Fukutarou 福太郎

Fukutarou is reasonably priced and the second highest rating okonomiyaki restaurant in Osaka. Fukutarou is a local favorite hidden in the beaten path. While all the tourists are lining up for okonomiyaki in the busy streets of Namba,  Japanese locals are lining up here.

The chefs would cook your okonomiyaki at the front of the shop and then shift to the teppanyaki grill in front of you. You can cut portions onto to your plate and leave the rest on the grill to keep it warm. Aside from the famous okonomiyaki, they also have other side dishes like yakisoba, baked scallops and oysters. Fukutarou is opened everyday throughout the year but only serves lunch on weekends and holidays. If you’re craving for a late night snack, this would be a popular spot to hit up!

FYI, there’s a few locations but this location is the highest rating. There’s also a store in Tokyo Skytree so if you’re in Tokyo, you can still try this local favorite!

Address \\  2-3-17 Sennichimae Chuo-ku Osaka Osaka
Phone Number \\  06-6634-2951 (Does not take reservations)
Hours \\ Monday – Friday: 5pm – 1am
Saturday & Sunday: 12pm – 12am
Average Price \\  ￥1,000 -￥1,999
Payment Method \\   Credit Card Accepted
Rating \\   3.63/5
Website \\   Fukutarou (English & Japanese)

Ujienkissako 宇治園 喫茶去 心斎橋店

Ujienkissako is right in the heart of the busy Shinsaibashi Shopping street so it’s a great place for a little tea break. Ujienkissako is on the second floor and they’re known for matcha desserts! They serve matcha ice cream, jelly, red bean and mochi all year round and only serves matcha shaved ice during summer seasons.

The first floor is a huge tea shop where you can buy tea leaves, accessories and sweets. If you don’t have time to sit down for dessert, you can always get their soft serve ice cream by the entrance. Matcha soft serve is a must, but the roasted tea soft serve is pretty amazing too.

Address \\  1-4-20 Shinsaibashisuji Chuo-ku Osaka Osaka
Phone Number \\  050-5592-4427 (Takes reservations)
Hours \\ Monday – Sunday: 10am – 7:45pm (Last order)
Average Price \\  ￥999
Payment Method \\   Credit Card Accepted
Rating \\   3.50/5
Website \\   Ujienkissako (English & Japanese)

Takonotetsu 蛸之徹 角田店

Takonotetsu was featured on Anthony Bourdain’s show No Reservation Osaka so we had to swing by. Osaka’s known for takoyaki and okonomiyaki so at Takonotetsu, you can experience cooking it yourself. It’s gotten popular amongst foreigners so I recommend to go earlier to skip the line up.

Other than the traditional takoyaki, they have different twists to choose from like green onion, shisho cheese, corn, pineapple and spicy cod with cheese. Each table has their own set of sauces and toppings so you choose what to add onto your takoyaki. And if you’re still hungry, the okonomiyaki and yakisoba will for sure fill you up. It’s a great place for travellers on a budget!

Address \\  1-10 Kakudacho Kita-ku Osaka Osaka
Phone Number \\  050-5869-8099 (Takes reservations)
Hours \\ Monday – Friday: 11:30am – 3pm
Saturday & Sunday: 11:30am – 10:30pm (Last order)
Average Price \\ Lunch – ￥999, Dinner – ￥1,000～￥1,999
Payment Method \\   Cash Only
Rating \\   3.52/5
Website \\   Takonotetsu (English & Japanese)

Sushikuni 鮨國

Sushikuni is one of the higher rating restaurants that’s known for their fresh chirashi bowls at Tsukiji Market.  A lot of people come here for the pure uni bowl so expect a line up! I recommend to come here a little earlier to skip the line, but luckily, it isn’t as crazy as Sushi Dai.

Sushikuni has a wide variety of fishes so there’s a lot of different combination of chirashi to choose from. There’s also sashimi, oysters and clams that you can order on the side. But this place is known for their uni so if you’re an uni lover, you’ll love this place!

Address \\  4-14-15 Tsukiji Chuo Tokyo
Phone Number \\  03-3545-8234 (Takes reservations)
Hours \\ Monday, Tues, Thurs – Sat: 10am – 2:30pm, 5pm – 8:30pm
Sunday: 10am – 3pm
Average Price \\ Lunch – ￥2,000 ～￥2,999, Dinner – ￥5,000～￥5,999
Payment Method \\   Cash Only
Rating \\   3.59/5
Website \\   Sushikuni (Japanese only)

Shirubee 汁べゑ 渋谷店

Shirubee is the ultimate hidden izakaya, one of the coolest izakayas in Tokyo! If it wasn’t because of our local friend that brought us here, we wouldn’t be able to find it even if we had Google Maps.

Once you get to the nearby area, there will be a flight of stairs. You’ll have to go up the stairs, cross the hallway and a steel door would be on your right hand side. Once you open the door, cross the bridge right beside the train tracks and you’ll see this tiny sliding door. Slide the door open and you’ll find this 2 story izakaya hidden behind the busy streets of Shibuya!

Shirubee is known for their sauces and has a decent selection of sashimi and cooked izakaya dishes. They have traditional Japanese dishes like oden and chicken karaage. But also serve fusion dishes and added their own twist to it. There’s 2 other locations in Roppongi and Shimokitazawa, but the Shibuya location has the higher rating and coolest entrance!

Address \\   1-11-5 Jinnan Shibuya Tokyo
Phone Number \\  03-3463-1010 (Takes reservations)
Hours \\ Monday – Sunday: 5:30pm – 10pm (Last order)
Average Price \\ Lunch – ￥4,000 ～￥4,999, Dinner – ￥3,000～￥3,999
Payment Method \\   Credit Card Accepted
Rating \\   3.55/5
Website \\   Shirubee (Japanese only)