Famously nicknamed Japan’s kitchen, Osaka is a haven for the food lovers. In fact, we didn’t quite have enough days to cover all the food we wanted and had to cramp some of them into one meal’s worth most of the time haha. And because there’s so much good food in this post, I’m putting things to do in Osaka as a separate post. 😀
Full Meals
Tonkotsu Ramen – Ichiran Ramen
One of the most famous ramen spots in Japan, famous for its classic tonkotsu ramen accompanied by its red sauce.
Address: Various, the one we went to was at Dotonburi. (There are two branches at Dotonburi FYI, the other’s by the river)
Recommend to visit? YASSSSSSSS!!!!
Outstanding red sign
This was my second visit to Ichiran, with the first being in Tokyo in 2014. As with everything else, things are less impressionable the second time I visit but nevertheless, I hold on to my conclusion that Ichiran is still one of the best ramen I’ve eaten. It belongs to those categories of “cannot go wrong” and “can eat any time” in my dictionary. Haha.
Always crowded at Ichiran, mostly with tourists since Dotonburi is a tourist area
Stuck with the same options as the previous time
With level 5 spicy sauce 🙂
On hindsight, I think level 5 was a bit overwhelming this time round, maybe my tolerance has decreased somehow. I’d go for a level 3 or 4 the next time round to be comfortable.
Beautiful broth color!!
Okonomiyaki (Jap savory pancake) – Mizuno
Savority pancake, Japanese style.
Address: 1-4-15 Dotombori, Chuo-ku, Osaka 542-0071, Osaka
Recommend to visit? Okonomiyaki is a should-try, not necessarily at this restaurant tho.
Storefront of Mizuno.
When googling okonomiyaki online, Mizuno turns up fairly often as one of the recommended choices in Osaka. The lines we saw at Dotonbori proved it, especially at dinner time. This was our first time trying okonomiyaki ever so we don’t really have a reliable alternative to compare this restaurant to, but for my personal taste their okonomiyaki felt like it was missing something. Whatever that is lmao.
The menu. Photo taken from http://www.motorcityhog.com (the exact URL has been taken down).
For the life of me I cannot remember what we ordered for sure, only that we definitely had the Yamaimo-yaki (yam), the number 1 option on the menu, and we ordered a half-portion/mini size of another variety. The difference is simply less ingredients with the same amount of batter, and at half price. Since our motto in Osaka is always to minimize the amount we consume per food type (in order to try everythinggggg), that was a good option for us.
The menu item that I can’t recall, comes with egg and noodles.
The yam dish
The one i cannot rmbr for the life of me
Again, this was a bit of an ‘okay, it’s nice i tried it’ rather than a rave response that I had for Ichiran for example. Okonomiyaki is so famous in Japan though, I hardly doubt you’d have trouble finding an equally famous restaurant with potentially better okonomiyakis.
Matsusaka steak – Yakiniku M
Wagyu from the Matsusaka region. This restaurant is famous for serving some of the better ones. Will dent your wallets a little bit!
Address: Various, the one we went to was Hozenji Yokocho, a short walk from the main Yakiniku M branch at Dotonbori (went there cuz it was quieter) – 1-1-19 Namba, Chuo-ku, Osaka-city, 542-0076
Recommend to visit? For sure if you’re a beef lover, matsusaka wagyu is one of the top meat. Supposedly better beef than Kobe but I’d violently disagree LOL.
Storefront. My photo taking skills have deteriorated to nothingness
Since they are quite touristy due to their location and SEO friendly website, the restaurants had English-speaking waitresses to explain the parts to us.
So you’re able to choose either ala carte or course menu. Helpful diagram maps how lean or fatty the beef part is.
The course menu per person. It’s more pricey but you get a better selection. We went with the ala carte option in the end to save money haha. More value-for-money as we get to try some Premium parts as well without paying for full Premium course set.
We went with the ala carte option instead to save a bit of money haha. It’s more valuable as we get to try some of the better parts as well without paying the full Premium course set.
Our options were:
Hiuchi – Thigh, 1,500 yen
Misuji – Shoulder, 2,500 yen
Maroboshi no Misuji – Well fat marbled beef, 3,000 yen
And also this very delicious garlic rice I would recommend:
Highly recommend, this was tasty af.
For some reason i didn’t have the picture of the beef cooking i think I was too caught up with trying to cook it perfectly and maybe the BF got pictures of them which was why I didn’t bother LOL. Or maybe I had it on Snapchat. Anyways.
Very satisfying meal. We’re both huge beef lovers so this left us happy and full.
We had a private spot at the 3rd floor for the meal!
All in all, recommend to go if you want to treat yourself to some really good meat. Tho I’m still a bigger advocate for Kobe.
Udon – Tsurutontan Soemoncho
Popular udon chain serving the noodles in huuuuuuuge udon bowls. Its creamy based udon is awesome.
Address: 3-17 Soemoncho, Chuo-ku, Osaka 542-0084, Osaka Prefecture
Recommend to visit? Yup, try the cream base crab udon!
We actually visited this spot twice, once when the BF was really hungry for supper (i think that was after matsusaka beef), and the second time for a proper dinner. I’m quite glad i got dragged out for supper despite having bathed and all that, because the crab creamy soup was pretty darn awesome.
Again lousy phototaking skills (iphone) but yes look out for the bright yellow circle and the udon catalogue.
On the second visit I ordered the regular udon. I must say tho the cream base is really much nicer, and this is coming from someone who usually picks soup based food.
Really huge and warm bowl of soup. Nice on a cold day but it was summer HAHA.
Shoyu Ramen – Sodaisho
Arguably one of the best Shoyu ramens in town, though I’ve seen reviews finding them too salty.
Address: 2 Chome-4-16 Ukida, Kita Ward, Osaka, Osaka Prefecture 530-0021, Japan
Recommend to visit? Hell yeah!
We made the mistake of choosing to walk 1km+ from the Umeda station since we came from there, instead of taking the train down to the nearest station which is Tenjimbashishuji Rokuchome. So the BF was grumpy that I was dragging him all the way, but the good bowl of Shoyu ramen made everything better!
FYI for the amateurs shoyu ramen is made of soy sauce broth.
Distinct storefront
Greeted to a very cosy and warm restaurant. It was drizzling at night when we went so this was a very nice environment to come across.
We were given seats at the corner
The simple menu. We ordered the Shoyu ramen each and added on a fried rice because everyone seemed to be eating it.
Celebrity autographs
What i really liked about this place was how the three owners (i think) seemed so happy with what they were doing. Very enthusiastically shouting menu orders and preparing the food. The BF was speculating they could be really good friends who quit their corporate jobs to set up a ramen stall? Haha idk. It just seemed like they were the owners because they were so happy.
The delicious bowl!
I really liked the thin chewy noodles and the light salty broth. I think it might come across as too salty for some people but i personally enjoyed it thoroughly, it was a good break from the heavier Tonkotsu or Miso broth that I’ve been eating in the previous days. Adding them chilli flakes also made the broth so amazing.
Fried rice to share
The fried rice was also very tasty, reminded me a lot of Din Tai Fung’s version. It was perfect to eat with the ramen as it neutralized the salty taste.
Definitely recommend and would personally go back if i had the chance to.
Lobster roll – Luke’s Lobster
Famous international chain for lobster rolls. Not from Japan per se but this is really popular anyways judging by the queue.
Address: 1 Chome-3-21 Shinsaibashisuji, Chuo Ward, Osaka, Osaka Prefecture 542-0085, Japan
Recommend to visit? For sure for fans of lobster roll!
This was the BF’s specific request, I think after days of eating solely Japanese food it was nice to have an option for bread and a more Western cuisine. Lobster roll fits perfectly into this category.
Originally meant as a ‘snack’ the BF ended up buying two so I indulged in them as well haha.
Snaking queue
Watching the staff prepare the rolls
Cool poster
I didn’t quite take the menu so I don’t have the prices in mind, but my vague memory is that it ranges around $20 as we had gotten the US sized one. The regular one is more affordable of course.
Just look at that fat well-seasoned piece of meat at the top!!!!! We ate unglamly at a corner and i remember accidentally dropping one piece and the BF shrieked because it was like $2 of lobster or smth.
He got hooked so he went back to get another one, this time the crab version.
Crab roll
Both were equally nice but of course the lobster trumps the crab.
This was indeed a very nice treat in the midst of all the Asian food!!
Curry rice with raw egg – Jiyuken
Little restaurant with a long history and an interesting dish that was born out of accident.
Address: 1 Kaigandori, Minatoku, Osaka 552-0022, Osaka Prefecture
Recommend to visit? Yes mostly for the novelty. Maybe not worth going out of the way for.
It’s said that the concept of a single raw egg on top of curry rice came about when a tourist ordered curry rice, took a raw egg thinking it was cooked and cracked it on top of his rice. Thus this was born.
You can recognize the storefront by its yellow and white signage.
Its menu on display.
Isn’t it awesome how retro the restaurant looks? I’d dare recommend this store if only for the retro feel and its long history.
The dish itself.
It was certainly an interesting experience, i wouldn’t say it blew me away as it was more like standard curry rice just a bit more sticky because of the egg. All the Japs around me looked like they really enjoyed the dish though so I wouldn’t doubt the value of this restaurant.
Curry rice – Camp
Camping themed restaurant serving curry dishes.
Address: 3-1-1 Umeda, Kita-ku | Ekimae Marche Osaka, Osaka Prefecture
Recommend to visit? Yes but if you know what’s good for you, order the vegetable curry!!
We kinda knew that this was famous for its vegetable curry, but we were kinda exploring new stuff and ended up ordering other dishes. Which didn’t turn out to be so fabulous after all.
The menu.
Must say the store looks very nice.
Complete with bags and all.
Loving the utensils
This was the Osaka Curry. The curry tasted good yes but i didn’t like the tons of yam that came with it. The BF’s beef curry wasn’t even the same curry so he was disappointed too.
Remember kids. Try the vegetable curry. There’s a reason they’re known for it.
Street Food / Snacks
Takoyaki – Acchichi Honpo
Popular Takoyaki stall near the rivers of Dotonbori
Address: 7-19 Souemoncho, Chuo-ku, Osaka 542-0084, Osaka Prefecture
Recommend to visit? Yup!
Pretty noticeable signage
Queue was mad crazy.
There’s space downstairs to eat. Given how hot the Takoyaki was, would really recommend sitting down to enjoy.
Yumz
The queue was a bit too long tbh, but would still recommend this as a place to visit. Otherwise, there are other Takoyaki stalls at Dotonbori that would be worth trying as well.
Crab – Kani Doraku
Easily recognizable by its mechanic crab storefront, this restaurant is famous for serving fresh crab dishes.
Address: 〒542-0071 1-6-18, Dotombori, Chuo-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka
Recommend to visit? For crab lovers, yup, it’s a nice snack.
There’s a takeaway booth at the front where the staff grills crab meat and the creamy thingy in their shell which always runs out (we tried twice to order it).
Famous mechanic crab
Grilling the crab meat!!!
This was pretty good but we hung around the thrash area like hobos, digging into the crab with chopsticks. Lol.
Kushikatsu (Fried Skewers) – Yaekatsu
Yaekatsu is a popular eatery in the Shinsekai district.
Address: Japan, 〒556-0002 Osaka Prefecture, Osaka, 浪速区恵美須東３丁目４−１３
Recommend to visit? Yup! Very nice unhealthy snack!
Kushikatsu eateries allow you to choose from a variety of vegetables, meat and eggs which they will then deep fry in their own batter. The sauce is served in containers shared by all the other patrons, and the rule is that you can’t double dip for hygiene purposes obviously. Initially I thought patrons would maybe scoop some sauce out to their own plate for convenience but no, everyone really just dips into these shared containers. It was quite an interesting cultural quirk, and an interesting take on fried skewers.
The distinct orange and white store sign.
Sorry a bit blurry, but basically the staff cooking the food and the sauce containers.
They have English and chinese menus. And I’m not entirely sure what they’re trying to say at the bottom right LOL.
Yumz fried stuff 🙂
Gyoza – Osaka Ohsho
Chinese eatery, first established as a Gyoza house and still well-known as a Gyoza house.
Address: 1-6-13 Dotombori, Chuo-ku, Osaka 542-0071 , Osaka Prefecture
For those lookin for a quick easy snack, this Gyoza would be a perfect stop-by. Located conveniently at Dotonbori, they have options for you to dine-in or simply takeout, with the latter still having the option of eating at their standing desks.
It’s literally impossible to miss this storefront with the huge Gyoza!
Staff preparing the gyoza
Takeout prices. They’re cheaper than dining in.
There’s a stretch of table for takeout folks to eat. You can see a little bit of it at the bottom corner left of the pic.
Very simple and tasty snack.
Dessert
Cheesecake – Rikuro Ojisan / Uncle Rikuro
Famous cheesecake store in Japan.
Address: 3-2-15 Namba, Chuo-ku, Osaka 542-0076, Osaka Prefecture
I distinctly remember us buying this at night before its closing time, and there was still a queue. There are plenty of famous cheesecake and cheesetart shops in Japan, and this was one of them.
The queue
Freshly made and wrapped 🙂
Yayyyy!
I think we did manage to finish the whole thing by ourselves eventually, by eating it every morning and some of the nights as dessert. Haha. I have to say though, in terms of preference I’d lean more towards Pablo and Bake (famous cheese tart outlets). Talking bout those two, I’ve reviews of them below as well!
Cheese Tart – Bake
Cheese tarts hailing from Hokkaido. Technically it has just opened in Singapore as well, but still it was worth dropping by one of the stores in Osaka.
Address: Various
This was really really good. Easily my favorite of the cheese baked items. The queue at the Kintetsu department store was pretty long and the staff arranged everyone to queue near the train station, bringing them in by batches.
Queuing near the train station outside the department store
All dem lovely tarts
❤
Easily the best. Definitely worth the visit.
Cheese Tart – Pablo
A store that gained massive popularity in less than 2 years. Famous for its more creamy insides (able to choose how well done you want the cheese to be)
Address: Various, this was mine: 2-3-15 Shinsaibashisuji, Chuo-ku, Osaka 542-0085, Osaka
I had visited Pablo when I was in Tokyo in 2014, but definitely since this was conveniently located at Dotonbori, we dropped by to try it again.
The menu has expanded since my last visit!
We got the mini cheese tarts this time round!
One per flavor 🙂
The three together cost almost as much as one large cheese tart, but it’s much more for us to sample new flavors and not overkill with the size of the tart. These were all tasty, but still the cheese is the best of them all.
Bars
We’ve not had much luck in this department, because we were intimidatd by some of the very local spots, we ended up going to this same place over and over again:
Yakitori bar – Torikizoku
Everything here is only 280 yen ($4 bucks), including the drinks!
Address: Various
Recommend to visit? Yes, very reliable spot to hang out for affordable food and drinks.
This is quite a famous chain, they have tons and tons of stores everywhere in Japan and you can definitely locate one nearby in your area of Osaka. Whilst this doesn’t feel super home restaurant Japanese, you can definitely feel the culture. Waiters greeting enthusiastically. Queue system. Men in suits gathering after work. Ladies chattering together. It’s usually very crowded and lively.
And one of the best parts is, they have an English menu! Yay! But I completely forgot to take a pic of it boooo. Basically there’s tons of grilled skewers, chicken, side dishes like kimchi, and also little rice bowls for the hungry ones. All for 280 yen. The drinks menu is also fairly comprehensive covering the basics such as beer and sake, and also venturing into more interesting Japanese style cocktails and alcohol.
The entrance. We went to a few diffrent stores and all of them hda the same queue system.
Cosy spot for us
One of the days I ordered this Strawberry milk cocktail and the BF said it looked gross but it actually tasted nice and sweet, can barely taste any alcohol HAHA.
Snacks to accompany your drinks.
Honorary mention
Family mart iced latte. 180 yen only ($2.50).My daily coffee fix.
I’m not even kidding. Cafes in Japan seem to be divided into either mid-range machine auto-dispense coffee, really expensive drip coffee (which feels like a waste to take away and not sit down to enjoy) or Starbucks. Typically cafes selling coffee for $5-6 bucks have their own espresso machines and make the coffee proper, but the same priced cafes in Japan have automatic machine lattes. Which taste the same as the family mart one tbh.
So obviously, just go get the Family Mart one. It’s actually nice for its price.
Make payment at the counter and they will pass you a cup of ice
Complete with sugar and milk. At some of the more expensive districts and bigger Family Mart stores, they have cinnamon and chocolate powder to add. I’ve made ‘mocha’ from there too!
darmawanders 