What to Eat in Osaka on Your Next Trip to Japan

The bustling city of Osaka is widely referred to as the “Kitchen of Japan” due to its vibrant food scene and many iconic local dishes. While the vast array of Osaka dining opportunities may be overwhelming, rest assured that it’s hard to find a bad meal in the city. Start with some of the local specialties.

Okonomiyaki

Sometimes referred to as a pizza and often referenced as a pancake, okonomiyaki is really a divine creation of its own. Delicious batter is mixed with cabbage, veggies, and meat, and then pan fried and topped with a generous drizzle of mayo, okonomiyaki sauce, dried seaweed, and bonito flakes.  

There are two methods of preparing okonomiyaki. Traditional Osaka-style okonomiyaki incorporates all of the ingredients into the batter before frying as opposed to Hiroshima-style, where the ingredients are layered on top of each other like a stack of flapjacks.  

A great introduction to okonomiyaki can be found at Chibo restaurants. With multiple locations around Osaka, this foreigner-friendly establishment drops all the pretense, instead focusing on its signature dish. Okonomiyaki can be styled to your particular taste, but we recommend trying the Dotonbori okonomiyaki as it includes a little of everything: tender pork belly, squid, beef tendon, shrimp, and cheese topped with a drizzle of mayo, and dried bonito flakes that seem to move of their own accord.  

Takoyaki   

You’ll be hard pressed to wander Osaka without seeing an oversized octopus clinging to the side of a storefront or looming over a bustling crowd in Dotonbori. When you do spot one, congratulations, you’ve most likely stumbled upon a takoyaki shop. 

Osaka is the birthplace of takoyaki, or “grilled octopus,” bite-sized treats that are so much more. Visitors and locals alike adore the savory round doughnuts stuffed with diced grilled octopus and served piping hot.  

The iconic street food can be found in most corners of Osaka and is prolific along the Dotonbori canal. We recommend sampling a variety of stalls to find your favorite takoyaki haunt. Good places to start are Takoyaki Dotonbori Kukuru and Takoyaki Juhachiban.  

Ramen

Did you really visit Japan if you didn’t slurp up at least one warm comforting bowl of ramen? Ramen is ubiquitous across the country, and Osaka is the perfect place to try the regional specialty of Takaida-style ramen. This particular version boasts a rich dark broth with a unique depth of flavor courtesy of the tamari shoyu (soy sauce). The chewy noodles are drowned in broth and accompanied by tender chicken, a soft-boiled egg, and a generous topping of green onions.  

Ramen is meant to be savored but quickly. This prevents the noodles from becoming soggy and also makes room for new customers eager for their own helping. For a hearty bowl in Osaka, I recommend trying the Takaida-style ramen at Menya Jouroku.  

Kushiage

It’s been said that the battered and fried skewers, called kushiage, originated in the Shinsekai district of Osaka. The popularity of kushiage has held steady over the decades as it’s an easily accessible and affordable treat for the working class, and you can easily find the dish throughout the city.  

If I were to take a stab at the translation for kushiage (also known as kushukatsu), I would venture that it means “fried-everything-on-a-stick” and honestly, I wouldn’t be too far off. Kushiage translates to “skewer fry” and is exactly that. Seafood, bite-sized cuts of meat, lotus root, and vegetables are skewered, battered, deep fried, and coated in breadcrumbs. The end result is a crispy golden treat that can be eaten at a street food stall or in an upscale restaurant. The skewers pair nicely with a cold beer or sake.  

Sometimes the best kushiage is the one you stumble upon while wandering the Shinsekai district, but if you don’t want to leave your dining plans up to chance, grab a seat at Kushikatsu Daruma. Have your yen at the ready as this establishment is cash only.