In June 2023, during a day trip to Tower Records Umeda NU Chayamachi store in Osaka, the final stop was 551 Horai! I had tried 551 once before as a souvenir, but this was my first time buying it myself. Many reviewers who visited Osaka had written about 551 and praised its deliciousness, so I wanted to try it again. When I arrived on a Sunday evening, there was a long line. Despite hearing about the wait, I was surprised by how long the line actually was. I decided to wait in line alone, representing my family, as I wanted to write a review on Tabelog. It took about 40 minutes to get to the front. The store was crowded due to it being a Sunday evening and a popular spot for Shinkansen passengers looking for souvenirs. I knew this, but I wanted to buy freshly made items, so I had to wait despite the crowds. I was surprised by how hot the items were when I finally got them and ate them on the Shinkansen. The pork buns were mildly sweet, and the shumai had a fluffy texture with a satisfying taste. I also bought chilled pork buns for my child's snack before their cram school. The child pointed out that there was thin wood behind the paper wrapping of the buns, which surprised me. The staff were efficient, and the store had multiple registers, yet the line was still long. While waiting, I noticed that many people were buying the sweet and sour dumplings, which made me regret not purchasing them. Overall, the biggest issue with 551 is the long lines!

I visited the shop on a regular day at Shin-Osaka Station. I bought a pack of 10 grilled dumplings! I usually buy pork buns, so it was my first time buying dumplings (^ ^) 10 pieces for 340 yen is cheap, right? (*^^*) It was delicious ＼(^-^)／ Thank you for the meal♪

I purchased freshly made pork buns (2 pieces for 380 yen including tax) at Ekimarche Shin-Osaka Sotoe, which opened on the 3rd floor of JR Shin-Osaka Station in March 2021 (located outside the ticket gates). It's been about a year since I last had 551's pork buns. I enjoyed them at home. Freshly made ones are definitely delicious. I will visit again soon! Thank you for the meal!

JR Shin-Osaka Station 3rd floor, Ekimaru Shin-Osaka Sotoe, a new store opened in 2021. Today, I stopped by here. There are several 551 stores inside Shin-Osaka Station, but this one sells both hot and chilled items. I bought 2 hot pork buns. Let's try them! When I opened the lid, the familiar smell wafted out. The fact that they are piping hot is a definite plus. The thick and chewy skin and the flavorful filling are really good. Come to think of it, it feels like it's been a while since I last had 551. Anyway, thank you for the meal! This store seems to have seating in the food court area where you can eat after making a purchase.

I added some side dishes for dinner on a whim. Dumplings and shumai are good to eat occasionally. I only feel like eating pork buns occasionally. This store offers a common selection of pork buns, shumai, dumplings, and chimaki with in-store cooking. Pan-fried dumplings (10 pieces) and shrimp shumai (12 pieces).

Visited in March 2021. The new area in front of the JR line east exit of Shin-Osaka Station 3F, which has been under construction for a long time, has opened as "Ekimarche Shin-Osaka Sotoe". When I went to Shin-Osaka Station for some errands, I immediately explored "Ekimarche Shin-Osaka Sotoe". The food and beverage outlets in Sotoe include Freshness Burger, Karafuneya Coffee Shop, Roman-Tei Steakju, and Men Tsururi for Himi Udon, among others, totaling 11 stores. And one that was previously in this location but closed with regret for the station renovation, "551 Horai JR Shin-Osaka Station Store," has returned to this location under a different branch name! It is now called "551 Horai Ekimarche Shin-Osaka Sotoe Store". In fact, there are five 551 Horai stores in Shin-Osaka Station, including this one. ■ Outside the ticket gate: Shin-Osaka Chuo Exit Store, Ekimarche Shin-Osaka Sotoe Store, Arde Shin-Osaka Store (eat-in available) ■ Concourse on the conventional line: Ekimarche Shin-Osaka Store ■ Concourse on the Shinkansen line: Shinkansen Shin-Osaka Station Store. I think there is enough demand for them, but having five 551 Horai stores in Shin-Osaka Station seems a bit excessive (^_^;) When I visited, there were only three customers, probably due to the low awareness. Since I had run out of stock at home, I decided to buy a pork bun. However, the 551 Horai stores in Shin-Osaka Station always have excellent customer service. The young woman in charge of customer service is always smiling despite being busy. So, in addition to the usual pork bun, I also bought meatballs (≧▽≦)ギャハハハ. So, I decided to take them home. I bought a set of 4 pork buns, so I ate one and wrapped the other three in plastic wrap and put them in the freezer. First, I split the pork bun and spread the attached mustard. Let's eat!! Mmm ( ´艸｀) The skin is sweet and chewy, delicious! The sweetness of the onion in the filling and the umami of the meat are like a narcotic. The spicy accent of the mustard is also good. It's understandable that the quality is so good that you'll want to eat it regularly. I had the meatballs as a side dish for dinner. Sweet vinegar dumplings, 10 pieces for 300 yen. I feel like it used to be around 200 yen, but even though the price has gone up, it's still a worthwhile item. Now, let's eat this too (￣人￣) Plenty of filling with meatballs mixed in and eaten (´～｀) Moist and delicious sweet vinegar filling with a good balance of sweetness and acidity. The meat is roughly ground and meaty, which is good. This taste goes well with a beer! It was delicious (≧▽≦) Now that I have pork buns stocked in the freezer, I can rest easy for a while (laughs). It was very delicious. Thank you very much m(__)m.

Shumai (6 pieces) for ¥420.

I saw a long line at the 551 of Arte and headed towards the Shinkansen platform direction. Since there were fewer people in line at Sotoe, I decided to line up here. I bought 3 packs of chilled 4-piece sets and 3 sweet vinegar dumplings. The sweet vinegar dumplings with the expiration date of the day fit into three houses. This is because there is a house that prefers sweet vinegar dumplings over pork buns.

I suddenly had the opportunity to buy Shinkansen tickets and hurried from the hotel to Shin-Osaka. It was after 9 PM, and I wondered if I could buy pork buns. When I got off the loop line, I saw a long line. I didn't know if I would be able to buy any, but as I waited in line, the count for warm pork buns started at 16 left. I was able to purchase one box of 4 warm pork buns, along with the 4 chilled boxes that my friend requested. I was also able to exchange my old cooler bag. I bought a ticket to Nagoya in the unreserved seating section, but I missed the last Nozomi train to Tokyo at 9:24 PM. Since there were still Kodama trains running to Nagoya, I decided to take the next one back.

I bought the classic 551 at the station before taking the Shinkansen back to Tokyo from Shin-Osaka. I was surprised to find that there are 5 551 stores in Shin-Osaka! I arrived home and immediately ate the pork buns, which were as delicious as always! I enjoyed them with mustard and Worcestershire sauce on top of the hot buns, and they were still delicious! I will enjoy the rest as well!

Today, I bought souvenirs at this shop. It's more crowded than usual... But I didn't want to leave without buying anything, so I lined up at the end of the line while keeping an eye on the train schedule. I got pork buns, shumai, and meatballs. The usual deliciousness, thank you for the meal.

I have been on a business trip to Osaka, and my family requested me to buy some food from "551." After finishing work in Senba-cho and returning to Shin-Osaka, it was around 6:00 PM. So, I decided to line up at the "551 Horai Ekimarche Shin-Osaka Sotoe Store." The store inside the ticket gate always has a long line, so I thought it would be better to line up outside the gate. I waited in line for about 25 minutes before finally getting my hands on 12 pork buns and 10 shumai as souvenirs. It was my first time having 551 in 8 years, and it was delicious!

I found this place right after exiting the ticket gate at Shin-Osaka Station. They offer both warm and chilled pork buns. Inside the Shinkansen ticket gate, they only sell chilled buns, while at Shin-Osaka Station they have both warm and chilled options. They also sell sweet vinegar dumplings, which I find convenient as I can buy them here instead of going to a department store basement. The sweet vinegar dumplings are topped with plenty of sauce, and I like to add onions to make them even more delicious.

Located outside the ticket gate, at Ekimarche Shin-Osaka. I used this shop when boarding the Shinkansen because there are only chilled options inside the ticket gate. There are also two other shops inside Shin-Osaka station. I bought two pork buns. The staff efficiently served a line of about 20 people. The pork buns were packed with filling, had a good weight to them, and the sweetness of the onions paired perfectly with the mustard. I buy them every time I come to Osaka.

551 Horai's chilled pork buns are only sold in limited stores. I prefer to buy the chilled ones as the warm ones smell strong on the Shinkansen train and are cold by the time I get home. I heard that the store near the Shinkansen gate used to sell chilled buns, so I went there, but it had been renovated into Ekimaru Shinsaibashi store with a long line. I asked the staff and they confirmed that they also had chilled buns, so I lined up and bought 4 pork buns (840 yen) and 10 chilled shumai (750 yen). The shumai reminded me of the delicious ones I had at the old Korakuen Stadium before Tokyo Dome. Of course, the pork buns were exceptional in taste, especially the delicious skin.

In early December 2022 (Saturday), I bought chilled 551 pork buns for takeout at Shin-Osaka Station on my way back from Kansai. There was a bit of a line at the shop outside the station, so I bought the buns before getting my Shinkansen reservation. I waited for about 15 minutes to purchase a pack of 4 pork buns. The staff advised me to refrigerate them within 3 hours, so I received the buns with a regular packaging and ice pack. I usually bring a cooler bag with me, but sometimes I'm tempted to buy the one with the 551 logo on it, even though I don't really have a use for it. When I got home, I double wrapped the buns in plastic wrap, put them in a Ziploc bag, and froze them to prevent moisture and odor. The buns can last for about a quarter in the freezer, but it's up to individual preference. A friend who loves 551 once taught me this freezing method, and it's been quite handy. To reheat, I use a microwave steamer I found at the supermarket for about 200 yen, and heat the buns for around 2 minutes and 40 seconds at 500w. The buns have a delicious blend of sweetness from the onion in the filling and richness from the pork, with a slightly sweet skin that's familiar to those from Kansai. I usually enjoy one bun as a nightcap when I'm alone. Even though I didn't eat them frequently when I was in Osaka, I sometimes crave them now that I'm in Kanto. It's like the taste of 551 pork buns is ingrained in the DNA of people from Kansai.

551 is a popular souvenir from Osaka, but I don't buy nikuman. My go-to choices are meatballs, shumai, and shrimp shumai. This time, I also got some gyoza. That's dinner sorted with the 551 set meal. The meatballs here are light and delicious, maybe my favorite. Be careful as the shops selling them are limited.

When it comes to Osaka, I always think of 551 Horai pork buns! I often buy them in bulk for family and friends as souvenirs. The chilled version is my go-to choice because it has a 3-day expiration date, making it easy to give away the next day. I usually get pork buns, shumai, and shrimp shumai as snacks or side dishes. The mustard from 551 Horai is a perfect match for the pork buns and shumai. The meaty shumai goes great with beer as well! The pork buns with their chewy texture are always delicious, and I prefer steaming them instead of microwaving. My family and friends were very happy with the treats.

Recently, there were lines everywhere around 551? I thought of getting an ice candy, but it was a failure... Around 14:20, there were about 8 people lined up, so I thought I would get my turn soon since it's just a purchase, but it didn't move at all... How long does it take for these older ladies to buy their meat buns? The line kept getting longer and longer... The staff at the store also realized this and asked if there were any people just buying ice candy. I raised my hand, bought a muscat flavor for 130 yen with a card, and ate it while waiting for the train at JR Shin-Osaka Station. It was quite sweet but okay... Heading back home now.

Whenever I come to Osaka, I always buy 551's meatballs to take home. Of course, I also get the shumai and shrimp shumai. I don't need meat buns. Be careful, as some shops don't sell meatballs. The shumai is packed with meat but tender, and the shrimp shumai has coarsely chopped shrimp for a juicy texture. When you heat up the meatballs in the microwave, they become fluffy and delicious. They go well with rice. I put them in my bento the next day and enjoyed a 551 bento!