Strawboy1230

Been scouring the forums and the search function for osaka food and osaka restaurant recommendations and aside from 3-4 threads, there's really not much out there. I can always look through tripadvisor, tabelog (....is there an English translation of this), and guidebooks, but I've always appreciated the personal favorite and anecdotes from FTers.

I have no preferences other than that the food be Japanese...I'm sure there are plenty of great int'l fare in Osaka but I've heard great things about the tempura and seafood in Osaka. Can anyone recommend their favorite splurge restaurants and cheap, hole-in-the-wall restaurants?

Thanks!

slawecki

the 2011 michelin guide, kyoto osaka kobe has at least 100 restaurants for osaka. in oct 2014 we ate lunches in most, but 8 of the 9 had 2 customers total in the place(me and wife). the price for a 1* in kyoto is under $100 for a couple. we were there in late nov of 2013, and only 1 of the restaurants had anyone in them. these michelin guides are very expensive. we also have the tokyo guide. as long as you do not want to go to Jiro's there is plenty of room.

the way i did it, was to choose 5 restaurants for tomorrow(they want to buy the food for that day). take the book and the list to the concierge, and have them get a reservation. you may have to pay in advance at the concierge desk.

we only at at one restaurant in the osaka area. a 2* in Toyonaka. it is near the itami airport.

lobsterdog

Sun is a good, fancy izakaya/dining bar in Umeda. Sansui no Waza in the same complex serves tempura with wine.

Mogami near Kitashinchi station does a nice version of kushiage, an Osaka regional specialty. And I like Nakai for yakitori because they serve it with Belgian beers.

LapLap

Osaka no honma is still my guru when it comes to Osaka restaurants.

A little patience, a translation tool and a lot of spare saliva is all you need to look through his fabulous website and see some of the treasures Osaka has to offer.

http://blog.livedoor.jp/osakanohonnma

One of my very favourite blog sites and one I highly recommend.

I went through the blog to find recommendations for a friend who was on a budget and shared the results here, but that was back in 2009. I no longer have the spare time I did back then. Here's the old thread:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/japan...g-options.html

armagebedar

M no Ranchi (M's Lunch) is basically *the* blog to get information about lunch and food in general in Kansai: http://emunoranchi.com/

Obviously it is in Japanese, but the site is well-categorized by food type and location.

Taiwaned

Ron's Steak

Its just great! My favorite Kobe steak restaurant in the heart of Osaka.

Freaken expensive dinner.

ChrisLi

where are Fumitami and KIXman when we need them :P

mkjr

Robs reviews at bento.com are usually very good. We had a great meal at nenonhi(sic) in the breeze breeze complex.

We recently had a great meal here. http://www.suntory.co.jp/whisky/whis...ing/index.html

I'd post pix but I don't post TRs on FT because of some recent events.

nishimark

Take the Hanshin train line from Umeda to Nishinomiya, about 15 minutes. On the ocean side of the station is a kaiten sushi place named "Kuru kuru". You can order directly from the sushi guys behind the counter. Not so expensive, but excellent fish, with focus on Seto Naikai. I also like their aka dashi. It opens at 5:00pm and I highly recommend you get there no later than 5:30. After that it fills up fast and you'll have a long wait. They start running out of the the fresh specials by 7:00 or so. Not a Michelin star kind of place by a long shot, but a great local experience. My wife's father was a fish wholesaler in the Kobe area and is picky about fish (so am I). We try to go here at least twice a month.

http://tabelog.com/hyogo/A2803/A280301/28003658/

PitaPan

There's a decent sushi place, Edomae-zushi, in the Daimaru on top of Umeda station. Also, Daruma if you're craving anything deep-fried

kaka

There's a nice shabushabu place in the train terminal complex at Senri Chuo. and a good ROI sushi place is Uoshin (in Umeda or Namba).