Okonomiyaki. Nikudoufu. Takoyaki. I have eaten at multiple Japanese restaurants across India, especially in Gurgaon, which is home to many authentic Japanese restaurants thanks to the large expat population of Japanese workers and diplomats. Yet, I have never seen any of these preparations on the menus. Osaka may not have much to see culturally, but if ever a city deserves to be called a food capital—and that too of a gastronomically evolved country like Japan—this one does.
While I was barely in Osaka—using it more as a base to visit Hiroshima, Nara, and Kyoto—I did make the wise decision of going on a food walking tour on my only free evening in the city. Before I take you through the kitschy lanes of Shinkensai in Osaka, home to some of the finest street food in the city, let us delve into a bit of history.
When Osaka Castle was built by Japan’s de facto ruler Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1537–1598), known for unifying Japan, he attracted merchants from Sakai and Fushimi to Osaka. This transformed the city into a distribution hub and finally a commercial centre. The reason Osaka is full of beautiful, wide canals is that boats were the main mode of transportation at the time, and canals were constructed across the city to facilitate easier movement. As a city of merchants, Osaka was influenced by various culinary traditions. There is a mix of frugality, which was a part of life in merchant households, that led to simple, waste-free meals. On the other hand, high-end cuisine was nurtured in traditional Japanese restaurants where business was conducted over food.
On my first evening in Osaka, I made my way to Shinkensai—a kitschy, neon-lit open market brimming with archery stores and eateries of all shapes and sizes. There were small food stalls serving just one dish, “family restaurants” with indoor seating, and some very chic bars. For Rs 7,500 per person, I got a guided tour with 12 other people, mainly from America (two young scientists, a couple of retirees, a young public school teacher and his artist wife, a retired real estate agent and a former advertising executive). Some were originally from Mexico, another from the Philippines, and one had Indian roots. But all were interested in learning about Osaka cuisine, and our guide was a Kiwi man, Bernie, who had shifted to Osaka 15 years ago and teaches English as a second language by day. The food tour is so famous that it was featured on Netflix’s Somebody Feed Phil.
(Photos: Rajyasree Sen)
This was the noisiest part of Japan I had been to—full of youngsters, walking around arcades, eating, chatting, but not making a nuisance of themselves. And the food I encountered!
We started our tour at a soba noodle stall manned by a woman. You could sit at an open counter right in the market, or take your bowl of soup and stand at a rickety, tall table. The noodles were served in beef broth with either beef mince or a massive slice of tofu, cooked in a manner I had never seen before—lightly sautéed, then added to the soup. It was the most perfect broth. You could add some soy sauce or Japanese chilli flakes, which have no heat at all.
At the next eatery, where we sat on wooden benches outside the restaurant, I tried takoyaki, or battered octopus balls, for the first time. This was pretty much the only preparation that didn’t win me over, but it seemed to be highly popular with the locals. Octopus meat is mixed with other ingredients, shaped into balls, fried, and served with sauce—washed down with Umeshu or plum wine.
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We then visited an Izakaya restaurant and ate some authentic Osakan kitsune udon—essentially a noodle soup with thick udon noodles in a savoury dashi broth, topped with fish cakes or sweet and savoury fried tofu pouches. We also tried yakitori, which in Japan refers to only chicken skewers, unlike in India, where beef skewers are called yakitori. Another local invention, kushikatsu, which are lightly deep-fried vegetable and meat skewers, are a big delicacy. We also had a very interesting and simply-made sweet potato wedges with a light honey drizzle.
Shinkensai is also where I first tried the Osaka version of Hiroshima’s okonomiyaki. The tonpeiyaki, a thin omelette stuffed with sauteed vegetables and pork, was another delicacy. The other joy was to have freshly made karaage or Japanese fried chicken, which is double-fried (much like KFC) after being marinated in spices, ginger, mirin and sake. It is simply divine.
Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki, served on a hot conveyor belt (left); Another must-try is the fresh oysters at Miyajima. (Photos: Rajyasree Sen)
I also learned that people in Japan still primarily drink whisky; gin is a new world concept that Japan realised it was good at making and marketing. We also ended the meal with fried ice cream on a stick, which you could have with either honey, caramel, or chocolate. It’s almost a scientific marvel that the ice cream doesn’t melt and holds its shape and temperature even after being fried.
Most of my Osaka leg was spent visiting temples, parks, and Hiroshima–but I have to mention the Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki, served on a hot conveyor belt. Thinly sliced pork, cabbage, bean sprouts, fish powder, and noodles are topped with a spiced omelette, and each person has an individual serving, which you cut into and eat and marvel at how simple ingredients create such a delicious dish.
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Another must-try is the fresh oysters at Miyajima—Hiroshima and Miyajima provide at least 60 per cent of Japan’s oysters. Walking by the waters in Miyajima, you absolutely must stop and have a plate of fried, steamed, or fresh oysters.
Does Osaka qualify to be the food capital of Japan over Tokyo? I’m still in two minds, given the fabulous meals I had in Tokyo. Maybe I’ll just have to visit the country again to make up my mind.
