Osaka has an abundance of food options—truly, truly, truly a lot. Anyone who has visited Osaka would know this. The reason why I love coming to Kansai so much is precisely because of Osaka’s vast variety of delicious food. Even my Japanese friends who live in the U.S. insisted on flying to Osaka for food, even if they had only one day off after the pandemic ended, rather than going home. This speaks volumes about the standing of Osaka’s food in the hearts of Japanese people.
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Must-Visit | Shin-Umeda Shokudo Street
If you’re visiting Osaka for the first time and only have one or two days, heading to a food gathering spot is the fastest way to try a variety of Osaka’s delicacies. Shin-Umeda Shokudo Street is a place that all tourists must visit. Below, I will start by introducing some classic snacks from Shin-Umeda Shokudo Street.
Matsubaya Kushikatsu
- Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Price: $
Matsubaya Kushikatsu, located in Shin-Umeda Shokudo Street, is a very famous kushikatsu (deep-fried skewers) restaurant in Osaka. The shop mainly serves locals, and once inside, it's packed with Japanese salarymen standing and eating kushikatsu. Since you’re at a kushikatsu spot, of course, you must order a beer. Each skewer is only 100 yen, making it super affordable. I tried the beef, squid, peppers, shrimp, and curry chicken, all of which were delicious.
Kiji Okonomiyaki
- Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Price: $$
Kiji is a famous okonomiyaki (Japanese pancake) shop in Osaka. To cut to the chase—highly recommended. This is a super popular place with limited seating, only about 20 people can fit inside, so expect a long wait. The first time I went, it was before the store opened, so I didn’t wait long and managed to snag the last seat. On my second visit, there was a huge line. Even though I’m not fond of long waits, the food is so delicious that I queued up obediently during lunchtime anyway.
Both times I ordered okonomiyaki and modan-yaki (modern-yaki). Both were generously packed with ingredients. Okonomiyaki is made with a batter mixed with cabbage and meat, which is then cooked and served directly on the iron plate at your table. My favorite is modan-yaki, which is an especially hearty dish. Modan-yaki is like an omelet wrapped around stir-fried noodles with squid, pork, cabbage, and other ingredients. If you’re lucky enough to sit at the counter, you can even watch the entire cooking process.
Hanadako Takoyaki
- Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Price: $$
This takoyaki (octopus balls) shop is located on the first floor of Shin-Umeda Shokudo Street. Even in Osaka, which is filled with famous takoyaki spots, Hanadako has made a name for itself. By morning, a long line had already formed. You queue on the right side, place your order, and then move to the left side to eat while standing. Six pieces of takoyaki cost 420 yen. The outer skin is relatively soft, and the octopus inside is big and flavorful, paired perfectly with the savory taste of bonito flakes. Among the many takoyaki shops in Osaka, this is one of my personal favorites.
Must-Visit | Kuromon Market
Ishibashi Oden
- Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Price: $
Ishibashi Oden is a 40-year-old shop mainly selling simple oden (Japanese hotpot). Each skewer costs 100 yen. Since I had already eaten quite a lot, I only ordered a few skewers, but they were delicious.
Takoyaki Doraku
- Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Price: $$
Takoyaki Doraku often has long lines. It mainly serves takoyaki and okonomiyaki and is frequently listed among top food recommendations.
Must-Visit | Dotonbori
Kani Douraku
- Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Price: $$$$
Kani Douraku is famous for its huge crab sign. This time, we ordered two elaborate banquet courses: "Yugiri" and "Suisho." We got to try boiled crab, grilled crab, crab sashimi, crab tempura, crab chawanmushi (egg custard), crab sushi, and many other types of crab dishes. We even splurged on a small bottle of daiginjo sake. This was probably the most expensive meal of our trip! It was definitely a rare and luxurious experience.
Ganso Takoyaki
- Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Price: $$
You can’t come to Osaka without eating takoyaki. Ganso Takoyaki in Dotonbori is another popular shop with long lines. The venue has tables and chairs, so after getting your takoyaki, you can sit down and eat right there. Authentic Osaka-style takoyaki is soft, and the box contains nine pieces. Be sure to eat them while hot, as they can become too soft if taken to-go.
Nippon Ichi Takoyaki
- Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Price: $$
This takoyaki shop is also in Dotonbori and has a Michelin-starred reputation. There’s always a huge crowd in line. After passing by several times, we finally found a time when the line was a bit shorter, so we quickly joined. I ordered six pieces for 400 yen. The takoyaki here seemed a little less soft than other places, and I found it very tasty.
Pablo
- Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Price: $$
Every time I come to Osaka, I can't resist having Pablo's delicious cheesecake. It's incredibly popular, and there's always a long line. Even after stuffing ourselves elsewhere, we still end up craving it. Since the cheesecake only lasts for six hours at room temperature, we don’t buy too much and usually get the mini Pablo. The classic flavor is absolutely delicious!
Osaka Gourmet | Other Recommendations
Ajikitcho
- Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Price: $$$$$
Ajikitcho has earned two Michelin stars and is conveniently located. Although reservations can be a bit tricky, for a first-time kaiseki (traditional Japanese multi-course meal) experience, it offers excellent value for money. The atmosphere inside is very elegant. There is no set menu for kaiseki dining, and everything is made from seasonal ingredients. The staff explain each dish as it’s served, allowing us to quietly and thoughtfully savor every course.
Hokkyokusei Omurice
- Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Price: $$
Hokkyokusei is said to be the original creator of omurice (omelet rice) in Japan, and they have multiple locations in Osaka. The menu features nothing but omurice. We ordered two: the traditional chicken omurice and a seasonal mentaiko (cod roe) omurice. The tomato sauce on the chicken omurice was rich but not overwhelming, and the rice was light and perfectly cooked. The mentaiko omurice, on the other hand, had a lighter flavor, with less emphasis on the tomato sauce. Every time I’ve visited Osaka, I’ve eaten here, and it’s consistently delicious. As usual, there’s always a queue, but the traditional chicken omurice is light and non-greasy, making it worth the wait.
Nanbantei BBQ
- Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Price: $$
Whenever I visit Japan, I never skip yakitori (grilled chicken skewers). Nanbantei is located near Namba and is always busy. We waited about ten minutes before getting seated. After ordering a beer, we went all out on the chicken skewers, ordering nearly every option we could understand on the menu. Each order comes with three skewers, and the portions are generous and delicious. Even though we were full, we couldn’t resist ordering a grilled rice ball and tofu to finish the meal.
Zagin Chicken Soba
- Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Price: $$
This ramen shop specializes in chicken paitan (rich chicken broth) ramen. We visited a branch during lunchtime, and although there were quite a few office workers in line, we didn’t have to wait long. Before entering, you purchase a meal ticket from the vending machine and give it to the staff when seated. We ordered the signature chicken paitan ramen and the limited edition pepper beef ramen. The chicken paitan had a layer of foam created with a frothing machine, which added to the creamy texture. We also ordered some karaage (fried chicken) as a side dish, which was decent. The pepper beef ramen, however, was surprisingly good. The broth, enhanced with pepper, was light and flavorful.
Rikyu Beef Tongue
- Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Price: $$
This is actually a chain restaurant, but since I love beef tongue, I come here whenever I get the chance. This time, I ordered the thick-cut beef tongue set meal, which came with soup.
Tajimaya Wagyu BBQ
- Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Price: $$$$$
Tajimaya is a famous high-end yakiniku (Japanese BBQ) restaurant in Osaka, with several branches. We went to the one in Umeda. I recommend making a reservation beforehand if you plan to visit Tajimaya. We didn’t have a reservation this time, so we lined up about 30 minutes before the restaurant opened. Even though we arrived early, there were already a few groups in front of us. Luckily, we were the last group to make it into the first seating.
The dining environment in this upscale wagyu BBQ restaurant is excellent. Once inside, we were seated in a private room. Other than ordering and serving, there were no interruptions. Tajimaya serves premium A5 aged kuroge wagyu (Japanese black beef), so naturally, it’s not cheap. We decided to go the gourmet route (actually, we were just saving room for more food later!) and didn’t order any set meals. Instead, we picked our favorite cuts, including special salt-grilled beef tongue, aged ribeye steak, and aged sirloin. We also tried the oxtail soup. The wagyu was melt-in-your-mouth tender. The beef tongue and ribeye steak were my personal favorites—absolutely delicious.
Yakiniku Ittou
- Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Price: $$$$
Yakiniku Ittou is a great spot for A4-grade wagyu BBQ. Since we arrived early, we were quickly seated in a private room. The staff thoughtfully provided a Chinese menu. We didn’t want to eat too much, so we ordered a meat platter with four types of beef and a special beef tongue. All the meats were delicious, but the special beef tongue was the best—the texture was perfect. For dipping, they provided a variety of salts, including two kinds of sea salt, two rock salts, and a lake salt. My favorite was the No. 4 rock salt, which had a fantastic flavor. While the meat platter was delicious, the special beef tongue was the highlight.
Rokko BBQ
- Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Price: $$
Rokko Yakiniku in Shinsaibashi is an all-you-can-eat yakiniku restaurant. I saw a lot of positive reviews online, so I decided to give it a try. This place feels more like a family-style restaurant, and they offer three different sets: A, B, and C. We chose the C set, which includes 22 items you can order as much as you want within two hours. The quality of the meat was decent, and I particularly liked the special beef belly, which is only available with the C set.
It’s a standard all-you-can-eat yakiniku place. There seems to be some confusion online, with some reviews claiming it’s an all-you-can-eat wagyu restaurant. The owner told us it caused quite a bit of trouble when foreign tourists came expecting wagyu. The owner spent about ten minutes explaining to us that they don’t serve wagyu. After confirming that we weren’t there specifically for wagyu, we were seated. So, please don’t confuse this place with a wagyu spot!
Ginza Kagari Ramen
- Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Price: $$
This is a branch of the famous Ginza Kagari Ramen from Tokyo. The Osaka location is inside the B2 food court of LUCUA at Osaka Station. Their signature dish is chicken paitan ramen, but in addition to the signature flavor, we also tried the clam and oyster ramen. The chicken paitan broth is made by simmering chicken bones, meat, and vegetables for over ten hours, resulting in a rich and flavorful broth. The clam ramen had a ginger and yuzu (citrus) broth, which was refreshing and light. The noodles were also very good.
Harbs
- Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Price: $$
Harbs is another classic dessert shop with multiple locations in Osaka. I like to grab some of their cakes to take back to the hotel.
Hanshin Umeda Underground Gourmet Street
- Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Price: $$
Several times, I’ve stayed near Umeda Station, and every day when I walk out of the hotel to catch a train, I pass through the underground gourmet street and department stores. I often buy my breakfast or snacks for the day here. When I went to Himeji, I brought along 551 pork buns and shumai (steamed dumplings). Since there are so many choices, I won’t introduce them all, but I can say that staying in this area and having something different to eat every day makes me feel incredibly lucky!
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