Japanese is at the top of Filipinos’ all-time favorite Asian cuisines. A quick trip to Osaka showed us why people love the food from this region so much.
During a conversation with a friend, we came to this conclusion—Japan is always a good idea. For so many reasons. For starters, they are one of those places that feel like they are already living in 2050, yet still have a foot firmly entrenched in age-old customs and traditions.
For example, for the ongoing World Expo Osaka 2025, they built this massive wooden walkway that encloses the space, which looks like it was plucked right out of the Shogun era. But because the intent is to reuse the wood afterwards, they only used dowels to hold everything together. Quite ingenious, if you think about it. Juxtapose this mindset into the country’s food culture, and there are so many delicious finds to tease and please the palate from the moment you land in, and fly out of Japan.
While Tokyo is mostly everyone’s first choice when people fly to the Land of the Rising Sun, it is Osaka that is a foodie favorite. Just take a walk down Dotonbori, the famed food street, and you are spoiled for choice! There are stalls with steaming grills of okonomiyaki piled high with bonito flakes dancing on top alongside juicy strawberries on soft mochi. In between are tempura, gyoza, yakitori, and so much more ready to be washed down with an icy shot of sake or a whiskey highball.
Here are some of the best eats we found traipsing around the city, where our appetites when from 0 to 60 in a hot minute. Itadakimasu!
Tempura
If you’re craving tempura, the best place in Osaka to have it is Tempura Tarojiro. Located just a short walk past a small Buddhist temple, and down a little alleyway, they serve tempura that is so light, crisp, and so fresh. They offer different kinds: fish, eel, scallops, vegetables, to name a few. Then there are prawns and king prawns. You order by the piece, and then the Japanese chef who owns the place fries it right in the center of the restaurant. Your order gets to your table in minutes, and we pretty much ate our way through it just as quickly.
Okonomiyaki and takoyaki
Over the years, Osaka and Dotonbori have become synonymous with takoyaki and okonomiyaki. These two are beloved by both locals and visitors craving for a filling snack. Takoyaki gets its name from “grilled octopus,” which is wrapped in a dough ball filled with all kinds of delicious things: octopus, pickled ginger, and vegetables. It gets to you piping hot, so take a breath before popping one into your mouth. Okonomiyaki, on the other hand, came into popularity after the war, and was a way to use up available ingredients. Served hot and crisp, it is topped with Kewpie mayo, a brown sauce, and bonito flakes. Delicious!
Matsusaka beef
If Kobe has Kobe beef, then Osaka has the highly prized Matsusaka beef. This is meat from female black cattle raised under strict conditions in the Matsusaka region. What sets it apart is the low melting point of the fat, making these perfectly marbled pieces of meat melt-in-your-mouth tender. A popular place to have it, and a favorite of Pinoys, is Matsusaka M, run by chef Kuni (known for his quirky red glasses), right in the heart of the Dotonbori area. He offers set menus featuring different cuts of beef, which you grill tableside. Don’t miss the beef sushi, which they quickly torch in front of you. It’s one delicious bite.
Unagi
If Unagi is on your list of favorite things to eat, then Osaka is your happy place. And when they serve it up, they serve practically a whole eel with every order. Each piece is shiny with the sticky salty sweet teriyaki sauce, and is laid on top of rice that is also covered in the same sauce. No notes. It’s that good.
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Yakitori
Much like us Filipinos, the Japanese enjoy a few tasty bites to go with their beer, which means yakitori! It was quite a spread with skewers of juicy pieces of chicken thigh, pork belly, and chicken hearts (and other parts!). There were also some quail eggs and shishito peppers! With a side of rice, as this merry group of travelers were hungry after the flight in. Washed it all down with icy glasses of yuzu whiskey highballs. Kampai!
Best. Croissants. Ever.
One unexpected find, right in the heart of Kuromon Market, is Café & Croissant. The inconspicuous spot serves what is arguably, the best croissant we’ve tried. It’s flaky and buttery (from what we’re guessing is from Hokkaido Butter), and a hint of salt that just takes it over the top. That it’s called “Super Pee” is a bit of a trip. The shop says tey only bake 30 a day, and they do sell out. Another favorite is the pistachio cube, which is flaky croissant dough —which isn’t the same as the original croissant—that has a luscious pistachio cream center. Consume with a side of coffee.
So what’s the best thing to eat in Osaka? Just about everything. And you are spoiled for choice. As you walk up and down Dotonbori, and around Kuromon Market, resistance is, honestly, rather futile. Our advice, give in and follow where your belly leads you.
