Elsewhere

Osaka was known nationwide for having a large number of yakiniku restaurants throughout the prefecture, particularly in the Kita and Minami districts of Osaka city, which has everything from high-end restaurants to modest all-you-can-eat establishments.

The school’s founder, Tsuji Shizuo, was an educator and researcher who stood on the cutting edge of the Japanese culinary scene. After establishing the Tsuji Chef School, he traveled numerous times to Europe. In addition to deepening his understanding of cooking and his literary research, he worked with numerous chefs including Paul Bocuse, Jean Troisgros, and Bernard Loiseau.

The results of Tsuji’s work were compiled in “French cooking theory and practice” and utilized for educational theory, serving as the Tsuji Culinary Institute textbook. His connections with French culinary artists had a direct impact upon opportunities for aspiring Japanese chefs to learn actual French cuisine. He opened a branch school in the French state of Rhône in 1980, providing students with hands-on opportunities to learn true French cooking in a comprehensive manner on home soil.

Today, the institute offers not only French cuisine, but is also increasing educational opportunities for students to specialize in such specific areas as Japanese, Chinese and Italian cuisine and confectionery-making—thereby responding to today’s growing needs for expertise and diversification.

The basement-level markets feature numerous attractions: the convenience of Japan’s top stores being sold in one collective space together with overseas brands, one-of-a-kind products featuring corporate collaborations, limited- edition goods, and more. Depachika shopping is quite intimate, and customers can easily ask questions of the staff, or nibble on the many available food samples before making purchases.

Each depachika features its own particular specialties—such as wagashi (traditional Japanese confectionery), fresh produce, fish, sweets, onsite eating areas, etc.—and Osakans are masterful at targeting specific depachika depending upon their particular needs at any given time.

This was followed by numerous additional variations, including deep-fried bread buns with curry filling, wheat flour noodles in a curry broth, and curry-flavored soup. Nearly unrecognizable to people from India, who are often surprised due to its completely different taste, Japanese curry is its own unique and beloved dish that may truly be described as a national food.

Osaka is celebrated for its diverse selection of curries on offer, including specialty restaurant chains in addition to privately-managed establishments—all of which offer their own creative twists to the popular dish.

As such, these restaurants are the true crème-de la crème in the ramen world, producing satisfying bowls topped off with their own unique creative touches. Unique Osaka-esque versions of the dashi soup base that have earned fame include those flavored with fish chunks, chicken and pork bones, miso, tsukemen (a dish of cold noodles accompanied by a dipping sauce), and the recent trend of richer flavors. Other versions include one with a white soup base, and—riding the wave of popularity experienced by so-called ethnic dishes like spice curry—a spiced ramen.

Shop interiors also feature numerous types of décor, from the more muted ones to those resembling stylish bars. Areas known as the hot zones of competition among ramen establishments include the neighborhoods of Tenma and Tenroku (Tenjimbashisuji 6-chome), Fukushima, and Nishinakajima-Minamigata. Although you’ll need to stand in line for the best, why not make a fun evening out of it?

Locally-brewed Minoh Beer, a longstanding favorite, has won numerous awards in beer contests around the world. Meanwhile, beers that showcase a variety of creative flavors may be enjoyed when visiting urban microbreweries, as well as while eating in-house at restaurants, and poured fresh from the tap at brewpubs.

Innovative craft beer flavors include Japanese-style infusions such as yuzu (a type of citrus), sanshō (Japanese pepper), shiso (perilla leaf), as well as additional unique creations imbued with a strong sense of playfulness. At beer pubs stocked with top worldwide brands served on tap, a number of local Osaka brews appear on the menu—ensuring a fun evening of taste-testing.

Local versions include udonsuki and sakanasuki (wheat flour noodles and fish flavored hot pot, respectively), whale meat hot pot, and the much-loved wintry special, tecchiri, or fugu hot pot. Also popular are chiritori (“dustpan”) nabe and motsu nabe, both featuring beef intestines and vegetables.

Another Osaka original is the mysterious kami-nabe (paper hot pot). The idea of putting a fire under paper is shocking—but this dish indeed features a sheet of paper set atop a wire rack, which is then heated using a charcoal fire. Washi paper is treated via a special process, and the presence of the dashi ensures that the paper itself will not burn. First invented at the Rogetsu restaurant in 1927, the inaugural dish was a type of sakanasuki (fish-flavored hot pot) loaded with seasonal fish and vegetables. Numerous restaurants serve artistic versions of the kami-nabe dish today, and the paper pots may be purchased in the goods shops located along the Sennichimae Dōguyasuji Shopping Street.