Top 5 for Foodies in Osaka

Known for having the best food in all of Japan, Osaka’s culinary scene explodes with variety and flavor attracting food lovers from around Japan and the world. While it’s possible to eat a different international cuisine at each meal of the day; local, traditional dishes remain the highlight of Osaka’s lauded food culture.

Central to Osaka’s street food scene is Dotonbori. Attributing to Dontonbori’s popularity is the loud, cartoonish 3-D imagery that makes it easy to identify the specialty of each restaurant or stand.

1. Takoyaki – or balls of octopus, is a quintessential Osaka food. A diced piece of raw octopus is mixed with a batter of flour, onions, and various other ingredients, and cooked in a special pan. The perfectly-shaped round balls are drizzled with a special takoyaki sauce and topped with a mound of salty dried bonita flakes. The snack can be found in most Osaka casual restaurants, but tastes best when purchased from street vendors.

It’s not hard to figure out where to find takoyaki – just look for the giant red octopus! Make this the first stop of your culinary journey of Osaka.

2. Okonomiyaki – one of the most famous Japanese foods, okonomiyaki is a savory pancake filled with grilled meat, seafood, and a variety of other toppings. Osaka-style okonomiyaki is the most prominent of the regional variations, and it typically includes eggs, shredded cabbage, green onion, meat, octopus, squid, shrimp, vegetables, mochi, or cheese.

3.  Sushi – Osaka is home to Osaka Central Wholesale Fish Market, a smaller version of Tokyo’s famed Tsukiji fish market, so it stands to reason that the precision cuts of raw fish you experience here, as in Tokyo, are mere hours removed from their habitat in the Pacific. Just keep in mind that sushi restaurants serve traditional dishes which don’t include the creative combination rolls that we Americans have come to love so much and consider to be “sushi”.

As always, for premium quality and freshness select a restaurant that has been referred to you by friends, hotel staff, or garnered good reviews online. On a previous trip we dined at two different restaurants – one better than the other, but neither as memorable as I had hoped. Luckily, we hit the jackpot on this visit, thanks to Trip Advisor and its contributors.

 

Harukoma is a tiny restaurant in the Tenjimbashi area that serves up beautiful iconic Japanese hand-crafted slices of raw fish and seasoned rice at lightening speed and an unbelievable value.

Don’t be deterred by the line that forms under the easy-to-spot kelly green awning – due to their uniquely efficient system of turning seats, it moves quickly. While standing in line, you’re given a menu, paper and pencil to place your order. When Adam handed him our copious order for three, the friendly host and line-tender felt he should clarify, “You know each order has two pieces?”. Within minutes of being seated, plates of pristine, generous cuts of silken fish began arriving  in quick succession. The bill – the equivalent of $80 USD, and everyone was happy.

4. Tonkotsu Ramen – or pork bone ramen, is comfort food ramen like no other. The stock for this famous Japanese noodle soup is made from pork bones, which are boiled for hours, breaking down the collagen, marrow and fat, resulting in a broth that is rich, unctuous (yes, creamy and slightly oily at the same time) and a white-ish to caramel color depending on the method and how long the broth was cooked down.

While Kitsune Udon is considered a standard Osaka meal – I even learned how to make udon noodles in the Eat Osaka cooking class I took (more on that later) – kitsune, the sweet thin, fried tofu slice served on top, is too sweet for my taste. Maybe it’s fond memories of the twice-weekly bowls of Top Ramen decorated with egg, ham or salami, green onions and other veggies the fridge which sustained me through post-college days that ranks ramen at the top of my comfort food cravings.

Cooking the Tonkotsu broth at Muteppou Ramen in Osaka

College Girl and her BF are living and teaching in Osaka now so I had the inside track on one awesome, budget-friendly hole-in-the-wall place lauded for their Tonkotsu Ramen – Muteppou Ramen in Osaka. Muteppou is a small chain and has locations in Kyoto, Nara, and Nakano, Tokyo.

5. Kushi-Katsu -originally street food, kushi-katsu, or deep-fried pork kabobs, are served everywhere now. You can find it at street stands in Dotonbori or served at trendy izakayas and casual restaurants around Osaka. We went to the Sinsekai area where nearly every restaurant specializes in kushi-katsu.

Dozens of Kushi Katsu places in the Sinsekai area of Osaka

Total beer food! We ordered avocado, quail egg, eggplant, sweet potato, chicken thigh, bacon, camembert, shiitake, and two salads for a fresh component to balance the fat. You can get almost anything on a stick – it’s like being at the fair, in Japan. There are also unfried options like rice, yakisoba, and other simple Japanese fare.

Duck Salad

Dotonbori – we sell kushi-katsu!

The one rule to remember: the special dipping sauce on the table is communal – so absolutely no double dipping!