Osaka

Balls of dashi-based batter with a piece of octopus inside, grilled on a special iron plate. The star of Osaka's flour-based food culture, they are crispy outside and gooey inside. The classic topping is sauce, mayonnaise, green seaweed and bonito flakes, but some shops serve them dipped in dashi or with soy sauce or salt. Fresh takoyaki is very hot inside, so let it cool a little. Eating on the go around Dotonbori is fun, but please take your trash with you. Comparing shops is part of the fun.

Typical price

¥500–800 (6–8 pieces)

Where

Dotonbori, Namba and all over Osaka City

Osaka-style okonomiyaki: cabbage, pork and other ingredients are mixed into the batter before grilling. It is finished with sauce, mayonnaise, bonito flakes and green seaweed. Some restaurants cook it for you while at others you cook it yourself, so first-timers may prefer a place where the staff do it. Cut and eat it right on the hot plate with a small spatula (kote) so it stays hot to the last bite. Modan-yaki, with yakisoba noodles inside, is also popular. Try a few shops and compare.

Typical price

¥800–1,500

Where

All over Osaka City

Skewers of beef, pork, vegetables and seafood, battered and deep-fried. Shinsekai, home of Tsutenkaku Tower, is packed with kushikatsu shops and has long been the place for this everyday favorite. Skewers start at around ¥100 each and go perfectly with beer. The shared sauce has one rule: no double-dipping. Once you have bitten a skewer, do not dip it again. If you need more sauce, do as the locals do and use the free cabbage to scoop it on. Each shop's batter has a different texture.

Typical price

¥100–300 per skewer

Where

Shinsekai (around Tsutenkaku Tower)

A cousin of okonomiyaki made with a mountain of green onions in a thin batter. Green onions replace the cabbage as the star, and some shops add beef tendon or konjac. It is usually eaten with soy sauce or ponzu rather than sauce, for a lighter taste. It is said to have started at a restaurant in Juso, Osaka, where you can still find famous shops today. Enjoy the sweetness and crunch of the onions, a different pleasure from okonomiyaki. It goes well with beer too.

Typical price

¥800–1,300

Where

Juso and other areas

A uniquely Osaka snack: batter mixed with chopped squid, pressed flat and cooked in seconds between two hot iron plates. The thin, chewy pancake is brushed with sweet and savory sauce. It is completely different from the whole grilled squid also called ikayaki, so first-timers may be surprised. The most famous stand is in the basement of a department store in Umeda, where even long lines move quickly. At around ¥200 each, it is perfect when you feel a little peckish.

Typical price

About ¥200 each

Where

Umeda (Hanshin Department Store) and others

Udon topped with a large piece of sweet simmered fried tofu, said to have been born in Osaka. Osaka udon is known for its clear, light-colored broth made from kelp and bonito, which lets you taste the umami of the dashi. Biting into the sweet tofu changes the flavor as it mixes with the broth. In Osaka it is sometimes called ketsune udon. Almost every udon shop in the city serves it, including standing noodle bars in stations. It is just right for breakfast or a light lunch.

Typical price

¥500–900

Where

Osaka City (said to originate in Senba)

Beef tendon slowly simmered for hours in white or red miso and mirin, a classic Osaka dish. The tendon becomes meltingly tender and soaks up the sweet and savory miso. Some shops serve it on skewers and others in small dishes. It is a standard side at Shinsekai kushikatsu restaurants, usually ordered with skewers and beer. The name is said to come from building a dote, a bank of miso, around the edge of the pot. It also goes great with rice. Enjoy it in Shinsekai's lively atmosphere.

Typical price

¥400–700 per plate

Where

Shinsekai and other areas

Beef udon without the noodles: a savory dashi soup with beef and a soft-cooked egg, said to have started at a long-running udon shop in Namba. The story goes that a hungover comedian ordered beef udon, hold the udon. The classic way is to order it with a small bowl of rice (kodama) and eat them in turns. It makes a light meal, popular for lunch or after a night of drinking. Drop by while visiting Namba's comedy theaters, and drink the broth to the last drop.

Typical price

¥700–1,000

Where

Namba

In Osaka, pork buns are called butaman, not nikuman, because in the Kansai region niku (meat) usually means beef. Fluffy, thick dough is packed with juicy pork and onion, making for a filling snack. Eat it with a dab of mustard, Osaka style. You can buy them at station kiosks, and some shops let you watch them being wrapped one by one at the counter. Many people take them home as an Osaka souvenir. Even when cold, they are tasty again after re-steaming.

Typical price

¥200–300 each

Where

Around Namba, Umeda and other stations in Osaka City

Pressed sushi of vinegar-cured mackerel on rice, topped with a thin sheet of white kelp and shaped in a wooden mold. It is said to have been created in Osaka in the Meiji era, and the name comes from the Portuguese word for a small boat. It was originally made with gizzard shad, but mackerel later became standard. The umami of the kelp, the richness of the mackerel and the tang of the vinegared rice make an elegant combination. Find it at Osaka sushi shops and department stores. It travels well and pairs nicely with sake.

Typical price

¥1,000–2,000

Where

Sushi shops and department stores in Osaka City

A hot pot of whale meat and mizuna greens briefly cooked in kelp broth. The name is said to come from hari-hari, the crisp sound and feel of biting into mizuna. It was once common in Osaka homes, but now few places serve whale and it is mostly eaten at specialist restaurants. Some shops use pork or duck instead of whale. It is a simple dish that lets you enjoy the fresh crunch of the mizuna and a broth full of umami. An Osaka taste people crave in winter.

Typical price

¥3,000–6,000

Where

Osaka City (only a few restaurants serve it)

A hot pot of pufferfish (fugu) meat and bones cooked with napa cabbage, green onions and tofu. Osaka eats more fugu than almost anywhere in Japan, and it is a classic winter dish. Because fugu can be deadly, it was nicknamed teppo (gun), and teppo no chiri-nabe was shortened to tecchiri. Dip it in ponzu and finish with rice porridge made in the fugu-flavored broth. Preparing fugu requires a license, so eat it at a specialist restaurant. Blanched fugu skin is also popular.

Typical price

From ¥5,000

Where

Dotonbori and other areas of Osaka City

A hot pot of thick udon and more than a dozen ingredients, including seafood, chicken and vegetables, simmered in broth. Created by a long-established Osaka restaurant, it is now a beloved winter dish in the city. The thick noodles are made to stay firm even after simmering, and the broth soaks up the umami of all the ingredients. It looks festive and is perfect for sharing with family or friends. You can try it at specialist restaurants and Japanese restaurants. Finish with rice porridge in the broth.

Typical price

From ¥4,000

Where

Osaka City

A fluffy cheesecake loved for being sold fresh from the oven. Raisins line the bottom, and the flavor is gentle and not too sweet. When a new batch is ready, a bell rings and you can watch staff brand the logo onto each cake. At about ¥1,000 for a whole cake, the reasonable price is part of its appeal. It is delicious warm, and also great chilled in the fridge for a moister texture, so you can enjoy it two ways. There is often a line outside the shop.

Typical price

About ¥1,000 per whole cake

Where

Shops in Namba, Umeda and elsewhere in Osaka

A blend of fruit such as banana, peach and mandarin orange with milk, a standard drink at Osaka coffee shops. It is said to have been born at an Osaka coffee shop and is still served at many cafes and station juice stands. It is thick and smooth, with the gentle sweetness of fruit. Each shop uses a different mix and sweetness, so comparing them is fun. It is perfect for a break while exploring, or to refresh your palate after flour-based food. A retro coffee shop adds to the mood.

Typical price

¥300–600

Where

Coffee shops and station juice stands in Osaka City

Bite-size grilled rice cakes covered in a sweet and savory soy glaze. The small, fragrant rice cakes are easy to eat and go perfectly with the thick glaze. They are the famous product of a long-established sweet shop in Juso, Osaka, and have been loved by locals for generations. Each pack holds several skewers at a reasonable price. They do not keep long, so it is best to eat them the same day you buy them. Enjoy them with a cup of green tea.

Typical price

About ¥500

Where

Juso and other areas

Crushed rice bound with starch syrup and sugar into a very hard, crunchy sweet. The story goes that in the Edo period, digging canals in Osaka turned up lots of rock, and the sweet became popular with a pun on okosu (to dig up) and iwa (rock). Many versions are flavored with ginger and have a satisfying crunch. It is a classic Osaka souvenir still sold at souvenir shops today. It is very hard, so break it into small pieces as you eat. It goes nicely with tea.

Typical price

From about ¥500

Where

Souvenir shops in Osaka City