Osaka, which has long had a highly developed food culture, is overflowing with absolutely delicious food! In this issue, a writer born in the Kansai region introduces wonderful restaurants that you will definitely want to visit if you ever come to Osaka, a city where you can fall in love consuming all the extravagant food!
Udonsuki “Mimiu”
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“Mimiu” is a 250 year old establishment that serves Osaka’s regional cuisine, udonsuki. Udonsuki is a hot pot dish, recommended in winter, in which chicken, seafood, vegetables, and udon noodles are stewed together in Japanese soup stock. Its uniqueness lies in the soup stock, extracted every day from real dried bonito over a two hour period. The flavor of the soup stock is light and slightly sweet, a style unique to the Kansai region. The restaurant’s main location is in Hiranomachi, Senba (Osaka’s business district). Its interior offers a calm and elegant atmosphere where you can take your time to enjoy the wonderful ingredients.
■Mimiu
Open hour：11:30～21:30 (Last Order.20:30)
Close: Sunday and National holidays
HP： http://www.mimiu.co.jp/en/
Specialty Kushikatsu shop “Yaekatsu”
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Deep fried “kushikatsu” skewers are an Osaka specialty. Shops specializing in kushikatsu line the streets in the Tsutenkaku area. Among those shops, “Yaekatsu” is especially popular and known for its bountiful menu and the large pieces of food it places on skewers. I recommend holding a beer in one hand as you use the other to dip your freshly fried kushikatsu in plenty of tare sauce before taking a crispy bite. Starting with the beef kushikatsu advertised on the signboard, make your way through the shiitake mushroom, squid, lotus root, cheese, wiener sausage, and endless other crunchy delights. Don’t forget to also try another popular Osaka specialty, “doteyaki” (beef gristle simmered with miso).
■Yaesukatsu
Open hour：10:30～20:30
Close：Thursday
URL：https://tabelog.com/en/osaka/A2701/A270206/27000443/
Unaju “Unajiro”
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“Unajiro” is a long standing specialty unagi shop near Tenmangu Station in Osaka. The affordable, Kansai-style unagi here is grilled until slightly crispy on the outside and left fluffy and tender on the inside. After making your order, a lovely aroma drifts throughout the shop, increasing your appetite until your meal arrives. You will definitely be satisfied by the large unagi served here with plenty of tare sauce on top. Unaju (high class) includes an entire unagi, “kimosui” (soup using unagi innards), and pickled vegetables all for ¥3380. You’ll want to try unaju at least once while in Japan, so don’t miss your chance to do so at “Unajiro,” where both the taste and price are fantastic!
■Unajiro
Open hour：
11:00～13:30(lunch)
17:00～20:15(dinner)
Close：Monday
URL：https://tabelog.com/en/osaka/A2701/A270103/27040987/
Hakozushi “Yoshino Sushi”
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Sushi in Osaka is not only done in nigiri style! Hakozushi (boxed sushi), with its wonderful taste and brilliant presentation, has long been a popular gift choice in the Kansai region. High class ingredients like ikeyaki anago, ikekodai, thick-sliced egg, and shrimp are pressed down firmly over sushi rice to form this style of sushi. Shiitake mushrooms and seaweed simmered for five hours are also folded into the rice to make it even more luxurious. So be sure to enjoy the hakozushi at “Yoshino Sushi,” made with the same refined flavors since their establishment began in 1841.
■Yoshino Sushi
Open hour:
（Take Away ( To go)） 9:30～18:00
（Lunch） 11:00～13:30
Close：Saturday, Sunday, National holidays
HP：https://tabelog.com/en/osaka/A2701/A270106/27000011/
Osaka’s insistence on delicious food has made it a city with many gourmet options. Foods like udonsuki, kushikatsu, Kansai-style unaju, and hakozushi can only be tasted here, so don’t miss your chance to enjoy them!
