Miyuki-dori is a 500-meter-long shopping street that runs between Sokaido Street and the Hirano River in Osaka's Ikuno Ward. Since the beginning of the Showa Era (1926-89), when Korean settlers in Osaka set up a makeshift market, the open-air shopping street has had ties to the local Korean community. After World War II ended in 1945, Korean merchants gradually expanded into the remaining shops, and the area became informally known as the "Korean Market."
In 1993, the three shopkeeper associations that have managed Miyuki-dori since 1951 paved the roads and added four traditional Korean gates, welcoming people to "Osaka Ikuno Koreatown." The recent "Korean wave" has helped attract over a million annual visitors, and newer stores selling the latest K-pop merchandise, cosmetics and fashion accessories can be found next to older shops that have served this vibrant residential neighborhood for decades.
As soon as my train pulls into Momodani Station, all I can think about is devouring delicious food. I know these won't be the exact same tastes as, say, Gwangjang Market in Seoul, but I like the blend of Japanese and Korean cuisine because it's deeply rooted in local culture.
My first stop is Hiro's Guest House. Located towards the middle of the shopping street, Hiro's (Momodani 4-9-7, Ikuno-ku; hirosguesthouse.com) has a ground-floor cafe, but it doesn't serve any food: Owner Im Kohong — who opened the guest house in 2009 and also goes by "Hiro" — encourages customers to bring in food from outside stalls and shops as long as they purchase a beverage from him inside. This policy has enabled many visitors to explore the neighborhood at a slower pace and discover its hidden charms.
Im, 49, is a third-generation Zainichi (ethnic Korean resident of Japan) whose grandparents emigrated from Jeju Island in the early 1950s. In addition to his native Japanese, Im is fluent in Korean and English, which he studied at Yonsei University in Seoul and the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, respectively, and he's always happy to use his language skills to share local expertise with customers.
"Even now, people ask me where the best shop is to buy something like kimchi or mushibuta (steamed pork), but it depends on their tastes," says Im. "It's hard to recommend just one thing. I want them to try many shops."
I head out to find some old Koreatown favorites to bring back for lunch. First up: Noyama Shoten (Momodani 4-9-11, Ikuno-ku; butanikumarusou.com), a pork shop just around the corner that makes the aforementioned mushibuta.
Although mushibuta is usually steamed, here it is boiled and served thinly sliced. Owner Yoshikazu Noyama, 64, shows me the back room where he boils large blocks of salted pork from Kagoshima Prefecture for 90 minutes until the fat has been sufficiently reduced and the meat is juicy and tender. I order ¥500 worth, which is enough for two people. Noyama recommends eating it with kimchi or ponzu (citrus-based soy sauce), but I decide to buy a bottle of homemade sweet and spicy chojang red chili pepper sauce for ¥400.
Another option is Toriyoshi Shoten (Momodani 5-6-1, Ikuno-ku), which has been something of a local secret for over 30 years. Founder Mizu Hori, 69, and his family makes what may be the best take-out fried chicken in all of Osaka. Try the mouthwatering tebasaki (chicken wings) and tebamoto (drumsticks) for ¥500 each, or order an entire mushidori chicken for ¥1,500. I pick up an order of boneless karaage (deep-fried chicken), which is double-dipped in oil to give it that extra crunch (¥500).
Ikuno Koreatown boasts 17 kimchi specialists among the 120 shops on the street, but I'm a loyal customer at one located next door to Hiro's called Gyeongyu Shoten (Momodani 4-9-7, Ikuno-ku), which has been owned by the same family for three generations. Kim Ryun Gyu, 42, grew up in South Korea but moved to Osaka four years ago to take over the business his grandmother, Hwang Bok Ha, started in 1975. A very friendly worker from Vietnam named Nguyen Van Tien, 24, takes my usual order: family-sized bags of daikon kimchi (¥500 per 800 grams) and cucumber kimchi (¥500 per 750 grams).
I also can't resist the intoxicating aroma of daeji kalbi (grilled pork ribs) coming from Kazuki (Momodani 5-4-20, Ikuno-ku; kazuki-shop.com), a one-stop-shop for all of the latest street food from South Korea, such as hoeori gamja ("tornado potatoes"), a deep-fried, spiral-cut potato on a skewer brushed with seasoning.
I then purchase kimbap (Korean sushi rolls) and namul (seasoned vegetables, herbs and greens) from Hounen (Momodani 5-4-15, Ikuno-ku; shin-daoru.com) and head back to Hiro's to sit down, drink a few beers and eat my cornucopia of food.
Hiro's occasionally hosts pay-what-you-wish live concerts. After finishing my meal, I stick around for an incredible performance by the Jiseung Trio, led by singer-songwriter Lee Jiseung, who plays a style of music called Zainichi Blues.
Great music, friendly people, delicious food — another perfect day in Koreatown.
Osaka Ikuno Koreatown is a 10-minute walk from either Momodani or Tsuruhashi stations. For more information,visit ikuno-koreatown.com. For information about Lee Jiseung's upcoming performances, visit bit.ly/leejiseung.
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