Osaka is known as “The Nation’s Kitchen”. Osaka is a major metropolitan city in Japan with a population of around 2.3 million . Some consider it to be a smaller version of Tokyo. Osaka is best known as a food city where people are willing to “eat themselves poor”. As my tour guide said, you can’t go to a bad restaurant in Osaka because the competition is so fierce that bad restaurants will quickly close. The best place to start your exploration of Osaka food is Dontonbori street.
What to Eat:
Takoyaki: It is a wheat-battered , ball-shaped snacks filled with diced octopus, green onion, and pickled ginger so basically Fried Octopus Balls. They are cooked to be crisp on the outside and gooey on the inside. Don’t attempt to eat them in one bite as they are piping hot in the center! They were a bit rich and my stomach could only handle so many. Luckily that left room to try other dishes!! Most places sell them in a minimum of 8 so I would share them with a friend.
Where to eat: There are many vendors on the street cooking these fresh. I found it to be tasty but I could only have a couple. If you are looking for the best option, look for the longest line! There is a long line for a reason plus it ensures that you get fresh food! Above is one of the many options on Dotombori street.
Okonomiyaki: Translated it means cooked how you like. It is a Japanese savory pancake with a main ingredient of cabbage. Since it is cooked how you like, you can add whatever ingredients you want including a shrimp, octopus, pork, bacon, meat, cheese, kimchi, etc. I choose to go for a bacon version. How can you go wrong with bacon?? The fun thing about Okonomiyaki is that they mix it in a bowl and cook it right in front of you on a grill that is built into your table. They flip it over several times and keep telling you not to eat it until they tell you. After the last flip, they bring over mustard, mayo, and a sweet sauce that they will put on top. On the table, there is some sort of green seasoning and dried onions to add-on yourself.
Where to eat: Ajinoya (very close to Namba station). This place is super popular so be ready to wait 30 minutes to an hour. Once inside, they immediately start preparing your food since they take your order while you are in line. So even with a 40 minute wait, it only took me 80 minutes total for my meal.
Kushikatsu: Is also known as kushiage. Kushi means skewers and katsu means deep fried cutlet of meat (however it is popular to have both meat and vegetable options). So basically it is bite-sized skewers of fried food that are dipped in a tasty sauce and served with cabbage. It could be mistaken for tempura but the batter is different they use panko breadcrumbs. I tried a wide variety but the shrimp was by far my favorite and I wish I had ordered more. I ordered a cheese option that basically was like a mozzarella stick served on a skewer. Who doesn’t want to eat that?? I also decided to try a cheese dog because it seemed to be a big deal in Japan and the latest craze. I imagined a hot dog fried and served on a stick but it actually was chunks of hot dog and cheese fried. I had one bite and was done with that one! I also ordered a sweet potato one that was just okay. My least favorite was the onion. I ordered it thinking it would be similar to onion rings. I was wrong, it was a big chunk of onion fried. I loved this meal so much that I was tempted to go back but there were so many other foods to try.
Where to eat: Kushikatsu Daruma – there are 11 locations including Kushikatsu Daruma Dotombori where I ate. You can easily spot this restaurant with a statue of a chef holding two skewers in a cross in front of his chest. He has “no double dipping written on his chest”. They have a vat of sauce on each table that isn’t changed between customers so they give you a list of rules before you eat to ensure that you don’t double dip. I have no idea what was in the sauce but it was sweet and amazing!
Crab: I mean crab should say it all. I love Crab!! You can find crab cooked in any way that you can imagine.
Where to eat: Kani Doraku meaning Crab Debauchery. There are multiple location throughout the city and easily spotted by it’s giant moving crab billboard. I ate at the original location of Kani Doraku Dotombori Honten. Since I was on a budget and didn’t want to go for a full $50 USD meal, I only had a chance to eat a small serving on the crab they cook on a grill and sell right outside the restaurant. But based on the sample I tried, it would have been worth the money!!
Gyoza – Pan-fried Japanese dumpling filled with meat. I saw them typically served in boxes of 6 and they started at $2. So if you are looking for a cheap and easy meal, this is it!!
Where to eat: Look for the small stalls along Dontonbori Street and find the one with the longest line
Ramen – I don’t think I have eaten Ramen since my college days when I was on a budget. But Japan takes Ramen to a whole new level. The spices used in the Ramen make it a dining delight. Unlike college, they actually add meat to it as well and I highly recommend getting an egg in it.
Where to eat: Ichiran Dotombori – Ichiran is a popular Japanese chain that has even made its’ way to NYC. There is reason that this chain has gone international. The ramen was that good. You can see it’s popularity in Japan with the constant line out the door but luckily it moves quickly. Ichiran crossed off two of my food goals in Japan. One was eating Ramen and the second was to order and pay for my meal through a vending machine. You order your food from the vending machine and then while you stand in line, they give you a sheet to mark your preference for spiciness, noodle texture, amount of garlic, and whether you want them to include green onion and pork. You are then seated in a individual secluded seat where they will raise a curtain to take your order sheet and give you the food. But otherwise it is closed. Not exactly the place you want to go on a date or to catch up with a friend. Instead it is almost aimed at the solo traveler to eat in silence.
Ichigo Daifuku – Ready for dessert?? Why not try a twist on the popular mochi dessert that is seen throughout Japan. In this version, they cut the mochi open and put a strawberry on top. The mochi is ichigo daifuku, there is a cut in between the mochi and the strawberry is put in between. The mochi can be filled with several different flavors such as the traditional sweetened bean paste, chocolate paste, or the one I tried had a custard filling .
Where to eat: Take a stroll in Kuormoni Ichiba Market and you will see several stalls with this dessert.
I hope you leave Osaka stuffed like I did. What is your favorite food in Osaka? What is your favorite restaurant??
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