A Food Guide for Japan’s Kitchen, Osaka

If you are a gastronome touring Japan, Osaka is the foremost place you need to visit. Recognized as the food capital of the country, Osaka’s rich culinary heritage and its quest for unforgettable hospitality is best reflected in its motto ‘kuidaore’, or ‘eat until you drop’.

While you are in tenka no daidokoro, or the country’s kitchen, there are a few unmissable dishes worth trying that evade even the Michelin-starred restaurants of Tokyo and the omakase havens of Kyoto. Read on to embark on a virtual food trail along the aromatic by lanes of Osaka.

Oknonmiyaki

Topping the list of Osaka’s drool-worthy street food is this delicious savory pancake. It is a common sight in the city to witness adept chefs flip together this beautiful preparation, comprising generous cabbage, eggs, pork, noodles and more. This local favorite can easily be customized, for okonomi literally translates to ‘as you like’. Topped with mayo, sosu, seaweed and bonito flakes, this soul food of a dish is a must-try.

Art lovers can combine a visit to the family-run Mizuno, for some delectable Oknonmiyaki, with a visit to the Tezukayama Gallery Osaka.

Takoyaki

No food guide of Osaka is complete without a mention of this street-food classic. Prepared using dashi batter, these crispy balls come studded with tender octopus tentacles. The batter with the meat is poured into a peculiar cast-iron plate comprising numerous small, yet deep, holes. Given the sublime pairing of this crispy dish with a chilled beer, it is no surprise that takoyaki is featured in the menus of the city’s izakayas, or pubs, as well.

Kushikatsu

Nestled in the colorful neighborhood of Shinsekai is an ancient restaurant, Daruma. This restaurant is the cradle of the next culinary gem, kushikatsu. These crumpled, deep-fried skewers first gained popularity in the 1930s, when the working class made it their go-to satiating meal. Today, prepared using a host of ingredients such as pork tenderloin, shiitake and lotus root, quail eggs and asparagus, the skewers are a rage with the locals. Dip these in the thin sosu sauce and savor a hearty dollop of kushikatsu.

If this series of savory and fried meals makes you crave something sweet, do consider heading to the City Bakery Osaka for some indulgent pastries and muffins.

Dotonbori Eat Street

Any description of street food in Osaka is incomplete without a mention of the famous eat street of Dotonbori. Along the sinuous by lanes of this street are a host of other unfailing classics such as Ramen and Kitsune udon. This street is also home to myriad seafood restaurants that serve delectable preparations of fugu, pufferfish and crab. Fine dining sushi and sashimi places also make their mark on this street, beckoning connoisseurs of Japan’s best-known dish.

Numerous food tours run through the city all year-round, making it a breeze for tourists to savor the best of Osaka with the expert guidance of food guides. With this all-encompassing guide in hand set sail for a gastronomic pilgrimage in the culinary mecca of Japan.

Author Name Divya Kabadi