07 Sep 10 Reasons Why Osaka Is A Food Lovers Paradise
10 Reasons Why Osaka Is A Food Lovers Paradise
Osaka is truly a city made for food lovers. In fact, the term kuidaore (or “eat until you drop”) is used to describe Osaka’s food culture. It’s also rumored that locals spend more on dining out than anything else.
Our local tour guide assured us that, because of this, it is impossible for restaurants to stay in business if they don’t meet the high-quality standards of the locals. So unlike other cities where you should avoid chowing down on food in the tourist areas, in Osaka – the whole city is recommended!
And while there are no places in Osaka that you should avoid in your quest for delicious street food, there are places where the proximity to the food is outstanding.
The best area to experience the food culture of Osaka is the Dōtonbori district. Located near Namba Station, you’ll find streets packed with neon signs and delicious eateries. Don’t miss the famous Glico Running Man sign and the Kani Doraku crab sign.
If you’re looking for some late-night food options in Osaka, this is the perfect spot. The Dotonbori district has many restaurants that are open 24-hours a day.
You simply cannot leave Osaka without visiting Dōtonbori.
For a more low-key nostalgic atmosphere, head to the Shinsekai district. Kushikatsu is an extremely popular dish in this area.
Kuromon Ichiba Market has always been popular with locals – its nickname is “Osaka’s kitchen” — but it’s recently become very popular with tourists as well. It’s the perfect venue for strolling, sampling, and snacking (my favorite!) on the delicious variety of fresh food that Osaka has to offer.
Kuromon Ichiba Market is located about a 3-minute walk from Nippombashi and Kintetsu Nippombashi Stations.
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The 10 Best Street Foods to Try in Osaka
Takoyaki
Tako means “octopus” and yaki means “grilled.” This grilled octopus dish is made of wheat flour, egg, diced octopus, pickled ginger, and scallions. They even have a special pan – aptly named a takoyaki pan – which molds the ingredients into small balls.
The takoyaki balls are then brushed with a special takoyaki sauce that’s similar to Worcestershire as well as mayonnaise and dried bonito flakes.
Warning: Takoyaki is as delicious as it is hot. Be prepared to have your taste buds scaled off if you’re like me and can’t wait for it to cool before you eat it.
Look for these stalls as you wander around the Dōtonbori district.
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Okonomiyaki
Here’s that word yaki again! So we know it’s something grilled, right?!
Add in the word okonomi which means “as you like it” (I’m getting some Princess Bride vibes here, y’all! Who’s with me!?) and you’ve got Okonomiyaki.
Okonomiyaki is a savory pancake made with a wheat flour base then filled with shredded cabbage and seafood like squid, prawn, or octopus, or other meat like chicken or pork.
The dish became popular during WW2 when food was scarce. People put together whatever they had to make something hot and filling – and okonomiyaki was born!
Every region in Japan has its own way of cooking okonomiyaki. If you’re traveling outside of the Kansi region (where Osaka is located) do a taste test and see which ones you like the best!⠀
There are many places that serve okonomiyaki – there are even places where you can prepare it yourself on a hot plate at your table.
Dōtonbori is the best spot to find a food stall making this delicious street food. Try Mizuno, the oldest okonomiyaki restaurant in Osaka, which goes back to post-WW2 times. Mizuno uses yam instead of wheat flour making the dough really soft which a hint of natural sweetness.
Are you looking to get deeper into Osaka’s food culture? Try these tours!
⭐ All-Inclusive Night Foodie Cultural Extravaganza
⭐ Nightlife Osaka Food Tour
Yakiniku
Yakiniku — meaning “grilled meat” — is like a Japanese barbeque. The meat and vegetables are covered in a sauce made of soy, mirin, sake, garlic, ginger, and sesame. Then they are grilled over an open flame until cooked.
Find this fare all over Japan in izakayas, informal Japanese-style restaurants/bars.
Kushikatsu
Kushikatsu — as it’s also known as kushiage — this dish is a traditional Japanese street food made of seasoned, skewered, deep-fried meat (chicken, pork, seafood) or vegetables. Eat them on their own or drizzle some tonkatsu sauce on them.
Kushi refers to the bamboo skewer sticks themselves and katsu means a deep-fried piece of meat.
Tonkatsu -- Kasanegi
If you’re a fan of Japanese food, you’ve probably come across tonkatsu, which is basically a fried pork cutlet.
However, what you should try in Osaka is — what I like to think of as — an elevated tonkatsu.
Described by locals as kasanegi food (or “layered” food), this masterful technique produces 25 layers from the pork cutlet and creates a unique texture and taste. The layers are sliced extremely thin (about 0.5 mm or less), layered, battered, and then fried.⠀
To try this dish, head to Kimukatsu in Dontonbori.
Butaman @ 551 Horai
This counts as more of a location than a dish, but this restaurant and its food are so ubiquitous in Osaka that you must try it!
The pork bun (butaman) at 551 Horai is so popular that around 170,000 buns are sold every day! Each pork bun is made by hand using dough produced at the main factory and delivered to each branch within a limited area when it has risen to perfection.
Have you seen our other posts from japan?
⭐ What You Need to Know About Japanese Hot Springs
⭐ Staying in a Traditional Japanese Ryokan
⭐ The 20 Best Japanese Beauty Products on Amazon
Ramen
You’ve might have tried ramen at home (no, not instant ramen). But you have to try ramen in Japan to get the real deal.
Ramen has three different broth bases: shoyu (soy sauce), miso (soybean paste) and tonkatsu (pork).
By the way, go ahead and slurp those noodles when you’re in Japan – or in any Japanese restaurant. It cools off the noodles as you eat them – and it’s totally the cultural norm.
Try Kinryu Ramen in the Dōtonbori district. It’s widely recognized as one of the best places in Osaka for a bowl of tasty ramen. But don’t feel like you have to eat here because the ramen everywhere is fantastic!
Tako Tamago
One of the more adventurous (and colorful!) street foods you’ll encounter in Osaka is Tako Tamago. This tasty albeit rubbery snack consists of a quail egg stuffed into the head of a little glazed, grilled octopus. Slap it on a stick and you’ve got a portable low-carb snack!
Kuromon Ichiba Market is great for fresh seafood and little bites like this and the grilled crab and scallops below.
Black Sesame Ice Cream
Black sesame ice cream – sometimes called “Goth ice cream” – is really popular in Japan – not just Osaka. But if you happen upon it while walking around, you should definitely give it a try!
Known for its health properties, black sesame is credited with anti-aging benefits, cancer risk reduction, improvement of constipation and indigestion, and blood pressure stabilization.
Does it stain your teeth? Not really, but I’d definitely have some water nearby just in to wash those pearly whites clean.
Taiyaki
Taiyaki is a Japanese dessert pancake that is made in a fish-shaped griddle. These things are delicious and definitely one of my favorite Japanese desserts.
You’ll find it filled commonly with sweet red bean paste (before you’re like “BEANS?!” you should try it – I love it!). But I’ve also seen it with Nutella, sweet potato, or custard.
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About Sarah
Sarah hails from the land of fried chicken, sweet tea, buttered biscuits, and the friendliest people you’ll ever meet…Alabama! She loves exploring undertouristed locations — places that you wouldn’t automatically think “I’ve always wanted to go there!” Of course, we’ll always have Paris, but what gets Sarah really jazzed is finding those diamond in the rough cities and sharing them with you. Read More…
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