosuji Line. It stands among the restaurants and theatres of Dotonbori, so it fits naturally before or after a stroll along the canal, a visit to Hozenji Yokocho or an evening at the Shochikuza theatre.