Local Guide
Six popular kushikatsu restaurants in the Shinsekai area of Osaka

Kushikatsu" is always mentioned as a local delicacy that must be tasted at least once when visiting Osaka. Kushikatsu in Osaka was originally made by skewering beef and deep frying it. Today, there are many varieties of kushikatsu, but beef is still the standard. However, each restaurant has its own unique flavor in terms of batter, ingredients, and sauces, so there is a wide variety of kushikatsu in a single word. In this article, we will introduce a selection of recommended restaurants in the Shinsekai area, a fierce battleground for kushikatsu, including long-established stores founded after World War II and famous restaurants frequented by local food connoisseurs. We hope you will enjoy comparing two or three shops in a row. Most of the restaurants are open from noon, so we recommend having a drink during the day.

Proud of its light and crispy batter, even after a long time!

The most recommended item is the
The most recommended item is the "cod roe" in the center, which has an exquisite salty taste and texture for 320 yen, and the "Sasami shiso maki" on the left for 250 yen. Be sure to try the "Doteyaki," a specialty of the restaurant, for 480 yen!

Since setting up store in 2019 at the foot of Tsutenkaku Tower, this popular restaurant has been visited by tourists and locals without interruption. The secret to the delicious taste of the light and light skewers lies in the careful thin coating of fine bread crumbs and the process of carefully draining the oil after frying in a blend of lard and canola oil, with each skewer being carefully drained by repeatedly applying a hook to the wrist. The owner says that the cost is 1.5 times higher than the market price, and the sweet, mild, custom-made sauce is also a unique attraction of this restaurant.

The owner, who has a keen sense of "food" and has been a foodie, pursues his own taste!

The first floor has a counter with 6 seats, and the second floor has 16 seats in a tatami room with a sunken kotatsu. The cozy storefront gives the restaurant a hole-in-the-wall feel that is popular with connoisseurs.
The first floor has a counter with 6 seats, and the second floor has 16 seats in a tatami room with a sunken kotatsu. The cozy storefront gives the restaurant a hole-in-the-wall feel that is popular with connoisseurs.

The owner, who used to run a sushi restaurant, started his own restaurant specializing in shish-kebabs because he was expected to have a good sense of taste, and after eating at various shish-kebabs, he became independent and pursued his own taste. In addition to the standard "kushikatsu," the shop offers a wide range of meat, seafood, vegetable, and creative skewers such as "Duck Negi Tsukune" and "Salmon Tartar," as well as dessert skewers such as "Condensed Milk Strawberry.
Customers who enjoy eating a series of kushikatsu in the Shinsekai area often come back here to finish off their meal with a kushikatsu, and you can enjoy the crispy and light texture of the kushikatsu as you watch the lively owner fry them one after another at the counter on the first floor.

Local Guide Comment
We also recommend our signature doteyaki, in which beef tendon is simmered for 8 to 10 hours until tender. The kushikatsu sauce is usually served from a bottle on the table, but for guests of OMO7 Osaka by Hoshino Resorts, the restaurant offers it by the baton.
Kushikatsu Taisho
  • address (e.g. of house) 1-19-7, Ebisu-higashi, Naniwa-ku, Osaka MAP
  • Direction 7 min. walk from Osaka Metro Zoo Station
  • Business hours 11:00-23:00 (L.O.22:00)
  • Closed Wednesdays (open if Wednesday is a national holiday, closed the following day)
  • TEL 06-7163-5029

Gorgeous photo-worthy kushikatsu, such as giant shrimp and salmon roe on top, are very popular!

Emperor shrimp skewer (approx. 25 cm): 1,780 yen per skewer, salmon oyako skewer with salmon roe (550 yen), local sake (90 ml): 500 to 2,400 yen
Emperor shrimp skewer (approx. 25 cm): 1,780 yen per skewer, salmon oyako skewer with salmon roe (550 yen), local sake (90 ml): 500 to 2,400 yen

Founded in 1947, the Ousho Shogi Club was reborn in 2019 as Ousho Club, a restaurant specializing in kushikatsu (Japanese chess). The restaurant is known for its creative and unusual skewers using premium ingredients. The giant emperor shrimp (a type of wild black tiger) and the deep-fried salmon skewer topped with salmon roe are two of the most popular items ordered by most visitors. The emperor prawns have a rich flavor and firm flesh that is beautifully accentuated by the thin batter. Served with homemade tartar sauce, the dish is as sumptuous as a course meal. The salmon skewers, served with a rich salmon roe sauce, are also a real luxury.

The historic and atmospheric building, which used to be a chess club, is also noteworthy.

The ceiling and walls of the former Shogi Club have been retained and remodeled. A sign from those days reads,
The ceiling and walls of the former Shogi Club have been retained and remodeled. A sign from those days reads, "No betting allowed, owner.

Osho Club is located in "Jan-Jan Yokocho," a retro Showa-era arcade lined with Go and Shogi clubs and B-class gourmet restaurants. The wooden building, which was formerly a Shogi Club, has candy-colored polished pillars and furnishings that add a deep sense of charm to the interior of the restaurant. The old posters with the list of fees and the hand game table are still there, and on the second floor, there is a table with a used chess board as a top board. You can feel the atmosphere of the old days when it was a chess club everywhere.

Local Guide Comment
Royal skewers such as kushikatsu (beef) and vegetables are also available. The sweet sauce is free of charge, but those who want to dip them twice can have them served in a bat for 100 yen per person. With many a la carte dishes and 20 to 30 varieties of local sake from all over Japan, you can enjoy it just like at an izakaya (Japanese-style pub).
Ohsho Club
  • address (e.g. of house) 3-4-9, Ebisu-higashi, Naniwa-ku, Osaka City, Osaka MAP
  • Direction 3 min. walk from Osaka Metro Dobutsuenmae Sta.
  • Business hours 11:00-22:00 (L.O.21:30)
  • Closed Closed on weekends and holidays
  • TEL 06-6556-9464

The original kebab shop that created the "no double dipping in sauce" rule

Shinsekai Set
Shinsekai Set" for 1,760 yen. It includes the famous doteyaki and 9 skewers (original skewers, natural shrimp, pork cutlet, chicken tsukune, etc.).

The restaurant was established in 1929, Kushikatsu It is one of the oldest restaurants in the Shinsekai area, where many kushikatsu restaurants are concentrated. The first owner wanted to make it easy to eat expensive beef, so he skewered bite-sized pieces of beef, dipped them in batter, and deep-fried them. Kushikatsu It is said that this was the beginning of the "Beef Skewers". A "no second dipping" rule was also created so that everyone could share the sauce in the bat. The current style, such as attaching a cabbage for scooping out the sauce, is the Kushikatsu The restaurant also laid the foundation for the current style.

Four stores in the Shinsekai area, including the Shinsekai So-honten branch

Shinsekai Sohonten has only 12 seats at the counter. If there is a line, go to one of the three branches in the Shinsekai area.
Shinsekai Sohonten has only 12 seats at the counter. If there is a line, go to one of the three branches in the Shinsekai area.

With 15 stores in Osaka and one in Kyoto, " Daruma The most popular is the "Yondai" (four-daiyaku). The Shinsekai head office is particularly popular, with a signboard doll modeled after the fourth generation of Daruma's family members glaring at customers from the second floor. Inside the restaurant, only L-shaped counter seats are available, allowing customers to fully enjoy the live atmosphere as skewers are fried one after another right in front of their eyes. The skewers are deep-fried only with beef fat, using specially ordered fine breadcrumbs. Kushikatsu The skewers are characterized by their delicate and light texture. The outside is crispy and the inside is juicy. Kushikatsu The sight of many people queuing up to try the crispy outside and juicy filling inside has become a common sight.

Local Guide Comment
If you want to douse yourself in the secret sauce, order the "No Twice Pickled Sauce" for 264 yen, which comes in a bat of sauce for one or two people, or the "Sauce Cabbage Set" for 352 yen, which includes a cabbage and a set of cabbage.
Osaka Shinsekai Ganso Kushikatsu Daruma Shinsekai Sohonten
  • address (e.g. of house) 2-3-9, Ebisuhigashi, Naniwa-ku, Osaka City, Osaka MAP
  • Direction 5 min. walk from Osaka Metro Dobutsuenmae Sta.
  • Business hours 11:00-22:30 (L.O.22:00, Sat., Sun. and holidays from 10:30)
  • Closed No holidays
  • TEL 06-6645-7056

A wide variety of about 60 kinds of kushikatsu and a la carte dishes can be enjoyed.

The most popular
The most popular "Kushikatsu Moritate" (a set of five kinds of skewers: beef, pork, chicken, shrimp, and lotus root): 1,080 yen.

A Dining Area that has been in business for about 80 years was re-launched as a kushikatsu izakaya in 1999 on a street that stretches at the foot of Tsutenkaku Tower. Starting with the famous beef skewers, you can enjoy a wide variety of skewers at affordable prices, from seasonal items such as oysters, to oddball items such as octopus skewers, and dessert skewers such as Yukimi-dakko (snow cones). The skewers are carefully prepared, coated with aromatic breadcrumbs, and deep-fried in a special blend of oils, resulting in a thin, light batter. In addition to the light original sauce, there is a wide variety of seasonings such as special salt, soy sauce, spicy mayonnaise, and tartar sauce.

Casual atmosphere with reggae music playing in the background

A vintage Wagen bus makes a great impact. The inside of the bus is popular as a special seat.
A vintage Wagen bus makes a great impact. The inside of the bus is popular as a special seat.

The restaurant is spacious and reggae music plays in the background. The atmosphere is relaxed and casual. On the first floor, there are counter seats and table seats where you can watch the skewers being fried one after another right in front of you. red-and-white vintage Wagen bus. red-and-white vintage Wagen bus. Inside the bus is a table seating for up to six people. The second floor is a slightly more relaxed woody space with sunken kotatsu seating.

Local Guide Comment
The restaurant also offers a wide variety of menu items other than kushikatsu. Osaka's unique menu items are also popular, such as "Kasu Udon" (udon noodles with oil cake (deep-fried small intestine of beef) for 780 yen) and "Meat Soup" with beef, tofu, half-boiled egg, and green onion in Kansai-style udon sauce for 850 yen.
Shinsekai Oyaji no Kushi-ya
  • address (e.g. of house) 2-4-14, Emisuhigashi, Naniwa-ku, Osaka MAP
  • Direction 5 min. walk from Osaka Metro Dobutsuenmae Sta.
  • Business hours 10:00 - 24:00 (L.O.23:30)
  • Closed No holidays
  • TEL 06-6647-0711

The fluffy batter is unique. A popular long-established restaurant established after World War II.

The
The "Assorted Kushikatsu (6 skewers)," which includes pork, hamo, octopus, egg, and torikara, is 1,290 yen (subject to change).

Founded in 1949, it is one of the well-known kushikatsu restaurants in the Shinsekai area and has been in business for three generations. The batter is characterized by a visual appearance similar to an American dock, and the fluffy and chewy texture is addictively delicious. The "Honke Kushikatsu," a beef skewer covered only with a secret batter without bread crumbs, is a must-try.
For the other skewers on the menu, fine breadcrumbs are added around the batter. The sauce, a blend of three different sauces, is sweet and spicy and goes well with the slightly thicker batter.

You can enjoy the retro atmosphere of the Showa period when the restaurant was founded.

The menu lines the wall and sauces are placed in a shared baton on the table.
The menu lines the wall and sauces are placed in a shared baton on the table.

It is nice to know that you can enjoy the traditional "Osaka style of kushikatsu" at no extra charge, such as serving the sauce in a shared bat of "no double dipping" or with free cabbage. Located near Tsutenkaku Tower, the long and narrow interior of the restaurant has a nostalgic atmosphere reminiscent of the Showa period. In addition to table seating, there are 15 counter seats, some of which offer a view of the ingredients on the skewers and the frying process.

Local Guide Comment
Each of the ingredients, including asparagus served whole, is large and satisfying. The "Torikara," which is said to be a specialty of the restaurant, should be served with salt. If there is a long line, try visiting the nearby "Omiya Annex.
Omiya Main Store
  • address (e.g. of house) 2-3-18, Emisuhigashi, Naniwa-ku, Osaka City, Osaka MAP
  • Direction 6 min. walk from Osaka Metro Dobutsuenmae Sta.
  • Business hours 12:00-14:00, 16:00-20:00 (L.O.19:30, open all day Saturday, Sunday and holidays from 12:00 to 20:00)
  • Closed Thursdays (open if Thursday is a national holiday, closed the next day)
  • TEL 06-6641-7412
  • Memo 90-minute service

A famous restaurant where food connoisseurs can enjoy the flavor of the ingredients.

In addition to
In addition to "kushikatsu (beef)" (90 yen), the shop also serves Osaka's typical "beni-shoga" (red pickled ginger) (150 yen) and high-end "shrimps" (400-700 yen). Doteyaki" is 400 yen (all prices are tax-excluded).

Located in a residential area slightly southwest of Shinsekai, this popular local restaurant was established around 1960, and the third generation has inherited the taste of the first generation. The skewers are deep-fried in high-quality lard. The skewers, deep-fried in lard, are crispy and light, maximizing the flavor of the high-quality ingredients purchased at the Osaka Kizu wholesale market. The sauce is a blend of two local sauces, silky and slightly sweet to allow for plenty of marinating. In a common bat It is served in a common bat.

The atmospheric interior of the restaurant is reminiscent of a sushi restaurant.

The walls of the restaurant are lined with menus written on wooden tags.
The walls of the restaurant are lined with menus written on wooden tags.

Although the restaurant has a common appearance, once you step inside, the candy-colored interior gives you a sense of elegance and a relaxed atmosphere. The restaurant has only 18 seats at an L-shaped counter. In the showcase, just like a sushi restaurant, carefully prepared ingredients are beautifully and neatly lined up. In addition to the standard meat, fish, and vegetable items, seasonal skewers such as firefly squid and bamboo shoots in spring, hamo in summer, and oysters and ginkgo nuts in fall and winter are also available. Enjoy the realistic sensation of having your skewers deep-fried right in front of your eyes while also savoring the flavors of the season.

Local Guide Comment
Doteyaki," a slow-cooked beef Achilles tendon, is another must-try dish. The tender texture and elegant, mild white miso flavor are irresistible.
Hige Katsu
  • address (e.g. of house) 1-3-20 Asahi, Nishinari-ku, Osaka City, Osaka MAP
  • Direction 2 min. walk from Osaka Metro Hanazono Stn.
  • Business hours 17:00~L.O.22:00
  • Closed Sunday
  • TEL 06-6649-5437
  • Memo Reservations not accepted

MAP

Hoshino Resorts facilities nearby
Return to article top
The information in this article is current as of the date of the update. Please check before visiting as they are subject to change.