Documenting Lovely Moments
Osaka From Dotonbori to Kuromon Market with Amazing Food
Osaka is truly a food paradise in Japan. From Dotonbori to Kuromon Market, there were so many restaurants and street vendors to choose from and they did not disappoint. Walking alongside the river in Dotonbori was wonderful. Especially at night, when the colorful neon signs came alive. Of course, we had to find the famous Glico Man sign.
Dotonburi, Osaka
In general, our family is very adventurous when it comes to trying different types of food. Japanese food, however, has always been our favorite. Osaka, especially Dotonbori, instantly became our happy place because of its fantastic food options.
Snacking by the river
The first place we stopped at was Kukuru, where we watched takoyaki (octopus balls) being prepared in front of our eyes. There were some picnic benches where we could enjoy this snack by the river. Because there were so many options and we wanted to try as many varieties as possible, we only ordered one portion to share to avoid getting too full.
Just a few steps from Kukuru, we could not help getting this delicious Onigiri Burger. They had a special going on, and the burger was only around US $1 each. The burger was simply made with spam, egg, and lettuce, and was wrapped in sushi rice and nori.
Of course a visit to Dotonbori would not be complete without finding the iconic Glico Man sign. The sign with a running athlete on a blue track had been there for over 80 years. Glico is a food company in Japan that has produced popular Japanese snack brands such as Pocky, our family’s favorite.
It was also a great place for shopping. We stopped at the Sanrio store because the kids loved Hello Kitty.
Okonomiyaki Experience in Osaka
For lunch, we did the Okonomiyaki experience at Chibo Restaurant. Okonomiyaki is a Japanese savory pancake dish cooked on a teppan, with ingredients and toppings of choice. The place was so cute and cozy, with traditional Japanese seating. It was neat to see the food prepared in front of us. One of them had a smiley face that looked like Doraemon, a Japanese manga character. Adorable!
Dotonbori Night Scenes
At night, the neon signs came alive, creating gorgeous, colorful reflections on the river water. There was also a night cruise going up and down the river.
Kani Doraku Experience
For dinner, we went to Kani Doraku crab restaurant and enjoyed fresh and flavorful crab dishes, such as crab gratin, claypot rice with crabs, boiled snow crabs and king crabs, crab tempuras, and crab croquettes.
Kuromon Market – Best Street Food in Osaka
Kuromon Market is a big market in Osaka, with many vendors selling street foods, fresh produce, and souvenirs. Check out some of our favorites below.
1. Broiled Scallops
Simply seasoned with butter and soy sauce, these delicious scallops were grilled over charcoal and broiled with a torch.
2. Wagyu Beef
These premium wagyu beef with rich flavors and marbled texture, was the tastiest steak we had ever tasted.
3. Strawberry Mochi
What a tasty treat! We tried the regular and the matcha (green tea) versions, and loved both.
4. Bakudan Horumon
This tender stew was grilled on an iron griddle, deliciously seasoned, and served with onions.
5. Oden
Oden is a traditional Japanese hot pot dish, with ingredients such as fish cakes, tofu, potatoes, hard-boiled eggs, daikon radishes, and beef tendons. They were cooked for a long time in a tasty broth to let the ingredients absorb the flavor. We could chose the pieces that we wanted and they were served warm on a plate.
6. Unagi
Unagi is grilled freshwater eel seasoned with sweet kabayaki sauce. They can be served on a stick, on top of pieces of sushi rice, or over a bed of rice. They are tasty any way they were served.
7. Octopus Stick
We were familiar with takoyaki (octopus balls), but never tried octopus on a stick before. The whole quail egg stuffed into the head of the baby octopus made it interesting, and the sweet sauce was delicious.
It is difficult not to overeat in Japan, but especially in Osaka. Had we have more space or more time, we would have tried many more varieties.
You may also like:
About Us
I'm a happily-married mom of two. Our family enjoys an active lifestyle and spending quality time together. We love creating memories through travel, learning about different cultures around the world.
