Mimiu Sakai

Mimiu is the birthplace of Udon-Suki, a hot pot dish in which udon noodles are simmered with chicken, vegetables, seafood, and other ingredients. The company operates 12 locations, primarily in Osaka, but this is its only restaurant in Sakai, where it was founded as the traditional Japanese restaurant Mimiuro about 250 years ago.

The key to its signature Udon-Suki is the broth, carefully prepared over about 2 hours using Rishiri kombu from Hokkaido, soda bonito flakes from Tosashimizu, and aged dried bonito from Makurazaki. The thick, house-made udon noodles become more tender as they simmer. Ingredients such as shrimp, chicken, and vegetables are also meticulously prepared to prevent scum or unwanted flavors from entering the broth.

In addition to Udon-Suki, Uzura Soba, served with a dipping sauce containing quail eggs, is another popular dish. The restaurant uses domestically grown buckwheat cultivated under contract, which is stone-ground at its own facility before the noodles are made on-site. The extensive menu also ranges from seasonal set meals and broth shabu-shabu to affordable dishes such as kitsune udon and tanuki soba.

The restaurant offers table seating, tatami rooms, and private rooms, making it suitable for everything from family meals to business dinners.