Foodle

in osaka, japan (jan’24)

a small cozy standing udon shop in the city centre, stopped by after a ramen stop because that wasn’t satisfying enough for me. super cheap, quick and no fuss meal with a large range of options from traditional to creative style. opted for a warm bowl of beef and maitake mushroom udon, generous ingredients especially given the price-point.

wasn’t a huge fan of the udon texture here, though homemade it was on the softer side and not chewy at all. but appreciated the homemade dashi which was light but flavourful, niku was soft and tender too. a good quick fix but not worth the travel to, only stop by if you are around the area in osaka or coming for a mid afternoon snack. as if you have time, i would recommend the trip to rakuraku udon instead (from previous post.)

肉舞茸うどん (¥950)

would revisit: if in the area
reservations: no
price range pp: under ¥1000
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📍ウドン キュータロー
location: 3-1-16 kyutaromachi, osaka
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in osaka, japan (jan’24)

one of the most famous washoku restaurants in osaka, housed in dotonburi, tucked in a small alleyway filled with very touristy restaurants. really loved the ambience here, 3 floors of a small traditional japanese house, with the counter seats on ground floor and the private room on the top floor.

the ingredients here weren’t pristine but cooking was very good, very very traditional kaiseki. preparations here were also very precise, hassun was beautiful with small details like uni stuffed in ebi, negi and masu maki etc. kani course here was also very nice, we had 1 whole crab between the two of us, served in shabu shabu, grilled then with miso, before it is served in the end as gohan which was super delicious. the last shime was also a homemade soba with fugu shirako sauce which we enjoyed very much. first experience here with the tongue of a whale which was interesting, and really enjoyed the unconventional calpis ice cream with kinkan and kinkan jam. finished with a black bean yokan and matcha.

this season’s ingredients really spoke to us so we enjoyed our experience here very much, service was also very good and taisho was extremely nice. but with its traditional preparations i wouldn’t say i’d be as fond of it if we visited at any other season. maybe one day i will revisit for the counter experience if i have a chance, the experience should be fairly different.

蟹コースcrab course: (¥66,000)
饅頭 白味噌manju, shiromiso
✨甘鯛かぶら寿司 amadai kabura sushi
鶯菜 鯛カラスミ湯葉豆腐 uguisu, tai, karasumi, yuba tofu
本鰤刺身 辛味大根honburi, karami daikon
八寸hassun
✨蟹しゃぶしゃぶ shabu shabu crab claw and leg kanimiso
✨焼き蟹grilled crab leg with kanimiso
✨蕎麦 焼き河豚白子ソースsoba in fugu shirako sauce
愛菜 鯨さえずりmana veggie, kujira tongue
✨蟹のご飯crab gohan
✨金柑 カルピスアイスkinkan, calpis sorbet
✨黒豆羊羹 抹茶kuromame yokan + matcha

would revisit: yes (depend on season)
reservations: yes
price range pp: ¥60,000-¥100,000
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📍本湖月
location: 1-7-11 dotonburi, osaka
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in osaka, japan (jan’24)

one of the most talked about sushiya around japan recently, more of an innovative and creative style sushiya which drastically differs from what i’m used to. they only serve 2 rounds lunch and no dinner, which suits the lovely ambient space and modern interiors.

his shari is more on the lighter spectrum, with not much acidity which for me was a bit hard to get used to, but worked excellent with the old champagne we selected for our meal. truely enjoyed his tsumami which are sandwiched between the nigiris, his oyster chawamushi, ankimo with narazuke served with sake lees rice crackers, fugu shirako soup and lightly fried yurine were definitely highlights of the meal. taisho’s knife-skills also play a role in presenting his pieces to be super aesthetic, like in his kensaki ika nigiri and his iwashi maki.

for nigiris, really loved his starting piece of buri daikon, but his masu zuke was excellent. grilled hotate, shredded then dressed in tare, tara shirako nigiri and the usuyami tamago to finish were also delightful. however i didn’t enjoy his otoro, and his organic micro-green maki with a bit of shari and katsuoboshi was really an acquired taste. the meal was concluded in the tearoom next door which we had a selection between two desserts and teas, a lovely way to round off the meal and digest before setting off for the rest of the afternoon.

definitely worth seeking out when in osaka, a nice breath away from the traditional style and a really nice and relaxing space to dine in.

おまかせのランチ: (¥26,400)
鰤大根の握りburi daikon
鯵ラメロウaji tartare
子持ちイカと辛味大根 komochi ika
✨牡蠣の茶碗蒸しと山椒の油kaki chawanmushi
白焼きの穴anago
野菜巻きmicrogreens maki
✨たら白子のスープ tara shirako soup
✨百合の揚げ yurine
✨あん肝と酒レース ankimo
鰯昆布と葱巻き iwashi maki

白甘鯛shiro amadai
✨剣先イカkensaki ika
✨鱒の付けmasu zuke
大トロ otoro
小肌 kohada
ホタテhotate
車海老 kuruma ebi
赤貝 akagai
河豚白子fugu shirako
蟹といくらの蒸し寿司kani ikura mushizushi
✨薄焼き卵usuyaki tamago

りんごのアイスと煎茶 apple ice cream and sencha
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would revisit: maybe
reservations: yes
price range pp: ¥30,000-¥60,000
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📍鮨三心
location: 2-7-14 uchikyuhoujimachi, osaka
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in osaka, japan (jan’24)

further down away from osaka city in sakai, this sushiya is known for some of the best maguro in the area. i enjoyed his strong shari, bold and very sizeable nigiris which worked well with his strength in maguro. his tsumami were also done by the book and well, particularly liked his lightly grilled sawara, second time trying saezuri of kujira which was also really warming.

his sequencing order and general menu was quite similar with arai-san’s - with first 2 pieces of maguro first then again in the middle of the course, which i’ve later learnt that he was learning a lot from him. his maguro from yamayuki was enjoyable, particularly fond of the first two pieces of chiagishi and back cut. tora fugu shirako don and his anago were very nice, and ended with a negi toro maki which i wish the negi was more thinly sliced but thats a matter of personal preference. ended with a super castella like tamago which i loved and a piece of futomaki.

a very big course, considering taisho’s nigiris were fairly sized. a great meal but overall quite pricey for outskirts of osaka, taisho was also very quiet and was a bit intimidating rather than a warming experience. a solid spot in kansai for maguro but not a place worth trecking to osaka for.

dinner course (¥48,500):
蕪の出汁kabura dashi
鯛tai
✨タコtako
✨さわらsawara
うおぜ魚の焼き grilled butter fish
鯨のさえずりと愛菜出汁 kujira tongue dashi

✨ 血合いぎし chiagishi
✨背のトロ back of maguro
スミイカ sumi ika
白甘鯛 shiro amadai
小肌 kohada
✨中トロchutoro
✨大トロ otoro
馬糞ウニ bafun uni
✨虎河豚白子の丼 fugu shirako don
葱トロの巻き negitoro maki
太巻き futomaki
✨卵焼き tamagoyaki
いちご ichigo
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would revisit: try once
reservations: yes
price range pp: ¥30,000-¥60,000
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📍鮨おおが
location: 1-2-7 ochohigashi, sakai
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in osaka, japan (jan’24)

mega-convenient late night munchies in kitashinchi, one of the most renowned and i believe the pioneer for these ‘bite sized’ gyozas. fried to order with ample amounts of oil and pressed to make them extra crispy.

orders are a minimum of 15 pieces (20 if you order from the english menu) and a drink, which seemed doable but i found them too oily and greasy for me. but after some late night drinking i can see how these could potentially be extremely appealing. friendly staff, and seemingly welcome to foreigners too. a good introduction into the vast range of bustling late night food scene here in osaka.

餃子 15個 (¥1000)
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would revisit: if in the area
reservations: no
price range pp: under ¥3000
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📍天平
location: 1-8-12 soneza kitashinchi, osaka
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in osaka, japan (march’24)

super popular ‘izakaya’ in osaka, but unlike most it serves a tasting course, but remains to be a booze oriented casual experience on stools.

for the price of the course, the quality and variety of seafood he serves are definitely extremely remarkable. would say trumps many sushiyas with his sourcing and simple preparations to highlight them to extract the best flavours. it literally begins and revolves around a ‘tasting’ of all the fish he has available, then ankimo and homemade korean influenced mentaiko on ritz crackers. before a cooked cabbage and beef brisket which tasted a lot like hk’s, and some carbs as well - like a lightly grilled tachiuo gohan, fugu shirako and egg yolk dashi served with rice in the end for all the sauce. ended with a perfectly grilled hire steak with sansho peppers, a really really nice potato salad with tonkatsu sauce and toasted soba seeds.

though i wasn’t at all full from this light course, the bill around ¥10k yen with ample drinks which i thought was very reasonable. the price, quality and experience at this 6-seater and one man counter experience is definitely worth trying if given the opportunity to, thank you again to the dear friend who passed me the seats.

omakase course (¥8,800):
蛍イカ hotaru ika
石鯛 ishidai
焼きホタテと酒盜 scallop with fermented bonito innards
のどぐろ nodoguro
ホタテ raw scallop
縞鯵 shima-aji
平貝tairagai
燻製のさわら smoked sawara
赤貝 akagai
焼きさわら grilled sawara

あん肝と奈良漬 ankimo narazuke
自家製明太子 homemade mentaiko

太刀魚のご飯 tachiuo rice
タコの子 tako with its eggs
佃煮ウニ cooked marinated uni
河豚白子 卵黄だし fugu shirako, egg yolk dashi

牛肉と白菜の煮込み stew of beef and cabbage
ヒレ肉とポテトサラダ tenderloin and potato salad
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would revisit: yes
reservations: yes
price range pp: ¥6000-¥10,000
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📍和洋酒菜 ひで
location: 2-1-3 shinsaibashisuji, osaka
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in osaka, japan (march’24)

a really remarkable italian meal in osaka, with some of the nicest staff which engaged with me throughout my solo dinner. a rather big course with bold flavours, reflecting most food i’ve had in osaka. very solid cooking too with a contemporary spin on classic japanese ingredients like takenoko, without being shy on the use of evoo and balsamico making this one of the most remarkable spots i’ve visited in osaka recently.

started with a rich bite of potato made into strands like pasta, in a butter parm sauce topper with caviar which was very good. another dish i really liked was the white asparagus risotto with anchovy butter, with bits of white asparagus inside the risotto as well as several grilled pieces on top.

before the mains, the famous segment of ham was served, the same bon dabon ham used at sugalabo by tada san, served unlimited with salad, homemade mozzarella and a super tasty apple balsamic. 2 pastas of the evening included a parmigiano filled ravioli, truffle shavings and grilled nanohana, and the main one which was a very simple tomato sauce pici which was surprisingly sweet due to the use of japanese tomatoes. the proteins served was a mix of beef and lamb in small pieces, nicely grilled but loved the super sweet and jammy sweet potato and shiitake served alongside. ended with a pistachio panna cotta and an orange granita and sorbet.

really really lovely meal, highly recommend seeking a seat here despite the year long waitlist for good vibes, value and a nice break away from japanese food in kansai.
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おまかせコース (¥24,200):
✨ジャガイモ「パスタ」 potato pasta
冷たい蟹の茶碗蒸し ずんた トマトゼリー
cold crab chawamushi with crab
✨白アスパラりリゾット white asparagus risotto
✨多田さん生ハムペルシュウprosciutto ham
ラビオリ チーズ菜の花 parmesan ravioli
牛フィレ肉/ラム肉 grilled lamb, beef
✨トマトソースピチ tomato sauce pici
✨ピスタチオのパンナコッタ pistachio panna cotta
デコポンとせとかのシャーべット orange sorbet
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would revisit: yes
reservations: yes
price range pp: ¥30,000-¥60,000
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📍TOM CURIOSA
location: 3/f sakura building, 1-2-7 sonezakishinchi, osaka
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in osaka, japan (jan’24)

exploring more onto the ramen scene in kansai, and stopped by this toripaitan specialised store which is super popular. arrived around 1pm ish on a weekday and had to queue for over an hour and a half to get inside.

quite unique that we could select between a shoyu or shio base for the paitan which is whipped by a hand-held blender for its light foamy texture. it was rich and flavourful, a bit too much as i personally found it a little bit salty but maybe good for those who like bolder flavours. noodles were slightly thicker than most shops but still held on well with the rich soup. 2 slices of pork chasiu and chicken breast were very tender and succulent, really enjoyed the ajitama as well.

a nice ramen spot, especially for those who love toripaitan. would potentially be back for shio based which hopefully is less salty and when the queue isn’t as bad as its not worth the long queues personally.

鶏白湯 しょうゆ (¥950)
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would revisit: yes, if queues are short
reservations: no
price range pp: under ¥3000
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📍ラーメン家 あかぎ
location: 2-2-1 zuiko, higashi yodogawa, osaka
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in kyoto, japan (jan’24)

my first visit to the higashiyama branch (second shop) of ogata - one of my favourite shops thus far in kyoto. this visit was end of january, so the tail end of kani season with influences of fugu and shirako season and a peek into spring.

my visit with ogata san himself present and cooking set the standards very high (he’s in this shop on some occasional sundays), but still seemed a bit shy from the honten. the course was definitely smaller than i remembered, ingredients though good seemed a bit lacking especially considering the sky rocketing price-tag. nonetheless, the atmosphere here is much more ambient and spacious, facing the gorgeous back garden.

really wow-ed by the fresh ise-ebi and its miso, the back of the tuna cut was also so so good. really enjoyed the various fugu dishes also, from the fugu sashimi in a shirako ponzu sauce with a dash of shijimi, to the fugu karaage freshly brought out by the kitchen. as we were getting into the groove of the meal, the shime courses were already served. today’s courses were a deep fried oyster one with sansho, gyudon which was a bit salty for my liking and a karami daikon with homemade udon. ended with a lovely yurine and red bean filling wagashi and matcha. will be back to the honten for another season, but my favourite is still spring here.

おまかせコース (¥60,000)
うずみ豆腐uzumi tofu
マグロの背側 ise ebi, shima maguro
カラスミの餅karasumi mochi
鱈白子の揚げtara shirako age
河豚と白子ポン酢fugu with shirako
河豚唐揚げfugu karage
丸大根と蕪maru daikon, kabura

牡蠣ご飯kaki gohan
牛丼gyudon
辛味大根うどんkarami daikon udon

ゆりねあんこ和菓子yurine anko wagashi
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would revisit: honten only
reservations: yes
price range pp: ¥60,000-¥100,000
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📍東山緒方
location: 1/f 91-5 okazaki enshouji-cho, kyoto
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in tokyo, japan (jan’24)

so beyond happy i was invited to try the counter cafe of my favourite milk cake shop. they serve one table per seating and you preorder the number of desserts you want but you don’t know what they are.

we preordered 5 the day we went and got a bunch of seasonal ingredients with our sweets, such as a mini version of the milk cake with strawberries sandwiched inside. his milk cake is still my favourite amongst the shops i’ve tried, creamiest and the richest milk flavour with a light sponge and this time with slices of strawberry.

we also got a mousse on the day we went, which was also sandwiched in cake, strawberry and mousse like strawberry cream which was super tasty. apart from that i also loved his crepe, lightly chewy and fragrant, filled with a light custard and strawberry. as it is also sweet potato season, we sampled his ‘jelly’ made of only sweet potatoes water and sugar, and a yurine tart with a buttercream base. love his sweets, so simple but so delicate, not overly sweet, really want to try his chocolate tart and souffle next time at the cafe, and his different seasonal renditions of his signature milk cake. thank you ucchi san and k-san as always.

5 desserts: (¥6500)
✨いちごのムース strawberry mousse cake
✨いちごのクレープ strawberry crepe
✨いちごみるくstrawberry ‘milk’ shortcake
さつまいものゼリーsweet potato jelly
ゆりねのタルトyurine tart
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would revisit: yes
reservations: members only
price range pp: ¥5000-¥10,000
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📍おかしやうっちー
location: 3-27-9 sendagaya, shibuya
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