7 amazing foods to try in Osaka

Osaka is known for its amazing food, in fact it is called the food capital of Japan. Many of these foods you can find elsewhere in Japan, but Osaka is the best place to eat them!

1. Okonomiyaki – Japanese pancake

This is a savoury pancake made of egg, flour and vegetables (sometimes of noodles) with some meats added. Find a place where they cook on a hot plate in front of you, Dotonbori street has a number of them. Best shared as we discovered from the waitresses wide eyes when we ordered one each!

2. Kushikatsu – food on a stick

The kids loved this – who doesn’t love fried food on a stick! Order individual sticks or a combination pack of meats and vegetables. We had prawn, fish, chicken, quail eggs, scallops, sausage, Camembert, sweet potato, eggplant, asparagus, carrot, green beans and zucchini. They were lightly fried and didn’t taste oily at all.

On the table is a tub of dipping sauce, you will see the signs in English – no double dipping! The meal is served with side dishes of cabbage, edamame and kimchi. We loved this meal, and for the adults it went down very well with a glass of Umeshu on the rocks!

3. Takoyaki – Octopus balls

These are little balls of light dough with a small piece of octopus cooked inside. You will find street vendors throughout Osaka expertly spinning these little balls of batter in specially made hot plates, even just watching them is intriguing. Takoyaki is served with sauces, usually mayonnaise and topped with very thinly shaved bonito (fish) flakes that seem to dance and move in the heat.

This popular street food is an easy one for the kids to try. Our kids loved the batter but were not as keen on the octopus piece inside, they found it a bit chewy – all the more for us!

4. Yakisoba

Yakisoba is a mouth watering meal of noodles with vegetables and meat served with a sweet sauce served on a hot plate. Strangely it is not made with soba (buckwheat) noodle at all but with a ramen style wheat noodle. Yakisoba is a staple of many restaurants, often eaten with okonomiyaki, but it is also a common street food. It is essentially stir fried noodles, making them a pretty kid friendly food.

5. Kani Douraku restaurant – Big crab

Osaka is situated close to crab fishing grounds and Osakans love crab! You will find crab sold in the Kuramon markets but the most famous place to eat crab is at Kani Douraku, a chain of restaurants easily identified by big mechanical crabs stuck on the front of the building. We didn’t end up eating here as there were just too many places to eat in Dotonburi! Note that these restaurants are more expensive so if your kids are not seafood fans, you may want to give this one a miss, or visit one of the stores that sells char grilled crab at the store front.

Check out Trip Advisers reviews of Kani Douraku.

6. Yakiniku – BBQ meat

Yakiniku is Korean in origin but very popular in Japan. Osaka claims it as its own as it was made popular in Japan by a Korean living in Osaka. Yakiniku is essentially grilling meat over a BBQ in the table. It’s great fun for the kids, they enjoy cooking their own food and they can cook for you as well!

7. Butaman 551 Horai

551 Horai is an Osaka food chain famous for their hand made Butaman or pork buns. They sell a few other delicacies such as gyoza and steamed dumplings, either warm and ready to eat or cold to be heated at home. They are always sold in even numbers, for good luck, and in typical Japanese style are packaged perfectly for carrying home. Many travellers to Osaka bring them home as Omiyage souvenirs.

However, be aware, do not eat 551 Horai Butaman on the shinkansen. There is a saying “豚まんテロ” (pork bun terrorism), it is considered bad manners to eat a steamed pork bun on the Shinkansen as you will make everyone else jealous with the delicious smell!

We discovered 551 Horai at Umeda station and there are stores throughout Osaka, the kids absolutely loved the pork buns and gyozas. Even now, months later, the kids ask for it. 551 Horai is only found in Osaka and it really is a must!

Whatever you try in Osaka and wherever you go, you will find an abundance of fresh and delicious cuisine. I can’t wait to go back…