Tuesday, April 3, 2018

Osaka Holiday - To Eat (Daiki Suisan Kaiten Sushi, Pablo, Melopan Ice Cream, Ojinoya, Arabiya Coffee, Hozenji Yokocho Meoto Zenzai, Kushikatsu Daruma, Shijouzushi Naniwaten 市場ずし 難波店, Tokisushi, JouRoku Ramen, Gumbo&Oyster Bar

Japan Osaka - To Stay
Japan Osaka - To Do
Japan Osaka - To Eat

Osaka - To Eat
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Daki Suisan Kaiten Sushi
(Fresh Carousel Sushi managed by seafood company
located along Dotonburi Main street))
(Sourced from http://www.osaka-info.jp/en/gourmet/japanese/daiki_suisan_kaitenzushi_doutonbori.html)
 
Japan, 〒542-0071 Osaka Prefecture, Osaka, Chuo, Dotonbori, 1−7−24 四海樓道頓堀ビル
"Located in the middle of Doutonbori district, this restaurant of "kaitenzushi (sushi-go-round)"is a directly managed store of a seafood company committed to freshness. Fresh Bluefin tuna is cut and sliced in the open kitchen every day, so that customers can enjoy the best quality sushi made with freshly-prepared ingredients. A wide variety of take-out sushi is also available."-Osaka-Info
As advertised. Special mention goes to the Collar Otoro. Wow. I thought Otoro was right there at the top, but the Collar Otoro has that little bit more. Texture and more oil if that's possible? Amazingggg and a must order.
Ordered On:
29March2018
Otoro 350Yen per piece (L) Vs the superior Collar Otoro 500yen per piece (R)
(First time seeing such an option and MUST TRYYYYYY!)
16plates not all pictured at a total cost of 4374Yen total Fed 2
Food 3.5/5
Value 3.5/5
Ambience 3/5Service 3.5/5
The Otoro Collar is a must try. The rest of the sushi options are pretty much to a good standing. As with different sushi joints, their offering differ slightly. When in doubt, another all time reliable sushi chain joint in Japan is Sushi Zanmai which was spoted just around the corner from Daiki Suisan.
Depending on what type of Sushi you're looking for, this or Sushi Zanmai would be a good and will return pick. However specifically for the Otoro Collar, this would be it! You can also get a taste of Otoro Collar from Kuromon Market.

Pablo
(Located just off of Dotonburi Main street)
Sourced From:
https://sethlui.com/osaka-japan-food-guide/#ixzz56bJcUJuY
Pablo is located just off from main Dotonburi street and the Glico Man Sign.
 
 
 Ordered On: 
29March2018
Pablo Original Cheese Tart Dine-In Option
780Yen
 *Though not as cheesy as expected, two things were really a pleasant surprise. The crust is puff pastry which adds dimension and texture. Secondly, the filling is soooooooo light and airy. It can be best described to be like a warm, freshly whipped, meringue consistency, but even lighter! More cheese could be better as the citrus sauce drizzled over to your liking may overpower the dish. Enjoyable dining-in option, perfect with the dollop of vanilla ice cream. Take away is available as well with a shorter wait queue. We took about 10mins to get in.*
Food 3.5/5
Value 3/5
Ambience 3.5/5 
Service 3.5/5
A lovely dessert which I would come back to try their seasonal specials and in fact their honey cheese toast looks equally appetizing. The standard sized dessert is perfect for two to share.
〒542-0085 Osaka Prefecture, Osaka, Chuo Ward, Shinsaibashisuji, 2 Chome−3−15, 宗 右 衛門 町 通り
Melopan Ice Cream
(Can't remember where I'd search this from but had already stared it on the map. Located along Dotonburi.)
 
Not too sure if the tag line is true that its the second delicious melopan Ice Cream in the world but their unique selling point really is there fresh baked sweet, melon bread. Its a similar concept to Singapore's rainbow bread with choice of Ice Cream. 
Ordered On:
29March2018
400Yen Vanilla Ice Cream filling.
Excellent street food at 400Yenn for the Ice Cream and Bun, however the wait time of 10-15mins may not be so appealing. The selling point here of course is their freshly baked Melon Bread and is by far the best Melon Bun ever had! Beats Melon De Melon easily! Worth the try and order.
Melonpan Ice Cream
Tokisushi
(Sushi - Especially Toro)
*With four branches in Osaka alone, Tokisushi must be doing something right. The quality is great and the prices are low (from only 158 yen per dish). Their toro (fatty tuna) and torigain (Japanese egg cockle) come particularly highly recommended.
Hours: Tuesday to Saturday 11:00 – 14:00 and 17:00 – 23:00
Sunday and public holidays 11:00 – 23:00
Closed: Monday
Price: Lunch from < 1,000 yen / dinner from 3,000 yen (excluding tax and service charges)* - from websource
Japan, 〒542-0075 Ōsaka-fu, Ōsaka-shi, Chūō-ku, Nanbasennichimae, 4, 中央区難波千日前４ 
Ordered On:
30March2018
Seared Japanese Beef 180Yen/piece
*The seared beef was amazing. Really good textures and flavors from a fatty piece of meat. A little pricey I suppose but well worth it.*
Otoro 450Yen/piece
 
 *The flavors were there, but what was a little disappointing was that the sliced fish came somewhat 'mangled', with the connective portion coming apart when picked up. Flavor is there, but texture and overall form lacking. Kuromon Market/ or Daki Suisan Kaiten Sushi has much better quality and the addition of Otoro Collar cut (A must try)
Horse Mackerel

*Hamachi slices were fresh as were the squid and flavorful crab!*
and a couple of other Sushi choices
Total 2000Yen plus
Food 3.5/5
Value 3/5
Ambience 3.5/5 
Service 3.5/5
Good but not mind blowing great. The selection is a little light. Everything was pretty good and fresh with the exception of the otoro which in fact came recommended. The otoro looked a little mangled when served, with the fish piece falling apart.

Prices may have been revised upwards to 180yen now and may not be as cheap as before. Good sushi with a small selection. Recommended Toro fell short thou.
Japan, 〒542-0075 Ōsaka-fu, Ōsaka-shi, Chūō-ku, Nanbasennichimae, 4, 中央区難波千日前４ 

Takatori Namba Sennichimae
(introducing Izakaya Restaurants) 
3.7 (44) Google Reviews
Popping into try an Izakaya, commonly known in Japan as an informal pub, for after work drinking and light eats. Am not recommending this particular joint, but rather one might give an Izakaya a try as a local dining option to take in Japan culture. 

The policy here was to order minimum two sticks but other places may allow for just one.
Ordered On:
30March2018
Chicken Heart
 *Wow Will reorder this for sure. Love the butterfly on the heart. A squeeze of lemon and a little salt goes a long way.*
*The chicken and leek average. The broiled chicken and cheese was bland*
 *An Osaka signature apparently. Fried lotus with chicken paste. To be honest a little on the salty side.*
 *Chicken sandwich was pretty interesting. Nothing like a
freshly toasted brioche to start the day.*
Rib Gristle
*Good but not great. Go for the gristle. Its fantastic. It all the great chewy soft bone at the tip of chicken drumlets and wings.*
Total Fed 2 at 3620Yen
 Food 3/5
Value 3/5
Ambience 3.5/5 
Service 3/5
Nothing really to shout about. Apart from the heart skewers and Gistle (not pictured but even better if fried Karage style like in Togoshi Ginza) the rest were really average. However the overall dining experience was enjoyable to watch that bbq the meat in front of you whilst downing a cold beer.
Ramen Tensho
(A pleasant surprise. Noodles and soup stock as good,
if not better than Ichiran)
4.2(65)Google

Ordered On:
30March2018
 Same soup stock with different choice of greasy or sliced pork. 900/720Yen
Added an order of Karage 360yen
*Soup stock was rich, not too thick and very flavorful. Both meat options were very distinct in both their textures and flavor profiles. The greasy pork came apart with ease, reflecting hours of tender loving care, slow cooking in its own juices and marinade. Fantastic! The other pork slice was sweet and texture like ham/bacon. Each of which great in their own ways. Their onsen tamago well marinated and excelled. Their noodles are springy and bouncy in texture.*
Total 2138Yen Fed 2

 Food 4/5
Value 3.5/5
Ambience 3.5/5 
Service 3.5/5
Overall, a very pleasant surprise for a dropped by Ramen joint. Perhaps the overall combination of ingredients and generous serving of spring onion, superior toppings, edges this pork ramen showing over that at Ichiran (Another well enjoyed ramen staple). Well worth to give this joint a try!
 
Kushikatsu Daruma Dotonbori
Ordered On:  
01April2018:
Daruma History ¥2200
Added on a couple of additional items.
They all kinda tasted similar. The batter isn’t that heavy but its not as light as tempura. Furthermore the sweet sour dipping sauce pretty much masks the dishes somewhat similar.
Kushikatsu, Okonomiyaki and Takoyaki are the three main popular dishes of Osaka.
Kushikatsu Daruma along Dotonbori had a long queue but cleared up quite quickly. They have the whole eatery down to precision and the turn over is relatively fast.

Okay only. Unless you want to try one of the three main staples, Kushikatsu, Okonomiyaki and Takoyaki its one of those gotta try eats. Haven't tried others so there's no comparison. 
Kushikatsu Daruma Dotonbori 1 Chome-6-4 Dotonbori, Chuo, Osaka, Osaka Prefecture 542-0071

Matsusakyagyu Yakiniku
Matsusakyagyu its just off main Dotonburi stretch and maybe a little hard to find. Trip advisor winner. Free wifi available on site. Maximum of 2hrs dining time due to very limited space. Reservations are a must!
Matsusaka beef (松阪牛 Matsusaka-gyū, also "Matsuzaka beef") is the meat of Japanese Black cattle reared under strict conditions in the Matsusaka region of Mie in Japan. It has a high fat-to-meat ratio. Within Japan, it is one of the three Sandai Wagyū, the "three big beefs"; the others are Kobe beef and Ōmi beef or Yonezawa beef. About 2500 cows are slaughtered for Matsusaka beef each year; the meat commands high prices. - Wiki
Ordered on
2ndApril2018

From medium fat section.
Rib Eye ¥2500 80gm
*Nice but the texture was a little tough. Strangely the meat did not come apart with ease.*
Back ¥2500 80gm (pictured right)
*This was by far my most favored cut. The fat's not overwhelming, a smooth texture and the most enjoyable of all the cuts.
From max fatty section
Big Sirloin Steak ¥4000 100gm
*The grand daddy and most prized cut. The meat melts in your mouth, tender and you don’t get over powered by too much fat like the Kalbi Short Rib cut. Amazing but personal preference is for the back cut.*
Assorted vegetables ¥600
 *Simple selection and par boiled so that they roasts easily and quickly on the grill. Will try this on my next bbq.*
Matsusaka Beef Sushi ¥580
*A little steep in price. Good but rather put that towards super otoro.
Garlic rice in a hot pot ¥780
 *Promoted as one of their popular dishes but didn’t think too much of it. It does have the garlic flavours but a little on the oily side. The meat served with it is bacon rather than beef which is a disappointment.*
Small rice ¥250 x2
Asahi Draft Beer ¥480
 Two other beef options, waygu from Japan and Kalbi from United States.
 *Waygu on the left and Kalbi on the right*
Chunked lean waygu-beef ¥980
*Waygu was okay but of course pales in comparison to the main, fattier Matsusaka beef. A nice serving size but really wanted to try this as a comparison to the famed Matsusaka Beef, the other of the big three beef.*
Kalbi Short Rib ¥780
*Very greasy, oily. It really isn’t all that great and you’re really just working through a large majority of pure fat. Too heavy and for lack of better word *jee-lak*(too much of something that it becomes near unpleasant.*
Food 4/5
Value ?/5
*No real comparison for quality beef orders and especially one of the big three, namely Matsuzaka beef*
Atmosphere 4/5
*Nice private booths, nice grooving music and very quaint*
Service 4/5
*Staff had clear recommendations and could explain everything on the menu clearly, giving recommendations along the way. Furthermore, they were quick to respond to silent service bell request
Total fed2 ¥15,444
So the grand questions how does Matsusaka beef match up to Kobe? Honestly apart from fat distribution, I can’t tell the flavor of the meat apart. That again, it wasn’t comparing a same grade Waygu to an equivalent Matusaka. Yet to be determined.
A fabulous meal with great service to enjoy top quality beef in a beautiful quaint booth. Good to try Matsusaka Beef but not to be had all the time!

Hoshino Hand Drip Coffee
(Chained restaurant)





Ordered on:
2Apirl2018
Single Tier strawberry pancake ¥880 (There’s option for double)
20min prep time

*its sooooo fluffyyyyy... well worth the wait. Am not sure how this sorta pan cakes matches up at other cafes, but it was incredibly enjoyable for the first time. Light and not overly sweet*
Hoshino ice coffee ¥400

*So cute with their micro pitchers for milk and syrup. An enjoyable drinking experience. Nothing really more can be said about the coffee. Probably more robust than the canned iced coffee from leading Japanese brands.*
Total ¥1280 Fed2
The wait time of 20mims for the pan cake was well worth. Perfect for after dinner dessert and drinks Serving size is best shared.
 Food 3.5/5
Value ?/5
*Again no comparison for similar style pancakes*
Ambience 4/5
Service 3.5/5
Will revisit if looking for early morning breakfast/after dinner dessert. Thoroughly enjoyable and of course best had fresh. There's also a Toshenoo hand drip coffee branch right outside of Aeon Mall in Narita  beside Tonzen - Tonkatsu Restaurant.

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Below are other researched joints but didn't get to try due either to timing issues or closures upon arrival. Particularly Shijouzushi and JouRoku Ramen were of interest. Yet to be tried.


Shijouzushi Naniwaten 市場ずし 難波店
(Sushi best known for their huge sushi toppings
but reported from other reviewed to be racist)
Also another really wanting to try joint but man the timing just didn't match
Opening hours cater more to the late lunch and way past midnight crowds.
(Sourced from https://www.picrumb.com/best-restaurants/namba/shijozushi/)
Weekdays 12:00 p.m. - next morning 5:00
Close: N.A
Price: [Dinner] 3,000- yen 3,999 yen [Lunch] 3,000- yen 3,999 yen
"The biggest selling point of this sushi shop must be the size of their sushi toppings. They are all markedly large sized and very fresh but fortunately not too expensive. When you come by, the place might be crowded depending on the time as it is very popular for many locals but it is definitely worth waiting." - picrumb.com

JouRoku Ramen
(Well known Ramen: Really wanted to try but was closed on finding it.)
Sourced from https://www.picrumb.com/best-restaurants/namba/jouroku/
Open Hour: From 11:30 to 15:00, From 18:00 to 21:00
Closed: Wednesday
"The well known ramen shop JouRoku is extremely difficult to find for newcomers as it is located on a very narrow street out of no where. But if you can find this ramen shop successfully using Picrumb, you can have their legendary ramen that many locals highly evaluate. When you go inside JouRoku, order the most popular menu called the "Chuka soba" and wait till they bring you their vaunted black ramen. The black ramen in JouRoku is using few types of soy sauce and mixture of fish, chicken and pork bone based for the ingredients of the soup. Then they boil it for a long time before they serve it to customers. It is simply the best local ramen in town." - Picrumb.com

Arabiya Coffee
(Thick Japanese Pancakes) but ending up trying
Hoshino Hand Drip Coffee Listed Above
(Sourced from https://www.tsunagujapan.com/12-cafes-in-osaka-where-you-can-enjoy-japanese-pancakes/)
Go south from Ebisu Bashi in Osaka Minami and turn left at the second junction and you will see the entrance to Hozenji Temple in front of you. If you walk in the direction of the temple, you will soon find a 2-storey old coffee shop on your left. This is Arabia Coffee. The interior of the shop is a chic dark brown. Their coffee, made from roughly ground beans and drip served, has a mild taste and rich aroma, and goes perfectly with their sweet pancakes, which have a crisp outer layer and are soft and moist on the inside.


Hozenji Yokocho
Meoto Zenzai
(Dessert House)
Located right beside the moss covered statue. Red Bean's Isn't really my thing.
(Sourced from http://iwandered.net/2017/11/07/8-off-beaten-path-unique-attractions-osaka-kyoto/ Located near Hozenji reviewed above for a slice of Old Japan)
The Meotozenzai shop is particularly famous. It is said that eating the zenzai dessert as a couple brings luck.

Gumbo&Oyster Bar 
(Sourced most unique eats in Osaka)
Yet to try
Japan, 〒556-0011 Osaka Prefecture, Osaka, Naniwa Ward, Nanbanaka, ２−１０−７０

Ojinoya
(Best Okonomiyaki.
A noodle pizza crossover.)
Go up the stairs 50m to the right
(Sourced from https://www.picrumb.com/best-restaurants/namba/ajinoya/)
"One of the most recommended okonomiyaki restaurants in Namba. The okonomiyaki in Ajinoya is well known for their sweet sauce (with mustard and mayonnaise upon your request) and its amazing softness inside. You may want to try the most popular one called Modern Yaki once you enter. Now start spreading its delicious sauce on your okonomiyaki as much as you want and experience the real taste of Osaka!" - Picrub.com

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