Only in Osaka: Our 5 Favourites — Allure of Elsewhere

There is just something electric about the colours, neon lights and mechanised signboards of Osaka. Known for its modern architecture and nightlife, this city is also famous for its street food—having contributed such firm favourites as Okonomiyaki and Takoyaki to Japan's culinary repertoire.

Here are our 5 favourite experiences in Osaka:

1) Ranzu Café:

We found this charming, old world-y café completely by accident and it is one of our most memorable experiences in this city. Ranzu is in Minamisenba in the Chuo Ward. Like most such gems, walk by too fast and you will miss it altogether.

Late one evening, after a long day of Osaka exploration, Kapil was saying how he was craving a good, steaming hot coffee. Not the vending machine or Starbucks kind (available everywhere in Japan), he wanted “real” coffee. A few minutes later we spotted this little café; its window display boasted coffee beans from around the world. We walked in and were delighted by the interiors. The whole place was bathed in the yellow glow of incandescent bulbs, and all the furniture, including the bar in the centre of the room, was a very retro brown wood. The tall, oblong bar had old-timey coffee machines, other quirky coffee-making tools and contraptions. This bar was surrounded by bar stools. There were also regular tables and chairs around the room. . Mismatched cups and saucers line the top of the bar and the shelves within it. In Ranzu café you can have coffee from countries around the world that are famous for their beans. The coffee you choose is prepared as is typical in its place of origin.

The owner and barista, a wizened old gentleman, was quiet and friendly. He wore a baseball cap turned sideways and was watching a baseball match on a tiny CRT monitor mounted on the wall. His dog lounged languidly behind the bar while he brewed coffee for his patrons.

2) Tenyo Ramen:

In Osaka we stayed in an Airbnb apartment in Naniwa-ku. The owner of this apartment was a delightful host. He had several great recommendations for us. One of these was ramen at Tenyo (complete with instructions on what and how to order). Kapil and I both had Chashyu ramen with garlic in it. Kapil also had Kimchi in his. We headed here for a late lunch after a morning of sightseeing, and a nap was all we were good for after this sumptuous meal. We woke up just as the sun was setting and spent that evening exploring Minami.

3) Minami:

Minami was our favourite area in Osaka. The word ‘Minami’ means “south”. Located near Namba station, this is one of Osaka’s two major city centres. The other one, Kita (which means “north”), is located around Osaka and Umeda stations. Minami is the city's most famous entertainment district with abundant dining and shopping options. This district is easily accessible by train, subway and bus. We absolutely loved the lights and bustle of Dotonbori and Shinsaibashi.

One of Osaka's most popular tourist destinations Dotonbori is a street that runs parallel to the Dotonbori canal. It is a popular food destination. At night, it is awash with neon lights and mechanised signs, most famous of which are the Glico Running Man and the Kani Doraku crab sign. Just under the Glico Running Man is the Ebisu bridge over Dotonbori Canal. This is a good spot to take in the illuminated and mechanised signboards along the canal. Nearby Shinsaibashi area and Shinsaibashi shopping arcade, Osaka’s premiere shopping area, are a must-see even if you have no interest whatsoever in shopping.

4) Osaka Aquarium:

The Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan is located in Minato ward near Osaka Bay and showcases aquatic life of the Pacific Rim. This is one of the largest public aquariums in the world. What this means in practical terms is that you basically start your tour of aquarium on the 8th floor and spiral down floor by floor around a central tank. There are 15 large tanks in the aquarium and some of these stretch across several floor which means you get to see the marine life activity in these from different perspectives. Simply stunning!

5) Okonomiyaki:

This delicious Japanese savoury pancake is said to have originated in Osaka, so we decided to try it there first. Okonomi means ‘as you like it’ and yaki means ‘grilled’. This pancake is made up of a flour batter topped with lots of shredded cabbage, eggs and toppings of your choice (options include: green onion, other vegetables, shrimp, squid, octopus, pork belly, and even cheese). Okonomiyaki sauce and Japanese mayonnaise are used liberally on a cooked okonomiyaki. You can also choose from other toppings such seaweed flakes (aonori), bonito flakes (katsuobushi), and pickled ginger (beni shoga).

As the name suggests, this is meant to be a very personalised meal; so, you will find restaurants where you are seated at tables fitted with special hotplates and the waiter brings you all the ingredients of your choosing and lets you mix and grill them to your liking; of course if you are an okonomiyaki novice, your waiter will swing by every few minutes to ensure things are on course. There are other restaurants where customers sit on long counters and watch their okonomiyaki being cooked by an expert. We chose a “make-it-yourself” place. It was a fun introduction to what has now become a favourite.