Dotonbori Area and Shinsekai District: Where To Eat In Osaka Japan

Traveling for food? CNN Travel (CNN International travel website), releases an article about World Cuisine: 10 best food cultures. Included on the list is Japan as one of the best countries to visit for food.

Although convenience store-bought food like Family Mart, 7/11, and Lawson has a fantastic selection of fresh and delicious meals, It is highly recommended for travelers to also try culinary delights from famous places in Osaka like Dotonbori and Shinsekai.

Where to Eat in Osaka? Try these two famous areas and you discover authentic Japanese Cuisine.

Dotonbori Street:

Dotonbori is one of the most famous places in Osaka and is known for the best shopping and eating experience. Also widely known for bright and extravagant neon lights, this area is a must-visit destination in Osaka.

This colorful street has a lively vibe, so tourists flock to take a picture at this photo-worthy spot with the iconic Glico Man billboard.

Kani Doraku is one of the famous restaurants here with a massive iconic crab displayed outside where they offer crab cuisine. I was surprised that the crab’s legs moved, so watch out. Walking around you will see some other restaurants with eye-catching 3D signboards.

Best Takoyaki experience:

Takoyaki is a small ball-shaped Japanese snack or appetizer made of wheat flour-based batter, usually filled with bits of octopus. It is one of the most famous street food in Japan that originated in Osaka.

We tried Takoyaki at Juhachiban, one of the most famous Takoyaki stalls here. Although the queue is long, the Takoyaki vendor is so fast and skilled. It was very entertaining to watch him flipping the Takoyaki balls with small skewers. They have a small dine-in area upstairs if you want to stay a little longer or you may eat it while walking around the area.

Placing an order is done in a ticket machine wherein you have to choose what toppings you want in your Takoyaki. Surprisingly, there is a lot to choose from their menu just make sure you have small bills and coins for a fast transaction. After the machine dispensed the ticket hand it over to the sales staff to prepare your order.

I ordered 12 pieces of Takoyaki balls with a variety of toppings priced at ¥ 1,000. It is crispy outside yet soft and almost chewy inside, perfectly matched with the takoyaki sauce, Japanese mayo, and toppings (dried seaweed, spring onions, and Bonito flakes). There are slices of juicy octopus inside the Takoyaki balls.

Another street food we tried was Japanese corn dog priced at ¥ 500 in one of the food stalls in the area. It is a Japanese hotdog wrapped in a hotcake mix. What is special about this corn dog is that it has mozzarella cheese and semi-sweet bread sprinkled with coconut sugar on top. A drizzle of cheese and catsup adds flavor to the corn dog.

Ichiran Dotombori If you prefer a solo ramen experience and personalized Tonkatsu Ramen, this place is perfect for you. Ichiran is one of the most popular ramen restaurants in the area as can be gauged from the queue outside the store. I never thought that customers will line up for ramen under the heat of the sun.

How to order:

1. Order the set menu on the ticket machine.
2. Put the money in and press the button with the picture of the set menu of your choice. I press 5 set menus priced at ¥1,490 each.
3. A ticket will come out from the machine along with your change.
4. Look for the vacant seat indicator before proceeding inside the cubicle
5. Customize your ramen by encircling your order in the order sheet. There are choices for the soup base, noodle texture, sliced pork, garlic, green onion, and spices. Press the red button if you’re done.

The restaurant’s interior is dimly lit, with a homey and relaxing ambiance. There is a drinking water faucet attached to the cubicle in case of need. This cubicle-dining style is one unique dining experience for us.

You’ll be surprised when the ramen is ready, the bamboo-woven curtain in front of you will be lifted up by the staff and everything will be placed on your table.

What makes this ramen special was the pork broth that was so flavorful, the right texture of the noodles and egg. the best part is you can customize it the way you like it. This ramen experience is highly recommended as this is one of the most famous foods in Japan. The only downside here is the long queue otherwise, this place gives the best dining experience.

Shinsekai District

Although not as famous as Dotonbori, this place is another must-visit in Osaka. This colorful area is best known for its cheap shops and eateries. This district is known as the old neighborhood located in downtown Osaka.

Shinsekai District is famous for its iconic Tsutenkaku Tower, inspired by the Eiffel Tower of Paris. It has two observation decks on the 4th and 5th floors from which you can enjoy the panoramic view of the city. The admission fee is ¥ 500.

We grabbed a quick bite of another Takoyaki at this food stall. I ordered 6 pieces for ¥ 500 and soft-served vanilla ice cream for ¥ 300. In my opinion, Takoyaki in Dotonbori is still the best. There is nothing special about vanilla ice cream.

Shinsekai Area is one of the Instagrammable places in Osaka because of its colorful and vibrant signages. Some tourists visit this place to take fantastic photos too.

We tried a typical Japanese local eatery in Shinsekai. We ordered udon noodles, karaage (fried chicken), bacon pork slabs, and rice. I paid ¥ 2,500 for this food. The free service water is available for one round only.

The noodle broth was very flavorful. There is something in the broth that made it special. Karaage is really crunchy and tasty, especially with mayo dip. Same thing with the bacon pork slab.

We also had a great dining experience here.