After visiting the aquarium, we stopped by this restaurant. I had the Meat Sucking Set, and my wife had the Kasu Udon. Both were delicious! The soup in the Meat Sucking Set was particularly amazing, with a combination of meat and bonito broth that was superbly tasty. The Kasu Udon was also refreshing and delicious.

I found it when I went to the aquarium! It's getting warmer, so I felt like eating cold, slippery udon noodles and decided to try it out! This place seems to specialize in katsu udon, so I thought it might be rich, but I ended up choosing the Mentaiko Chikuwa Tempura Ontama Udon! The slippery udon noodles were delicious!

I went to an event at Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan, and arrived a bit early so I wandered around the Tempozan Marketplace next door. There was a food street called Naniwa Kui Shinbo Yokocho with various Osaka food shops lined up. I noticed a shop called Aisaka Niko Niko An, which caught my eye with its menu item called "Niku Sui". I had never heard of "Niku Sui" before, so I decided to order it. I got the Niku Sui set (Niku Sui + Cat Manma) for 750 yen, which was reasonably priced. The Niku Sui soup contained only meat and green onions. I learned that Niku Sui is actually "Niku Udon without the udon" - apparently, it originated when a Yoshimoto comedian ordered "Niku Udon without the udon" and the owner complied. The Cat Manma had a strong soy sauce flavor. It was a satisfying set meal with a taste of Osaka.

Freshly fried and delicious karaage. The potatoes had a tempura-like coating... I thought they were just deep-fried, but they had a coating and were quite substantial.

I had the deluxe oil katsu udon with large pieces of oil katsu. It was juicier and more delicious than the small pieces of oil katsu I usually eat at other restaurants. The tamago kake gohan (egg over rice) was also very delicious. I highly recommend this place.

Today I went to NemoFila at Maishima, then took a ferry to Tempozan to have lunch at Market Place. I tried the Katsudon at "Aosaka Niko Niko An" in Naniwa Kuishinbo Yokocho. It was surprisingly delicious for a tourist spot.

We visited with a family of four. Each of us ordered udon and nikusui to share. It cost 3,500 yen for the four of us. The nikusui and katsu udon were delicious. It's a recommended place for those who want to taste local food while visiting the aquarium. If you are a more discerning eater, you may want to visit specialized shops. Thank you for the meal.

The portion size was huge. The uncle was kind, and when my child ordered curry udon, he even asked if it was too spicy and made it milder for us.

Hello. This time, I came to Osaka because I wanted to buy "Billiken-san" ★ (I actually love Billiken-san, but couldn't buy it...) and it's the second day. I know you may be getting tired of this part, but please bear with me (^○^) Even though it's a sightseeing trip, we visited Honmachi Seimenjo Awa-za Store, Osaka Castle, Aizu-ya Tenpozan Store, and here at Aosaka Niko Niko An. We also took a cruise on the "Santa Maria" and had fun at the "Kaiyukan," so we arrived around 7 pm. By the way, the "Santa Maria" was free with the "Osaka Loop Pass" and we used a coupon at the "Kaiyukan" (lol). Wow! What a great deal, right? So, with the power of my single housewife skills (mystery), we arrived at the main purpose of the "katsu udon taste comparison part 3"!! Usually, I decide where to eat by gathering information online, but here, it's a complete last-minute decision due to being overly impressed by the katsu udon the day before (I'm the type who watches and waits a bit before taking the plunge). Now, let's get back on track since the story has been all over the place (^_^;) Yes, the "katsu udon taste comparison part 3." Since the "Naniwa Kuishinbo Yokocho" was quiet, we were the only customers in the shop. The friendly staff greeted us with a smile and we ordered two bowls of katsu udon. After a few minutes of waiting, we were served piping hot katsu udon!! Here are the details of the second bowl of katsu udon we had today: [Udon] - The noodles are slightly thin with weak elasticity [Broth] - The flavor of the dashi is weak but still noticeable - Slightly soy sauce-like with a mild sweetness [Katsu] - Quite a lot of katsu - Thick!? - Very elastic like rubber - Great chewiness - In other words, very solid katsu [Others] - Lots of green onions - Slightly greasy - Personally important point: I didn't feel the need for white rice with this broth (＾－＾) Although it didn't match my preference for Sanuki udon, the abundance of green onions was a delight for green onion lovers. The amount of katsu was normal and satisfying enough to enjoy (^^) I was surprised to see a katsu udon that was more impressive than the menu photo (lol) (The photo is for illustration purposes only) The staff left a very good impression, and although the eating space is a bit small, you can sit comfortably. It's my personal opinion, so the rating may seem a bit low, but it's a shop located in a representative tourist spot in Osaka, so if you're planning to visit here, it's definitely worth stopping by for a light snack and enjoying the taste. (By "personal opinion," I mean... that I prefer a broth that goes well with white rice) I don't have plans to visit here for a while, but if I do stop by next time, I'd like to try the "Aosaka Niko Niko An specialty soba yaki"♪ So, after encountering katsu udon for the first time in my life, the third stop for the taste comparison! That's all for my thoughts on the taste comparison (*^_^*) Thank you to those who have read this far (≧∇≦) I hope this was helpful. See you again~ヽ(ﾟ◇ﾟ )ﾉ

In March 2017, I went to Tempozan to play Pokémon GO. Tempozan area is known for having rare Pokémon spawns, so there were a lot of trainers gathered there. Besides playing Pokémon GO, I also checked out the Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan and Tempozan Marketplace for food review ideas. First, I visited the aquarium and then headed to the marketplace. I explored the "Naniwa Kuishinbo Yokocho" on the second floor of the marketplace, where I tried pork buns, custard buns, and red bean buns at "Hanahana" and grilled squid at "Momotani Ikayaki-ya". Next, I checked out "Osaka Niko Niko An" where they serve Osaka's specialty "kasudon" but this time I only bought a sweet potato dorayaki from their take-out window for 300 yen. I tried it immediately and found that the sweet potato filling had a natural sweetness, not too sweet, and the dorayaki cake was soft and moist. It was delicious. Thank you for the meal!

One of Osaka's specialties is katsu udon. It is udon topped with finely chopped and fried offal. I had wanted to try it for a long time, and finally had the chance to do so this time. The restaurant is located in Naniwa Kuishinbo Yokocho, which is adjacent to the popular tourist spot Kaiyukan in Osaka. There is an eat-in space inside the restaurant, but you can also use the food court at Tempozan Market Place. I wanted to enjoy various dishes, so I ordered takeout from several restaurants and shared them with my family. The menu at this restaurant includes various udon and katsudon dishes, but I had already decided on the katsu udon. The price is 750 yen including tax. I also bought a bottle of tea for 180 yen. Although it was a takeout, we ate it in the food court right after purchasing. The dish is a simple kake udon with green onions and offal on top. The appearance... it looks a bit cheap in a disposable container. If possible, it's better to eat inside the restaurant. Well, I chose to takeout this time, so I tried not to worry about that. As for the broth, it has a light soy sauce color typical of Kansai. It may taste quite light to people from Kanto. However, the richness and umami of the offal fat blend well with it, making it quite enjoyable. The noodles are of normal thickness, but quite soft. They are delicious, but I wish they had more firmness. The green onions as toppings are plentiful, like kujo negi. And the offal is offal with the fat removed. It has a smoky flavor and is subtly delicious. There is a generous amount of it, giving a satisfying feeling. Honestly, my impression was more like "pretty tasty" than "extremely delicious," but I was satisfied with trying katsu udon for the first time. There are probably many other katsu udon restaurants that are even more delicious, but this one is good for tourists visiting Kaiyukan. Thank you for the meal!

I left the Osaka Aquarium halfway and stopped by Naniwa Kuishinbo Yokocho in Tenpozan Market to try out various Osaka specialties. I had takoyaki, grilled squid, and then I wanted to try some warm udon. I wasn't confident I could finish a whole portion by myself, so I asked if it was possible to split one dish between two people, and they kindly agreed. I used a coupon from the aquarium to get a free topping of fried batter on my meat udon. The broth was light in color but flavorful. The fried batter added a nice texture to the dish. It was much tastier than the fried batter udon I had in Tokyo. I noticed a shelf with skateboards in the kitchen - perhaps the owner's hobby? It was a fun way to end my last meal in Osaka.

Today, I went to the Tenpozan to see the Kiyoharu Fujishiro exhibition for the first time in a few years. It seems a bit old-fashioned, but it is still popular, especially among families. There were also some tourists from overseas, but since Universal Studios Japan is nearby, many people may visit both places. Now, Naniwa Yokocho in Osaka is a place where you can find a variety of local flavors and it is visually appealing. I came across a shop with a name I had never heard of before, but it seemed to be popular, so I decided to try it out. The udon noodles in a light broth with five pieces of Zangi on top. The udon noodles were quite ordinary, but the Zangi had a thin and crispy coating, making it very crunchy. Even when soaked in the broth, it remained crispy and had a great taste. The staff at the restaurant were very friendly and welcoming.

This is located in a corner of the foodie street next to the Osaka Aquarium. Before enjoying the aquarium, we decided to stop by here for a meal. I ordered the "Niku-sui" and my friend ordered the "Kasu Udon". It was actually my first time trying "Niku-sui". According to the sign outside the restaurant, it originated from a comedian from Yoshimoto who wanted something light to eat before a show on a hangover day, so he ordered a meat udon without the udon. It was a learning experience! As for the taste, the Niku-sui had a rich flavor with the meat fat blending smoothly into the broth. Despite the meat fat, it wasn't heavy at all. It was light and perfect for a hangover. I was really impressed! The Kasu Udon had chunks of collagen from beef in it. At first, I thought it was tempura flakes, but I was mistaken! The taste was also smooth and not heavy. With plenty of collagen, it's recommended for women. I learned about the delicious flavors of Osaka here, it was a great experience and learning opportunity!

I went to an udon restaurant while visiting the Osaka Aquarium. Along the way, I was tempted by KFC and okonomiyaki, but I was determined to try katsu udon since it's something you can only eat in Osaka! I finally made it to the restaurant after resisting the other temptations. The restaurant was known for its soba-yaki. The katsu udon I was looking forward to had a small portion, but the broth was filled with meat katsu dancing around. It looked similar to chopped fried tofu, and when I bit into it, it had a delicious aroma. Since it's located right next to the aquarium, it's convenient for tourists to enjoy this soul food easily. As I made my way back home, I thought about how unique Osaka's food culture is.