WHERE TO eat cheap IN OSAKA

My a lot of recent trip to Osaka was my sixth time in the city. but I still vividly remember the first.

Osaka was the first destination in Japan that we set foot in. We were travel newbies back then: lacking in knowledge, wisdom, and confidence. Every single day of that trip, we spent a loooong time deciding where to eat because we were so intimidated by everything.

We were on a incredibly tight budget that if we overspent on something, we would risk giving up another activity. There was this restaurant near the train station that we both wanted to try, but there was no menu outside. whenever we passed by, we stopped and stood in front of it, going over whether or not we must go in. We were so terrified we won’t be able to afford it that we ended up eating at a comfort store each time. (We were able to try only 3 restaurants on that trip, but they were all originally part of our itinerary.)

Of course, after several Japan trips, we know better. We now know that there are a lot of cheap but terrific food spots in every city, and we have gathered enough confidence (and money) to find and try them.

I guess that’s why I like checking out cities over and over again. When the streets and lights bombard you with old memories, you’re reminded that after each journey, people, like places, are never the same. This trip is different because this time, it was all about the food. We sought out the restaurants and stalls that could give us cheap but unforgettable eats. and here’s what we found.

¿Qué está cubierto en esta guía?

Endo Sushi
Tokisushi
Ramen Yashichi
Menya Joroku
Hanshin Umeda main department store Snack Park
Hokkyokusei (Omurice)
Okonomiyaki Kiji
Aizuya Takoyaki
Kuromon Ichiba Market
Bonus: Supermarkets
Where to book cheap Flights to OsakaSearch for cheap flights here

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Endo Sushi

What to try: Sushi set 1
Price: ¥1150 + 8% tax

I eat at Endo Sushi whenever I’m in the city. TODOS. SOLTERO. TIEMPO. That must tell you how much I take pleasure in this small and unassuming sushi shop. That, despite being located far from the city’s lots of popular vacationer spots. It is nearly an attraction in itself with tourists going out of their way to have their own plateful.

Endo Sushi has been serving what lots of consider “Osaka’s best” for over a century. Yep, a lot more than 100 years, and they’re here to stay, despite being so small. The place has only five tables and a short bar, so expect to queue up a bit. immediately upon taking a seat, you wull be served a cup of hot green tea together with a hot towelette. On the table are two small porcelain bowls that cradle shoyu (soy sauce) and pickled ginger. Don’t go trying to find wasabi because it’s already mixed with rice. aside from the toppings, this wasabi mixture sets Endo besides other sushi places. It’s a best blend of saltiness and spice. If you’re not a fan, tell the chef or waiter upon ordering so they can create wasabi-less pieces for you.

Endo’s menu has only a few choices. You get to pick among four sets only, each priced at ¥1150 + 8% tax. Every set is made up of five pre-selected pieces (omakase), but you can have a piece replaced if you like.

I have tried all four sets, and set 1 — composed of anago (sea water eel), uni (sea urchin), tai (sea bream), toro (fatty tuna), and hamachi (yellowtail) — is, by a mile, el mejor. lots of of these pieces have premium toppings including toro and uni. If you want to try the other plates, don’t be shy to buy more. It’s perfectly normal to have a rack of multiple plates because every piece is glorious. because it’s located just next to the fish market, they get first dibs on the freshest ingredients, and you can taste the freshness with every bite.

Operating hours: Monday-Saturday, 5am – 2pm (closed on Sunday and Holidays)
How to get there: The closest stations are Noda and Tamagawa. They’re very close to each other so just take whatever is a lot more convenient. From Noda Station, cross the street and turn left until you hit an intersection. turn ideal and walk along that road until you see Aji River. turn ideal onto the road just before the bridge. The big building to your ideal is Osaka Fish Market. walk towards the market and keep left — Don’t climb the overpass — and you’ll see Endo Sushi after the parking lot.

Tokisushi

What to try: 12-piece Assorted Sushi Set
Price: ¥1050 + tax

If ¥1150 can treat you to 5 pieces at Endo Sushi, an even smaller amount, ¥1050, can give you a dozen at Tokisushi (Toki Sushi).

Toki Sushi. photo by Vins Carlos
We love Toki Sushi for two things. First, its location. If you’re staying around Namba, then this must be within walking distance of your hotel.

The other, its affordability. A standard plate here, with 2 pieces of nigiri sushi, costs only ¥150. A a lot more premium sushi — like fatty tuna and sea urchin — are at ¥150 apiece. but a lot of diners get their assorted sushi plates, which cost ¥730 for 8 pieces and ¥1050 for a dozen.

We bought the dozen-platter. The waitress served a wooden board that looked nearly overflowing with sushi, all twelve of them topped with big cuts of seafood. However, a lot of are crowned with regular toppings like squid, tamago, and regular tuna. If you have a lot more dough to burn, we highly encourage you to try their premium sushi set (¥2100), which will give you all the awesome pieces like uni, Japanese eel, and fatty tuna.

I would choose Endo Sushi over Tokisushi any day, but that’s expected because the former is way pricier. but I still encourage you to try both. If you do, however, try Tokisushi first so you won’t be underwhelmed.

Operating hours: 11am – 11pm
How to get there: The closest stations are Namba and Nippombashi.

Ramen Yashichi

What to try: Shoyu Ramen
Price: ¥730

Like a lot of best-kept secrets in Japan, Ramen Yashichi is housed in a humble, compact, dingy hole in a wall that is easy to walk past. We nearly did, considering that there was no queue outside it, pretty unusual for a ramen place that is supposedly one of the best in Osaka. but there is a perfect, sensible explanation for it.

As soon as we started queueing, we were approached by one of the staff, who gave us a number with a small message telling us to come back at the specified time. That’s their way of avoiding creating a long line in front of the shop (perhaps because it could block the entrance to its neighboring stores). but it was mid-afternoon of a weekday so we didn’t get to wait much. In 10 minutes, we were inside, trying to figure out the all-Japanese vending maker that takes customers orders. The staff, though, was gracious enough to assist us.

In no time, we were seated at one of the only two tables and served a big bowl of ramen. There are three main types of ramen here: shoyu (soy sauce), shio (salt), and tsukemen (noodles are served separately for dipping). online consensus highly favors shoyu so both Vins and I bought the same thing.

Costo:.

Shoyu: ¥730

Shio: ¥780

Tsukemen: ¥880

Ramen Yashichi. photo by Vins Carlos
This was the first time I stuffed my body with a ramen in a chicken-based broth. I’m used to pork bone (tonkotsu) and have tried beef bone (gyukotsu) before, but this one was different. I was terrified I’d be disappointed because I assumed that, considering that it is chicken-based, it would taste light. I like my soup like I like my men, rich and strong. However, it was anything but light. It was full-bodied, nearly like tonkotsu, but creamy. think of it as the lovechild of a tonkotsu ramen and a chicken macaroni soup. It’s one of those broths that get a lot more flavorful with every spoonful, complementing the sweet marinade of the chashu toppings. before I knew it, my bowl was empty.

Operating Hours: Monday-Friday 10:45am-4pm (Closed: Saturday, Sunday)
How to get there: Closest train station is Nakatsu. Ramen Yashichi is only 3 blocks from there.

Menya Joroku

What to try: Chukasoba
Price: ¥700

Menya Joroku’s chukasoba
Try googling “best ramen in Osaka” and you’ll be presented with a gazillion lists prepared by various websites. Menya Joroku is a staple in these recommendations.

Menya Joroku (Menya Jouroku) is tucked in a narrow alley in Uranamba, a short walk from lots of of the crucial attractions in Namba or Dotonbori. Their specialty is chukasoba, a Takaida-style ramen that is characterized by its deep dark broth, made with chicken stock and black soy sauce. a lot of reviews say that despite its color, it is surprisingly light. I beg to differ: I find it a bit on the heavy side. It has an intense salty flavor with a tinge of sour. That’s not a bad thing for me because like I said earlier, I like strong, rich profiles. Each serving is topped with slices of roasted pork, chopped scallions, bamboo shoots, and a generous dash of black pepper.

If your palate favors the lighter end of taste spectrum, buy samma shoyu ramen instead. This also uses chicken broth but blended with dried saury fish stock, creating a light but dynamic flavor. Each bowl also comes with scallions, roasted pork, bamboo shoots, and nori.

Menya Joroku’s Samma Shoyu Ramen
Costo:.

Chukasoba: ¥700

Samma shoyu: ¥750

Hanshin Umeda main department store Snack Park

What to try: Kadoya Shokudo’s shoyu ramen
Price: ¥600 for plain ramen, ¥850 with all the toppings

Hanshin Snack Park is a stand-up food court that has been popular especially among locals. located inside the Hanshin Umeda main department Store, it houses over a dozen stalls selling Japanese foodie treats like sushi, takoyaki (snack balls with a bit of octopus), and ikayaki (a crepe-like snack filled with squid bits). but what we found a lot of satisfying and filling here was the ramen served by a kiosk called Kadoya Shokudo.

Kadoya Shokudo serves standard ramen, with shoyu broth and thin, soft Chinese noodles. As you may have noticed, I’m not a fan of ramen with light broth, but this was a pleasurablesorpresa. El Dashi está claro pero tiene la mejor mezcla de salinidad y umami. Me recordó mucho más al sabor a pescado e inmaculado del caldo Udon que el ramen.

Costo:.

Plain: ¥ 600

Ramen con huevo y cerdo adicional: ¥ 850

Hokkyokusei (Omurice)

Omurice tiene sus raíces plantadas en Osaka. En particular, la rama principal de Hokkyokusei en Shinsaibashi es considerada por muchos como la primera en servir a Omurice hace décadas.

Omurice es un plato básico. Generalmente es tortilla y arroz, pero se presenta de manera mucho más creativa. Sus primeras encarnaciones tenían hongos y cebollas mezclados con el arroz y servidas con salsa de tomate. Pero hoy, se requieren muchas formas. En Hokkyokusei, las versiones más populares son la omurice de carne de res y omurice de curry de carne de res.

Le pedimos al personal a sus bestsellers y señalaron los platos de carne de res y carne de res. Por lo tanto, Vins compró la Omurice 2 en 1, servida con curry y carne de res crujida, vertida en ambos lados de la Omurice. Compré la Omurice mucho más caro de carne de res. De esta manera, podemos probar tres variaciones diferentes en un asiento. Para ser honesto, el sabor está bien y el precio es un poco elevado para ello. He tenido mejores versiones en otros restaurantes a un precio más asequible. Los trozos de carne en mi estofado de carne eran difíciles, casi coriáceas. De los tres, me gustó más la carne de carne hash. Era brillante y rico. Pero sigo pensando que es demasiado caro. Pero supongo que la exageración tiene mucho más sobre su historia y entorno que la comida.

Okonomiyaki kiji

Qué probar: Okonomiyaki
Precio: ¥ 850

Acabamos de terminar de ver la vista desde el Observatorio del Edificio de Umeda Sky, cuando nuestras barrigas y una búsqueda rápida de Google nos llevaron a la puerta de Okonomiyaki Kiji, en el tribunal de comidas del sótano de la torre llamado Takimi Koji. El personal nos recibió, que con gusto nos introdujo. Al ver nuestras cámaras, preguntó si queríamos sentarnos junto al bar (tal vez para que pudiéramos obtener mejores ángulos).

Estuvimos allí para Okonomiyaki, pero él recomendó encarecidamente el Yakisoba. Terminamos con ambos. El chef comenzó a crear el plato frente a nosotros. Mucho más tomaron forma, mucho más nos dimos cuenta de que estas serían piezas enormes, tal vez más grandes de lo que podemos manejar. Cuando todo estuvo hecho, dividió tanto el Okonomiyaki como Yakisoba en dos, y distribuyó uniformemente las piezas.

Okonomiyaki es el popular panqueque estándar de Osaka normalmente hecho de harina de trigo, repollo y huevos. Kiji le permite elegir los componentes proteicos del plato, por lo que seleccionamos una mezcla de todo: tocino, carne de res, calamares. La última pieza fue un shiso, una hoja de perilla. (No soy fanático de Perilla, pero Vins lo es). Kiji fue todo lo que podrías esperar en un Okonomiyaki: grande, relleno, sabroso y bien experimentado. Y debido a que nuestra compra se sentó en la parrilla todo el tiempo, permaneció caliente durante toda la comida. Costo: ¥ 850.

Pero que Yakisoba eclipsó absolutamente al Okonomiyaki. El Yakisoba tenía una textura suave, jugosa pero no soggosa que estaba puntuada por los calamares, la carne y los trozos de verduras.

Horario de operación: viernes a miércoles 11:30 a.m. a 9 p.m. (cerrado: jueves)
Cómo llegar: las estaciones de tren más cercanas son Osaka y Umeda.

Aizuya takoyaki

Qué probar: Takoyaki Set
Precio: ¥ 500

Se cree ampliamente que Aizuya es el lugar de nacimiento de Takoyaki, una gran cantidad de comida callejera popular de Osaka. Sí, se les atribuye inventar Takoyaki. Su takoyaki se sirve sin ninguna salsa, lo que muestra cuán seguros están con el sabor de su producto. Y debe ser bastante increíble porque obtuvieron una recomendación de la guía Bib Gourmand 2016 de Michelin. Todo esto nos hizo visitar. Desafortunadamente, todavía estaba cerrado cuando llegamos y no teníamos el lujo del tiempo. Boohoo.

De todos modos, si quieres probarlo, una placa de 12 piezas es solo ¥ 500, 15 piezas ¥ 620.

Aizuya tiene algunas ramas, incluida una en Umeda y otra en Namba.

Mercado de Kuromon Ichiba

Durante más de 190 años, el mercado de Kuromon se conoce como Osaka’s Kitchen por su variedad casi ilimitada de opciones gastronómicas, que van desde frutas raras hasta mariscos deliciosos que puede comer o h