Don’t know your tempura from your takoyaki? Japan’s culinary capital, Osaka, is the place to try it all

WORDS JOANNA HALL
PHOTOGRAPHY JOHN HARTE

Dotonbori is a feast for every sense

Walking through Osaka’s Dotonbori district at night makes for an overwhelming spectacle of teenage fashionistas, outlandish shop façades and dazzling neon billboards. One of Osaka’s most photographed landmarks, Dotonbori is famous for many things: Dotonbori Canal, a giant mechanised crab, the Ebishubashi Bridge and vibrant nightlife.

Okonomiyaki being cooked on the
hot griddle is a mouth-watering
spectacleBut it’s also famous for its staggering lineup of restaurants and eateries, catering to an Osakan attribute that warrants its own special term in Japanese – “kuidaore”, which roughly means “to ruin oneself by extravagance in food”! Any local will tell you that Osaka is a gastronome’s town.

Osaka boasts its own local specialties you won’t find elsewhere in the country and the good news is that with a little know-how, it’s easy to eat ’till you drop at prices that won’t break the bank.

Pancake-stravaganza

Okonomiyaki literally translates to “cook what you like” and is a famous Osakan dish that has spread throughout Japan. It’s a thick savoury pancake made from eggs and whatever else you like: chicken, pork, beef, prawns, octopus, green onions and cabbage. Okonomiyaki is cooked at the table, often by diners themselves, and served with a thick brown sauce, fish flakes and a sprinkling of dried seaweed powder. There are okonomiyaki restaurants in Osaka ranging from cheap to expensive but one of the best value is Yukari in Sonezaki, Umeda, where prices start from ¥890 (AU$8).

Octopus Balls

Takoyaki are an
essential beer snackIf you pass a street stall selling something resembling spongy ping-pong balls, stop. These are actually an Osakan delicacy! Called takoyaki, they’re balls of grilled dough stuffed with octopus, served with soy sauce and topped with dried fish flakes, and they taste much better than they sound! Although takoyaki stalls are found all over town, one of the most famous is Honke Otako (1 –5–10 Dotonbori, Chuo-ku, tel: +81 (6) 6211 5223), where it costs just ¥300 (AU$3) for six pieces.

Conveyor-Belt Eating

sushi-on-the-goThe unique conveyor-belt style of sushi dining, called kai-ten, was invented by Yoshaki Shiraishi, who got the idea after watching beer bottles on a conveyor belt in an Asahi brewery. He opened his first restaurant in Osaka in 1958, and his empire quickly grew to more than 240 across the country. Oshi sushi is an Osakan specialty made of vinegared rice pressed into a mould and topped with marinated fish, and the place to try it is where the conveyor-belt craze began – Mawaru Genroku Sushi (1–12–1 Ajiro, Higashi-osaka City, tel: +81 (6) 6736 0911). Prices start from just ¥120 a plate (AU$1).

Oodles of Noodles

Udon soup is hearty soul food

At the heart of Osaka cuisine is udon – soft, thick white noodles made from wheat, which are often served in a broth. They’re ideal for a quick and hearty meal. Dotonbori Imai in Chuo-ku is a popular haunt for local udon-lovers, and its famous shippoku udon is a light soup using fresh ingredients that costs around ¥1,260 (AU$12). For a wider choice of noodle dishes, try the collection of well-known noodle joints at “hometown noodle hall of fame” theme park at Namba Parks, particularly Naniwa Noodles (Osaka Noodle City, 7th Flr, Namba Parks, 2–10–70 Nambanaka, Chuo-ku).

Squidding Around

Ikayaki may simply be grilled squid, but it’s unique: it’s a specialty of the Hanshin Department store in Umeda, and costs the same price as the cheapest ticket on the Hanshin railway! Even though it’s risen from an original price of ¥10 to around ¥126 (AU$1.20), this delicacy still draws long lines.

Potstickers

You can’t stop at just one gyozaFood theme parks are popular in Japan and in Osaka there’s one dedicated to the delicious little Japanese dumplings called gyoza. While they’re not so unusual in themselves, eating them at the Naniwa Gyoza Stadium (3rd Flr, OS Building, 3–3 Komatsubaracho, Kita-ku, tel: +81 (6) 6313 0765) in Nanja-town is. It has 10 shops selected from around Japan that are furnished to resemble Osaka during the 1940s, and they offer a wide variety of gyoza at very cheap prices. Admission into the park is ¥300 (AU$3) for adults.

On the Barbie

Tsuruichi Original Store is the place
for barbecued ribsYakiniku is a type of barbecued meat particularly popular in Osaka, and locals believe it gives you stamina. It came to Japan via the Korean peninsula to Osaka first, and as a result the city boasts some of the most authentic yakiniku in the country. Tsuruhashi in east Osaka is famous as Japan’s “Barbecue Town” thanks to its long line-up of yakiniku restaurants. One to try is Tsuruichi Original Store (5–19 Shimoajiharacho, Tennoji-ku, tel: +81 (6) 6771 0806), which offers beef ribs starting from ¥1,680 (A$15).

Market Mania

Kuromon isn’t a food but a food market where amateurs rub shoulders with professional chefs. Stretching for several blocks in Nipponbashi, the market dubbed “earth’s pantry” is an Osakan culinary landmark and, like the restaurants of Dotonbori, truly embodies the city’s “eat ’till you drop” culture. Aside from window-shopping for mouth-watering and unique ingredients, it’s also a great place to pause for a quick cheap bite.

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Did You Know?

It’s considered very rude to stand chopsticks upright in rice.

Rice is considered the most important ingredient in sushi. Only short-grain rice which has been soaked, boiled, simmered, left to stand, and finally cooled by a fan is used to make it.

If you ever get invited by a local to an izakaya, go. Izakaya are working-class Japanese pubs, and are often great places for cheap eats in a lively, friendly atmosphere.

Sushi dates back to at least the second century A.D. in China, and started out as a method of preserving fish.

Slurping your soup loudly is actually a sign of a good appetite in Japan, and perfectly acceptable behaviour!

Pointing to the plastic food replicas in a restaurant window is a common way to order.

Tipping is not expected or encouraged in Japan, even in restaurants, and locals will often be embarrassed if you try to do it, even in good faith.

Ever seen a statue of a cat with a raised paw in a Japanese restaurant and wondered why it’s there? It’s called a maneki neko, and is a lucky cat which is believed to attract customers and prosperity.

Joanna Hall says:
“One evening, we encountered a very jolly but dirty and unshaven homeless man. Seeing someone like this in Japan was a surprise, but it was an even bigger shock when he chased us down the street. His intentions were entirely honorable, though. He was returning a camera we had left behind on the seat beside him.”