Food in Osaka, Japan

Nothing screams “Osaka” like rat-sized dogs dressed up as cheerleaders… except takoyaki, the quintessential Osaka streetside snack. Takoyaki are round octopus fritters – crispy on the outside, creamy on the inside, and anchored by the firm bite of octopus. Toppings include seaweed, bonito fish flakes, Japanese barbecue sauce, scallions, and mayonnaise. Spear them with a toothpick and eat with caution: takoyaki will be extremely hot.

Here’s your crowd pleaser – in Japanese, “yaki” means grilled and “okonomi” means any way you like. Somewhere between an omelet and a pancake, okonomiyaki starts with a base of egg, cabbage, and flour. Unlike layered Hiroshimayaki, the ingredients in Osaka-style okonomiyaki are all mixed together before getting turned onto the grill. Choose your filling: seafood, pork, cheese, kimchi, soba noodles (modanyaki)… any earthly combination you can think of. The concoction gets grilled up right in front of you on your table, and topped with your choice of okonomiyaki sauce, seaweed and bonito fish flakes, and/or mayonnaise.

Yakiniku, meaning "grilled meat", is a Japanese term which, in its broadest sense, refers to grilled meat dishes. "Yakiniku" originally referred to the "barbecue" of western food. Today, it commonly refers to a Japanese style of cooking bite-sized meat (usually beef and offal) and vegetables on gridirons or griddles over flame of wood charcoals carbonized by dry distillation or gas/electric grill.

In a yakiniku restaurant, diners order several types of prepared raw ingredients (either individually or as a set) which are brought to the table. The ingredients are cooked by the diners on a grill built into the table throughout the duration of the meal, several pieces at a time. The ingredients are then dipped in sauces known as tare before being eaten. The most common sauce is made of Japanese soy sauce mixed with sake, mirin, sugar, garlic, fruit juice and sesame. Garlic-and-shallot or miso-based dips are sometimes used. Different kinds of Korean side dishes like kimchi, nameul, bibimbap are also served alongside.

The reader has perhaps sensed a theme in Osaka-region cuisine: yaki, yaki, loads of yaki. The Osakans are no fools; grilled stuff tastes good. Ikayaki translates to grilled squid, but in this region, the term refers to squid-filled pancakes. The batter is filled with chopped squid and folded like a crepe. A popular street snack, but the Hanshin Department Store Snack Park is known for its rendition of this treat.

Speaking of organ meats, you’ll find them on lots of menus in Osaka. Some claim it’s the Korean influence; some call it “stamina-building food,” some just shut up and eat. Often on tap: barbecued kokoro (chicken heart), tangu (beef tongue), reba (liver), zuri (chicken gizzards), and intestines. Cartilage and skin are also popular, usually served up fried.Speaking of organ meats, you’ll find them on lots of menus in Osaka. Some claim it’s the Korean influence; some call it “stamina-building food,” some just shut up and eat. Often on tap: barbecued kokoro (chicken heart), tangu (beef tongue), reba (liver), zuri (chicken gizzards), and intestines. Cartilage and skin are also popular, usually served up fried.

Udon noodle soup topped with a thin, velvety blanket of fried tofu. Piping hot and delicious, but the very dickens to eat. In general, noodle soup broth tends to be lighter and more delicate in Osaka in comparison to broth in Tokyo, which tends to be dark and rich. Note: in Japanese, kitsune means “fox,” but make sure to wipe your nose often while eating any hot soup or “foxy” is the last thing you’ll be.

It’s sushi, but it’s square! How do they do it? They press it flat in a bamboo box (hako). Traditional fish used for this kind of sushi includes toasty brown eel, pink sea bream, yellow omelet, dark kikurage mushrooms, and red shrimp. A tapestry-like work of art you can actually eat.

A tasty homestyle rice dish involving carrots, burdock root, deep-fried tofu, konyaku, and chicken. Simple and healthy. Eat with pickles. Eat it year-round. Eat it on the side or as a main dish.

Similar to chowanmushi (savory custard soup), odamakimushi provides the same hit of comfort, but laced with with chewy udon noodles. Originally eaten only by wealthy merchants on special occasions, as eggs were once considered a delicacy. Old-world delicacy for everyone!