The Osaka food cheat sheet
The dish to eat
A savory griddle pancake of cabbage and batter with pork belly, brushed with sauce and mayo and topped with bonito and seaweed.
Best at Mizuno, Dotonbori. Get: Yamaimo-yaki, made with grated mountain yam and almost no flour
Five places, and what to order
- Yoshino Sushiinstitution · Senba, ChuoGet: The standard hakozushi box (about 1,760 yen) layered with conger eel, sea bream, shrimp and egg
- Chi-Fuinstitution · Nishitemma, Kita-kuGet: Tofu skin and vegetables in Peking-duck style, Shaoxing-scented sauces, paired with wine
- Shimanouchi Fujimaru Winerybar · Shimanouchi, Chuo-kuGet: Naniwa Black Beef grill, hormone bolognese rigatoni, asparagus cacio e pepe, house focaccia
- Takoyaki Doraku Wanaka Sennichimaefor takoyaki · NambaGet: O-iri sampler of four toppings
- Kushikatsu Darumafor kushikatsu · ShinsekaiGet: Classic meat and vegetable skewers
The market
Covered shopping market. Seafood, grilled shellfish, Osaka snacks
The line worth it
Get: Jiggly cheesecake, warm
Expect: 15 to 45 min. Beat it: Watch for the bell: it rings when a fresh batch comes out.
In season this November
Snow crab (zuwaigani) · Fugu (pufferfish) · Oysters (Hiroshima kaki)
How it works here
Tip: Never tip; it can embarrass people. Some upscale places add a service charge.
Book: Book sushi counters and kaiseki weeks to months out (often through your hotel); ramen and izakaya are walk-in, so line up.
When locals eat: Lunch 11:30am-2pm is the deal; dinner 6-9pm, many kitchens close early.