Food & Drink | OSAKA RESTAURANTS Apr 21, 2018
Liaison: Flair and performance from kitchen to table
by J.J. O'Donoghue
Despite the unassuming setting, chef Hideyo Dezaki delivers seasonal, creative fare at Liaison.
Food & Drink | OSAKA RESTAURANTS Apr 21, 2018
Critters Burger: Serious people making serious burgers
by J.J. O'Donoghue
Critters Burger may be turning 10 but their burgers are as on-point as ever.
Food & Drink | OSAKA RESTAURANTS Mar 24, 2018
Taiwan Tanpao: A quick visit for a dumpling or six
by J.J. O'Donoghue
You could easily pass a whole day as a flaneur in Osaka's Tenjibashi-suji Shotengai, the longest shopping arcade in Japan. Unlike its southern counterpart, Shinsaibashi-suji, there is still room to breathe in Tenjinbashi-suji and it's not (yet) full of tourist-traps masquerading as historical shops. Recently ...
Food & Drink | OSAKA RESTAURANTS Mar 24, 2018
Sushi Chiharu: In delicacy lies the art of sushi
by J.J. O'Donoghue
For the 90 minutes that lunch played out at Sushi Chiharu, the smallest upscale-sushi restaurant I've ever eaten at, there was a steady stream of jazz hits underscoring the sushi shokunin (artisan) who catered to the full house. There were seven of us, seated close ...
Food & Drink | OSAKA RESTAURANTS Feb 24, 2018
Echi Ponte Vecchio a Osaka: Florence-inspired pizzeria with a view
by J.J. O'Donoghue
Chef and Italophile Daisuke Yamane has a thing for a particular bridge that spans the Arno River in Florence: the Ponte Vecchio. While the famous Italian bridge may or may not ring a bell, you'll more than likely recognize it from a photo: a ...
Food & Drink | OSAKA RESTAURANTS Feb 24, 2018
Craft Beer Market Osaka: Cheap pints of tasty craft
by J.J. O'Donoghue
The craft beer explosion in Japan has been a boon for drinkers, but the one bitter note in this success story is price. Generally speaking, there's little wiggle room from the ¥1,000 a pint mark — a hefty price to pay for a beer ...
Food & Drink | OSAKA RESTAURANTS Jan 27, 2018
Epais: Kitashinchi tonkatsu shop is worth the wait
by J.J. O'Donoghue
Epais specializes in tonkatsu, deep-fried breaded pork cutlets. Like tempura, tonkatsu shares its origins in the West, but whereas the western dish is usually fried in a shallow pool of oil, tonkatsu gets a mini well of its own for frying.
Food & Drink | OSAKA RESTAURANTS Jan 27, 2018
Morning Glass Coffee: Hawaiian vibes meet cafe chic
by J.J. O'Donoghue
At Morning Glass Coffee, they'd like you to forget you're surrounded by office buildings. To do so, they've decorated the ground floor (of an office building) with greenery, creating a somewhat successful visual separation from the urban jungle outside.
Food & Drink | OSAKA RESTAURANTS Dec 23, 2017
Louis Blanc: A French study in culinary contrasts
by J.J. O'Donoghue
Start with dessert, or desserts, and stay for dinner. And more dessert.
Food & Drink | OSAKA RESTAURANTS Dec 23, 2017
Yes! Burger: Gets an affirmative, though side-issues need work
by J.J. O'Donoghue
The crew behind Garage 39, a craft beer pub, have gone west and opened up a burger outpost.
Food & Drink | OSAKA RESTAURANTS Nov 25, 2017
Imose: An oasis where the soba's worth the wait
by J.J. O'Donoghue
Imose, a genteel soba restaurant, boasts a few soba dishes you won't come across too often.
Food & Drink | OSAKA RESTAURANTS Nov 25, 2017
Taneya: A love letter to mochi in all its wondrous forms
by J.J. O'Donoghue
If you're in Umeda and in need of an escape from the crowds, head for Taneya's shop in the Hankyu department store.