CoCo Ichibanyan (Umeda Station): Osaka 2017

I remember having curry on occasion while I was growing up… however, back then, Chinese curry just didn’t do it for me. You know what I’m talking about – that relatively bland yellow curry with the large potato chunks and little if anything else. If you thought that Japanese curry is anything like Chinese curry, you’re in for a big surprise.

Abeno Harukas (Kintetsu Department Store): Osaka 2017

Abeno Harukas may be the tallest building in Osaka but what you really need to do when you visit is go down to the basement. Like many of the large department store buildings in Japan, the basement is where you can find all types of foods… from prepared deli items, to desserts, and hot items.

Krispy Kreme (Abeno Q’s Mall): Osaka 2017

If you go back just over 11 years ago, there were no Krispy Kreme doughnut shops in Japan. Now, there’s over 40. I suppose they’ve really embraced the whole western fatty food culture. Not that I’m complaining at all.

Sennariya (Kuromon Ichiba Market): Osaka 2017

If sushi isn’t your thing and you find yourself in Kuromon Ichiba Market, all is not lost. They also grill up pretty much any kind of seafood that you can imagine. Sennariya is one such shop where you can find grilled seafood.

Maguro Entoki (Kuromon Ichiba Market): Osaka 2017

We enjoyed our previous visit to the Kuromon Ichiba Market so much that we knew that we wanted to come back for a revisit before we headed off to Tokyo. Originally, we were going to try some more sushi from Kuromon Sanpei but, for some reason, they opened a bit later than the other stores. Instead, we headed to nearby Maguro Entoki which had a good selection of nigiri available.

Cam On (Kitahama): Osaka 2017

After our day trip to Kyoto and a nighttime jaunt around Osaka, we were completely bushed… and famished. That’s when we saw this unassuming Vietnamese restaurant close to our hotel. The interior was actually larger than what you would expect from the exterior.

Araka (Kitahama): Osaka 2017

On our last visit to Japan, we tried self-grilled okonomiyaki at Toradyu in Tokyo. While very good, we realized that we’re actually too lazy to make okonomiyaki by ourselves. Since we were in Osaka on this visit, we knew we wanted to try okonomiyaki (which is a speciality here) but we wanted to find somewhere where they would prepare it for us.

Kukuru (Universal Citywalk): Osaka 2017

We probably all know takoyaki (round balls of grilled batter stuffed with pieces of octopus) from street vendors at night markets. But in Japan (and particularly Osaka), these hot and puffy treats are serious business.

Eggs ‘n Things (Universal Citywalk): Osaka 2017

Our first encounter with Eggs ‘n Things was many years ago in Hawaii and what an experience it was! For someone who loves breakfast, Eggs ‘n Things is a dream come true.

Kuromon Sanpei (Kuromon Ichiba Market: Osaka 2017

One of the more popular spots in the Kuromon Ichiba Market is Kuromon Sanpei… known for their fatty tuna. This place is very popular so it’s a good idea to go there early. Again, like most places at the market, unless you read Japanese (or Chinese kanji), you might have difficulty finding this place.

Kobeya Yakiniku (Kuromon Ichiba Market): Osaka 2017

The Kuromon Ichiba Market in Osaka is not just a place where you can find tasty seafood… they also have a good selection of fresh Kobe beef and Wagyu beef. What’s the difference you may ask? Well, all Kobe beef is Wagyu but not all Wagyu beef is Kobe. In other words, Wagyu beef refers to Japanese cattle while Kobe beef is a particular strain of Wagyu beef that’s raised in the Hyogo prefecture (Kobe is the capital of Hyogo).

Kuromon Furusato (Kuromon Ichiba Market): Osaka 2017

Snacks abound at the Kuromon Ichiba Market and Kuromon Furusato is a stall where you can find an endless supply of deep-fried foods.