Must-try foods in Osaka! 6 traditional, long-established and new gourmet options

"Taishu Sakaba Muni" is a neo-bar where you can enjoy a unique menu of photogenic dishes.

In a back alley, a six-minute walk from Umeda Station, you'll find a large white shop curtain with the word "Muni" written on it. This is Taishu Sakaba Muni, which opened in November 2021. It's a bar that was actually created by a group of high school classmates.

When you enter the store through the noren curtain, a cute neon sign of an old man will catch your eye. The name of the store, "Muni," is a play on the character pinching his face and the word "unique."

The bright and spacious interior has a wide selection of menus affixed to the walls. There are tables where you can sit comfortably, as well as private rooms for a more intimate feel. The counter seats are also recommended for a quiet drink.

The Gorogoro Fruit Chuhai (720 yen including tax), which is filled with chunks of fruit, is very popular among women because of its vibrant appearance.

They have a wide variety of fruits such as strawberries, lemons, and kiwis, and of course they look great! By the way, you can add "Oi Chu" for 110 yen including tax, so it's great value for money.

There are plenty of snacks to go with your drinks. The "Torotaku Dog (580 yen including tax)" is a luxurious snack topped with fatty tuna, pickled radish, and salmon roe on a bed of seaweed. Eat it with one hand.

The unique dish, "Lemon no Iremon (480 yen including tax)," is made by hollowing out a lemon and using it as a bowl. The overflowing yakitori is squeezed with lemon, creating a perfect combination of juicy chicken and the refreshing acidity of the lemon.

And the must-try is the specialty "Niku Temari Sushi (1,280 yen including tax)". This cute-looking meat temari sushi is made with A5-ranked domestic black wagyu beef. It's fun to watch the performance of the sushi being grilled right in front of you!

The six types of meat temari sushi are available in a lineup of salt, salmon roe, wasabi, ponzu, sea urchin, and yuzu pepper. The seared Japanese black beef is fragrant, and the fat melts into the rice, making it full of flavor. The salt and wasabi are refreshing snacks to go with alcohol, while the sea urchin and salmon roe are perfect as a final dish.

The neon-lit, bright interior of this popular bar offers a wide variety of unique dishes. Come and enjoy the photogenic drinks and food!

Public Bar Muni

Established in 1952! The three specialties that can only be eaten here are a must-try at Yakibaitarou Sakurabashi Branch

Founded in 1952, the popular Chinese restaurant "Yakibaitarou Sakurabashi Branch" has been loved by the local Umeda community for many years. It is a five-minute walk from Osaka Station and is so popular that there is a line in front of the store at lunchtime.

The sign in front of the store reads, "Ajimajiman Naniwa no Shumai." Their specialty, Sakurabashi Shumai, is a special product that has been certified as a "Osaka-mon Masterpiece."

The three most popular dishes at this restaurant are "Sakurabashi Shumai", "Green Fried Rice", and "Sesame Soba". Of course, I enjoyed these three dishes with ice-cold beer.

First up is the "Sakurabashi Yakimai (4 pieces, 520 yen including tax)." These shumai are handmade one by one in the store, so try them as is without dipping them in the first bite. As soon as you bite into them, the meat juices will ooze out, and you might have never experienced such juiciness before!

The fluffy steamed skin is filled with a variety of ingredients such as pork, beef, crab meat, scallops, and onions, making it full of richness and flavor. From the second bite onwards, you can enjoy it with yakimeshi sauce or mustard to your liking.

The "Green Fried Rice (650 yen including tax)" is a simple dish seasoned only with egg, spinach, and salt. The light seasoning on the fluffy rice is something only a long-established professional can do.

And for the final dish, we have the "Sesame Soba (750 yen including tax)." The key to the flavor is the abundance of white sesame seeds on top, so much so that you can't even see the noodles. It also has a great visual impact!

Beneath the sesame seeds are bean sprouts, meat and other ingredients, adding a fun texture. The straight, thin noodles are mixed with the rich, thick soup, making it the perfect way to finish off a meal. This is a ramen that you can only get here.

The dishes are filled with the restaurant's desire to "serve delicious Chinese food made with seasonal ingredients at reasonable prices." Enjoy the fruits of the efforts of the chefs who continue to preserve the traditional flavors.

Yakibaitarou Sakurabashi branch

Whether it's traditional cuisine that preserves the flavors of the past, or the trendy neo-gourmet cuisine that incorporates new elements in appearance and flavor, both dishes are full of the passion of the restaurant. If you visit Osaka, be sure to enjoy a tour of both long-established and neo-gourmet restaurants.

Interview and text: Hatsumi Ito