My a lot of recent trip to Osaka was my sixth time in the city. but I still vividly remember the first.
Osaka was the first destination in Japan that we set foot in. We were travel newbies back then: lacking in knowledge, wisdom, and confidence. Every single day of that trip, we spent a loooong time deciding where to eat because we were so intimidated by everything.
We were on a incredibly tight budget that if we overspent on something, we would risk giving up another activity. There was this restaurant near the train station that we both wanted to try, but there was no menu outside. whenever we passed by, we stopped and stood in front of it, going over whether or not we must go in. We were so terrified we won’t be able to afford it that we ended up eating at a comfort store each time. (We were able to try only 3 restaurants on that trip, but they were all originally part of our itinerary.)
Of course, after several Japan trips, we know better. We now know that there are a lot of cheap but terrific food spots in every city, and we have gathered enough confidence (and money) to find and try them.
I guess that’s why I like checking out cities over and over again. When the streets and lights bombard you with old memories, you’re reminded that after each journey, people, like places, are never the same. This trip is different because this time, it was all about the food. We sought out the restaurants and stalls that could give us cheap but unforgettable eats. and here’s what we found.
Qu’est-ce qui est couvert dans ce guide?
Endo Sushi
Tokisushi
Ramen Yashichi
Menya Joroku
Hanshin Umeda main department store Snack Park
Hokkyokusei (Omurice)
Okonomiyaki Kiji
Aizuya Takoyaki
Kuromon Ichiba Market
Bonus: Supermarkets
Where to book cheap Flights to OsakaSearch for cheap flights here
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Endo Sushi
What to try: Sushi set 1
Price: ¥1150 + 8% tax
I eat at Endo Sushi whenever I’m in the city. TOUS. CÉLIBATAIRE. TEMPS. That must tell you how much I take pleasure in this small and unassuming sushi shop. That, despite being located far from the city’s lots of popular vacationer spots. It is nearly an attraction in itself with tourists going out of their way to have their own plateful.
Endo Sushi has been serving what lots of consider “Osaka’s best” for over a century. Yep, a lot more than 100 years, and they’re here to stay, despite being so small. The place has only five tables and a short bar, so expect to queue up a bit. immediately upon taking a seat, you wull be served a cup of hot green tea together with a hot towelette. On the table are two small porcelain bowls that cradle shoyu (soy sauce) and pickled ginger. Don’t go trying to find wasabi because it’s already mixed with rice. aside from the toppings, this wasabi mixture sets Endo besides other sushi places. It’s a best blend of saltiness and spice. If you’re not a fan, tell the chef or waiter upon ordering so they can create wasabi-less pieces for you.
Endo’s menu has only a few choices. You get to pick among four sets only, each priced at ¥1150 + 8% tax. Every set is made up of five pre-selected pieces (omakase), but you can have a piece replaced if you like.
I have tried all four sets, and set 1 — composed of anago (sea water eel), uni (sea urchin), tai (sea bream), toro (fatty tuna), and hamachi (yellowtail) — is, by a mile, le meilleur. lots of of these pieces have premium toppings including toro and uni. If you want to try the other plates, don’t be shy to buy more. It’s perfectly normal to have a rack of multiple plates because every piece is glorious. because it’s located just next to the fish market, they get first dibs on the freshest ingredients, and you can taste the freshness with every bite.
Operating hours: Monday-Saturday, 5am – 2pm (closed on Sunday and Holidays)
How to get there: The closest stations are Noda and Tamagawa. They’re very close to each other so just take whatever is a lot more convenient. From Noda Station, cross the street and turn left until you hit an intersection. turn ideal and walk along that road until you see Aji River. turn ideal onto the road just before the bridge. The big building to your ideal is Osaka Fish Market. walk towards the market and keep left — Don’t climb the overpass — and you’ll see Endo Sushi after the parking lot.
Tokisushi
What to try: 12-piece Assorted Sushi Set
Price: ¥1050 + tax
If ¥1150 can treat you to 5 pieces at Endo Sushi, an even smaller amount, ¥1050, can give you a dozen at Tokisushi (Toki Sushi).
Toki Sushi. photo by Vins Carlos
We love Toki Sushi for two things. First, its location. If you’re staying around Namba, then this must be within walking distance of your hotel.
The other, its affordability. A standard plate here, with 2 pieces of nigiri sushi, costs only ¥150. A a lot more premium sushi — like fatty tuna and sea urchin — are at ¥150 apiece. but a lot of diners get their assorted sushi plates, which cosT ¥ 730 pour 8 pièces et 1050 ¥ pour une douzaine.
Nous avons acheté la douzaine. La serveuse a servi une planche en bois qui semblait presque débordante de sushis, toutes les douze d’entre elles surmontées de grosses coupes de fruits de mer. Cependant, beaucoup sont couronnés de garnitures régulières comme les calmars, le tamago et le thon ordinaire. Si vous avez beaucoup plus de pâte à brûler, nous vous encourageons fortement à essayer leur ensemble de sushis premium (¥ 2100), qui vous donnera toutes les pièces impressionnantes comme l’uni, l’anguille japonaise et le thon gras.
Je choisirais Endo Sushi sur Tokisushi tous les jours, mais cela est attendu parce que le premier est beaucoup plus cher. Mais je vous encourage toujours à essayer les deux. Si vous le faites, cependant, essayez d’abord Tokisushi afin que vous ne soyez pas déçu.
Heures de fonctionnement: 11h à 23h
Comment y arriver: les stations les plus proches sont Namba et Nippombashi.
Ramen Yashichi
Quoi essayer: Shoyu Ramen
Prix: ¥ 730
Comme beaucoup de secrets les mieux gardés au Japon, Ramen Yashichi est logé dans un humble, compact et terne dans un mur qui est facile à passer. Nous l’avons presque fait, étant donné qu’il n’y avait pas de file d’attente à l’extérieur, assez inhabituel pour un lieu de ramen qui est censé être l’un des meilleurs d’Osaka. Mais il y a une explication parfaite et sensée.
Dès que nous avons commencé à faire la queue, nous avons été approchés par l’un des membres du personnel, qui nous a donné un numéro avec un petit message nous disant de revenir à l’heure spécifiée. C’est leur façon d’éviter de créer une longue ligne devant la boutique (peut-être parce qu’elle pourrait bloquer l’entrée de ses magasins voisins). Mais c’était en milieu d’après-midi d’un jour de semaine, donc nous n’avons pas beaucoup attendu. En 10 minutes, nous étions à l’intérieur, essayant de comprendre le fabricant de vente entièrement japonais qui prend les commandes aux clients. Le personnel, cependant, était assez aimable pour nous aider.
En un rien de temps, nous étions assis à l’une des deux seuls tables et avons servi un grand bol de ramen. Il y a trois principaux types de ramen ici: le shoyu (sauce soja), le chiot (sel) et les tsukemen (les nouilles sont servies séparément pour tremper). Le consensus en ligne favorise hautement Shoyu, donc les Vins et moi avons acheté la même chose.
Coût:.
Shoyu: ¥ 730
Shio: ¥ 780
Tsukemen: ¥ 880
Ramen Yashichi. Photo de Vins Carlos
C’était la première fois que je fourrais mon corps avec un ramen dans un bouillon à base de poulet. Je suis habitué à l’os de porc (Tonkotsu) et j’ai déjà essayé le bœuf (gyukotsu), mais celui-ci était différent. J’étais terrifié, je serais déçu parce que je supposais que, étant donné qu’il était à base de poulet, il aurait un goût léger. J’aime ma soupe comme j’aime mes hommes, riches et forts. Cependant, c’était tout sauf léger. Il était corsé, presque comme Tonkotsu, mais crémeux. Considérez-le comme le Lovechild d’un ramen de Tonkotsu et d’une soupe de macaroni au poulet. C’est l’un de ces bouillons qui deviennent beaucoup plus savoureux à chaque cuillerée, complétant la douce marinade des garnitures Chashu. Avant de le savoir, mon bol était vide.
Heures de fonctionnement: du lundi au vendredi 10 h 45 à 16 h (fermé: samedi, dimanche)
Comment y arriver: la gare la plus proche est Nakatsu. Ramen Yashichi n’est qu’à 3 blocs à partir de là.
Menya Joroku
Quoi essayer: Chukasoba
Prix: 700 ¥
Chukasoba de Menya Joroku
Essayez de googler «Meilleurs ramen à Osaka» et vous serez présenté avec des listes de Gazillion préparées par divers sites Web. Menya Joroku est un aliment de base dans ces recommandations.
Menya Joroku (Menya Jouroku) est nichée dans une ruelle étroite à Uranamba, à quelques pas de beaucoup d’attractions cruciales à Namba ou Dotonbori. Leur spécialité est Chukasoba, un ramen de style Takaida qui se caractérise par son bouillon foncé profond, fait avec du bouillon de poulet et de la sauce de soja noire. Beaucoup de critiques disent que malgré sa couleur, elle est étonnamment légère. Je vous prie de différer: je le trouve un peu du côté lourd. Il a une saveur salée intense avec une teinte aigre. Ce n’est pas une mauvaise chose pour moi parce que comme je l’ai dit plus tôt, j’aime les profils forts et riches. Chaque portion est garnie de tranches de porc rôti, d’oignons verts hachés, de pousses de bambou et d’une généreuse soupçon de poivre noir.
Si votre palais favorise l’extrémité plus légère du spectre de goût, achetez plutôt Samma Shoyu Ramen. Cela utilise également du bouillon de poulet mais mélangé avec du bouillon de poisson sauvage séché, créant une saveur légère mais dynamique. Chaque bol est également livré avec des oignons verts, du porc rôti, des pousses de bambou et du nori.
Samma Shoyu ramen de Menya Joroku
Coût:.
Chukasoba: ¥ 700
Samma Shoyu: ¥ 750
Hanshin Umeda Principal Store Store Snack Park
Quoi essayer: Shokudo de Kadoya Shokudo
Prix: 600 ¥ pour les ramen simples, 850 ¥ avec toutes les garnitures
Hanshin Snack Park est une aire de restauration stand-up qui a été populaire, en particulier parmi les habitants. Situé à l’intérieur du grand magasin principal de Hanshin Umeda, il abrite plus d’une douzaine de stands vendant des friandises gastronomiques japonaises comme des sushis, du takoyaki (boules de collations avec un peu de poulpe) et d’Ikayaki (une collation en forme de crêpe remplie de morceaux de calmar). Mais ce que nous avons trouvé beaucoup de satisfaction et de remplissage ici, c’est les ramen desservis par un kiosque appelé Kadoya Shokudo.
Kadoya Shokudo sert des ramen standard, avec du bouillon de shoyu et des nouilles chinoises minces et douces. Comme vous l’avez peut-être remarqué, je ne suis pas un fan de ramen avec du bouillon léger, mais c’était un plaisirsurprise. The dashi is clear but has the best mix of saltiness and umami. It reminded me a lot more of the fishy, immaculate taste of udon broth than ramen.
Coût:.
Plain: ¥600
Ramen with egg and additional pork: ¥850
Hokkyokusei (Omurice)
Omurice has its roots planted in Osaka. In particular, the main branch of Hokkyokusei in Shinsaibashi is regarded by lots of as the first to serve omurice decades ago.
Omurice is a basic dish. It’s generally omelette and rice but presented in a a lot more creative fashion. Its early incarnations had mushrooms and onions mixed with the rice and served with ketchup. but today, it takes lots of forms. At Hokkyokusei, the most popular versions are hashed beef omurice and beef curry omurice.
We asked the staff for their bestsellers and they pointed to the hashed beef and beef curry plates. Hence, Vins bought the 2-in-1 omurice, served with both curry and hashed beef, poured on either sides of the omurice. I bought the a lot more expensive beef stew omurice. This way, we get to try three different variations in one seating. To be honest, the taste is just fine and the price is a bit steep for it. I’ve had better versions in other restaurants at a more affordable price. The beef chunks in my beef stew were hard, nearly leathery. Of the three, I liked the hashed beef the most. It was bright and rich. but I still think it’s overpriced. but I guess the hype is a lot more about its history and environment than the food.
Okonomiyaki Kiji
What to try: Okonomiyaki
Price: ¥850
We had just finished checking out the view from Umeda sky Building’s observatory, when our grumbling tummies and a quick Google search led us to the door of Okonomiyaki Kiji, at the tower’s basement food court called Takimi Koji. We were greeted by the staff, who gladly ushered us in. Spotting our cameras, he asked if we wanted to sit by the bar (perhaps so we could get better angles).
We were there for okonomiyaki, but he highly recommended the yakisoba. We ended up with both. The chef began creating the dish in front of us. The a lot more they took form, the a lot more we realized that these would be huge pieces, maybe bigger than we can handle. When it was all done, he split both the okonomiyaki and yakisoba in two, and evenly distributed the pieces.
Okonomiyaki is Osaka’s popular standard pancake normally made of wheat flour, cabbage, and eggs. Kiji allows you to choose the protein components of the dish, so we selected a mixture of everything: bacon, beef, squid. The last piece was a shiso, a perilla leaf. (I’m not a fan of perilla, but Vins is.) Kiji’s was everything you could hope for in an okonomiyaki: big, filling, flavorful, and well-seasoned. and because our buy sat on the grill the entire time, it remained warm throughout the meal. Cost: ¥850.
But that yakisoba absolutely upstaged the okonomiyaki. The yakisoba had a soft, juicy but non-soggy texture that was punctuated by the squid, meat and veggie bits.
Operating Hours: Friday-Wednesday 11:30am-9pm (Closed: Thursdays)
How to get there: Closest train stations are Osaka and Umeda.
Aizuya Takoyaki
What to try: Takoyaki Set
Price: ¥500
Aizuya is widely believed to be the birthplace of takoyaki, Osaka’s a lot of popular street food. Yep, they are credited for inventing takoyaki. Their takoyaki is served without any sauce, which shows just how confident they are with the taste of their product. and it need to be pretty darn awesome because they got a recommendation from Michelin’s Bib Gourmand 2016 Guide. All these made us visit. Unfortunately, it was still closed when we arrived and we didn’t have the luxury of time. Boohoo.
Anyway, if you want to try it, a 12-piece plate is only ¥500, 15-piece ¥620.
Aizuya has a few branches including one in Umeda and another in Namba.
Kuromon Ichiba Market
For over 190 years, Kuromon Market has been known as Osaka’s kitchen for its nearly limitless variety of gastronomic options, ranging from rare fruits to mouth-watering seafoods that you can eat or h