Back to travel home

Eat until you drop in Osaka
(Full text available on request)

Above: Genpachi Mittera-ten. The tiny restaurant has only twelve seats and a great atmosphere. Chefs and owners Hirata Hiroshi (people call him “Sanzo”), and Fukumoto shinichi stock 200 kinds of shochu and some very good sake. On the food front, their fare is Yakitori (meats on sticks). Their spicy fried chicken and grilled octopus in particular, were the perfect partner for a few cups of hot sake. Sanzo explains the unique taste of their meats on sticks comes from “Yuki-jio” or “snow salt”, large amounts of which are sprinkled onto the sticks before they go onto the griddle.  

Dotonbori, Osaka's version of Times Square, is the place to sample local snacks eaten on the run such as takoyaki, translated as “octopus balls” but probably best described as such: dumplings made of batter, diced octopus and all sorts of other goodies.

Walking the dogs - Fish tail for sale

Udon - A favourite variety of the thick white wheat flour noodle soup in Osaka is Kitsune Udon or “Fox Udon”. It comes with aburaage (sweetened deep-fried tofu pockets) Sample the real thing at Matsubaya Udon, they invented the dish. With a 100 year history the restaurant is one of the most respected in Osaka. Third generation owner, Usami Masahiro prides himself on using the best quality ingredients making sure he keeps the original recipe invented by his grand father. Although the sweet tofu is an acquired taste, the udon and broth are excellent. 

L: A walk through the neon wonderland of Dotonbori is entertainment in itself.

R: Kimono-clad women hopping on and off an underground train

L: Osaka's famed Alaska crab restaurant with its giant moving crab attached to the wall.

R: Kusaba Tepanyaki – Two 70 year old brothers have been running this fantastic tepanyaki restaurant for over 25 years. Chef Masatsugu Kusaba sports an Elvis style gelled hairdo and makes a mean Kobe beef steak

Osaka Wholesale market - A bell rings and they’re off. The auctioneer screams at the top of his lungs. In contrast to the gesticulating, screaming auctioneer, the bidders remain incredibly calm during this whole exercise. They hold up little slates with a number relating to the fish they are bidding for. If two bidders end up with the same fish, a quick hand of Rock, Paper, Scissors sorts things out. Strong, stony-faced men cart the tuna off to be cut.

R: Thirty-six year-old Mitsuo Ota, a third-generation market trader is one of these men how cut a whole fresh tuna fish into huge, neat fillets in just a few minutes. The speed and precision of his work are simply dumbfounding. He shows off a giant slice with a big toothy smile and moves onto the next fish.

L: Tuna about to be cut. R: Octupus for sale

Kuromon market has been a market place for over 170 years and is a testament to the abundant supply of quality produce on hand in Osaka. A walk trough the market takes me past a plethora of vegetables, fruit, spices, pickles, seaweed, fresh fish and seafood, including an Osakan favourite, fugu (blowfish).

Blowfish an octopus at Kuromon market

Various modes of Osakan transport

In the kitchen at Mimiu Honten udon suki restaurant - Cold soba tempura

Making soba by hand

Keeping Osakan traditions: Mimiu Honten / Udon Suki Restaurant.
Tucked away in a backstreet of Osaka’s Hommashi business district is Mimiu Honten, one of the city’s oldest restaurants. Eighty-two-year-old owner Satsuma U Itch greets you with a bow and a gigantic grin.
The family business’ history goes back more than 200 years and Mr Satsuma kept the tradition going, starting to cook at twelve-years-old under his father’s guidance. It was his father who came up with the idea udonsuki, the restaurant’s speciality and a now registered trade mark of Mimiu.   Although Mr Satsuma (R) still keeps a close eye on the business at the restaurant, his son, Katsuo U (L) is now head chef.

The udon suki ready to eat

Mr Oyama U Itchi, head chef and manager at Yoshino Sushi. Osaka’s boxed style sushi (Hakozushi) is a traditional form of sushi unique to the Osaka region. Unlike Tokyo’s nigiri (hand pressed sushi), all the ingredients are either cooked or cured. Mr Oyama is one of the last sushi chefs keeping this dying art alive. He demonstrates the process in the kitchen. The four main ingredients are: Sea Bream, Konga Eel, shrimp and egg. The rice, which comes studded with mushroom and vegetables, is flavoured with vinegar while the fish is well-marinated.

Cooked rice is first pressed into a small, open wooden box and pieces of marinated fish are placed on top. A flat piece of wood is then used to press it down lightly. This, of course happens at lighting fast speed, hardly surprising since Mr Oyama has been doing this for 51 years.
The square slab of pressed sushi is cut into neat rectangular bite-sized pieces before it is served. The eel is lightly brushed with soy sauce.

A man cycles past the very strange "Dotonbori Hotel Gloria" facade

One of the sushi chefs jokes arround with an Alaskan crab at Ichiba Sushi. Delicious sushi with huge portions (the tuna and salmon slices are so big you can’t even see the sushi rice)

The amount of food in Osaka is simply mystifying. Osakan food culture is a mix of proud traditions kept chefs like My Oyama, food theme parks, plastic food replicas and instant ramen (both invented in Osaka). The quality of the produce is unrivalled and, above all the playfulness of the people and their no-nonsense character make for a memorable culinary adventure.

A woman pays her respects to Osaka's famed "Moss Buddha" in the Hozenji area.

For information about licensing for this feature:
by email: cedirc@realfeatures.com
or call: +66(0)8182 797 56 (Bangkok Cell)

Back to travel home | Back to Realfeatures home | About

TRAVEL FEATURES

Kuidaore Osaka!
Flamenco de Jerez
Paris: Le Marais
Phi Phi Islands
Khao Lak / Similans
Travel portfolio
Food portfolio