288 yen... excluding tax, right? (bitter smile) If it's 300 yen including tax, the impact might drop a bit, you know. This is a 288 yen dish?! (shock) ...I wanted to be surprised, but (sweat) Well, 288 yen, this is 288 yen no matter what, even if I do a handstand, it's still 288 yen... the quantity, taste, quality, it all matches the price, so in terms of value for money, it's just average (bitter smile). Just because the price is cheap doesn't automatically make it high value for money, and just because there's a lot of food doesn't mean it automatically makes it high value for money! Value for money is about the price-to-effectiveness ratio... (price: quantity, price: taste, price: quality). This old man thinks that the overall judgment of these factors determines the value for money (sweat). However, it's nice that the alcohol is 288 yen! ...but? The glass for draft beer was so small that I've never seen anything like it before, how about that! (self-deprecating) - Tipsy set: 953 yen (tax included 1000 yen) You can choose 3 items out of 9! Since I went with 2 people, we chose 6 items! (Congratulations on Yuki's childbirth!) 1. Hot rolled omelet 2. Prosciutto and homemade cheese 3. Grilled beef tendon 4. Fried dried squid 5. Crispy radish salad 6. Pork skewer cutlet The homemade cheese was surprisingly delicious even though there was just a little bit on top! The hot rolled omelet was hot (sweat)... even if I look at it favorably, it was just warm (cold sweat). The grilled beef tendon was served in such a small dish, it felt almost disrespectful (bitter smile). The rest is fine! (sweat) However, with draft beer and 3 items for 1000 yen, I can't help but feel no sense of value for money. The menu proudly states, "Only 953 yen," but... in the opposite sense, it makes you think, "Only 953 yen" (ironic smile). Other 288 yen menu items include: - Tuna sashimi - Swordtip squid sashimi - Special tofu hot pot - Dried small horse mackerel (directly from Toyama, Himi) - Dried beltfish (directly from Wakayama, Tanabe) Except for the swordtip squid, these four items for 288 yen are quite good♪ (Even though it's 288 yen, the amount of swordtip squid would not be this much, right??) I was going to give a value of 2.5, but it suddenly rose to 3.0! (hey) - Blowfish tempura: 576 yen In conclusion, there are some good deals among the 288 yen menu items, so some compromise and smart choices are necessary (bitter smile). When looking at the menu for dishes priced higher than this, it seems okay here, but the fundamental question remains whether it's worth coming to this restaurant to choose these dishes (sweat). Well, if I want to get drunk quickly, I might come back again!? (laughs) However, the restaurant was packed when we left (laughs). It looks like a very popular place from the outside, doesn't it?

While waiting for my meeting in November 2012, I decided to pass the time by visiting a bar that I have been frequenting lately. Thanks to Tabelog, I have been enjoying wandering around and searching for new places to eat. I checked out a few places, but the standing bar with a one-coin set seemed to be very popular. Unlike the reviewer I admire, I am a bit sensitive and find it a bit awkward to go in alone. I was getting a bit tired of walking around and feeling relatively empty, so I decided to just go in. The "slightly tipsy set" was priced at 953 yen (excluding tax) and you could choose 3 dishes to go with your beer. I was surprised by the size of the beer - it was quite small! This kind of pricing and size wouldn't fly in a crowded cheap standing bar area! But in the end, I think it's more about the feeling than the price. The food was delicious and the service was good, so I think it's a lively and popular place due to its location. Thank you for the meal!

I visited Mirakutei in the second building B2 for a change, as I have been to many izakayas in the station front building. They had a sign advertising a 288 yen flat rate, which caught my attention. I decided to try their 980 yen set menu, which includes a drink and three side dishes. Unfortunately, this time was a disappointment. The beer glass was small, the dishes were small, and the service was mediocre. There are many other menu items priced above 288 yen. Overall, the food was average and not particularly cheap. In the end, I quickly moved on to another restaurant for the second round.

Seasonal flavor sake dishes, Mirakutei @ Umeda Lunch 2012-03-21 Theme: Lunch ~ Osaka Station Building ~ I felt like eating yakitori. But when it comes to yakitori, I could only imagine the sight of holding skewers, with a glass of beer in the other hand. So I had to settle for a hearty bowl instead. Although there were quite a few older gentlemen, surprisingly there were also many women dining here. I was torn between the "Chicken Bowl," "Chicken and Egg Rice Bowl," and "Large Chicken and Egg Rice Bowl"... it was a tough decision. I was leaning towards the rice bowl with the onsen tamago, and after much contemplation, I ended up choosing the Chicken Bowl for ¥550. The chicken, expertly grilled over a strong direct flame, was placed on top. The smoke from the grill was quite intense, and the flames rose high, but the chicken was perfectly cooked, with a delicious charred aroma. The bowl contained a good balance of chicken breast and thigh meat. The "pickles" served on the side were actually pickled red ginger (laughs). The miso soup was a bit on the light side in terms of flavor, but considering the price, it was acceptable. This restaurant is certified as a Gold establishment by SUNTORY, known for their expertise in serving draft beer. I'll have to come back for dinner next time, to enjoy some delicious grilled dishes with a cold beer in hand. Mirakutei 1-2-2 Umeda, Kita-ku, Osaka City, Osaka Station Building 2nd Basement Floor

【2012.02.13】On this day, E-kun said he was tired of the usual restaurant, so we decided to go to a pub called "Maraku-tei" located in the basement of Osaka Station Building No. 2. Although others have mentioned it, I vaguely remember coming here a long time ago, but I think the name of the restaurant was different back then. We wandered around wondering where to go, and saw a menu sheet in front of the restaurant advertising a 288 yen uniform menu. Intrigued by this, we decided to go in. Both Building No. 1 and Building No. 2 have a lot of standing bars, but the fact that you can sit down and enjoy drinks and food for a uniform price of 288 yen including tax is quite a good deal. A Chinese lady with an accent came over and we ordered a draft beer, also priced at 288 yen. We ordered a first round of fried skewers and a mixed assortment of oden. Looking around the restaurant, it was clear that this place used to be a robatayaki restaurant, but it seems like they took over the space. The menu is limited to keep prices low at 288 yen for both drinks and food. We had two beers and a third drink of whiskey highball before we left. When we paid, it came out to around 4500 yen for the two of us, which was a good price for a post-work drink. The prices were cheap and the food was decent, but the downside was that the two Chinese ladies (later found out they were from Taiwan) and the older lady were too engrossed in their conversation to notice us when we were trying to order.

Today, I wandered around looking for a place to have lunch without bumping into anyone. I ended up finding a place near the second building, close to a discount store, where they offered a "Sauce Cutlet Set Meal" for 500 yen. The restaurant was quite spacious and welcoming for solo female diners, so I decided to go in. However, when I tried to order the "Sauce Cutlet Set Meal," they had already sold out... What a shame! I ended up ordering the "Chicken and Egg Rice Bowl" for 550 yen instead. It had a generous amount of sauce and toppings, and the chicken was delicious. With miso soup included, I felt it was a good deal for 550 yen. After me, another customer tried to order the "Sauce Cutlet Set Meal" but was told it was sold out. They should have put a sold-out sign on the menu... it felt a bit unfair. Afterward, I walked towards Higobashi and passed by the nostalgic Asahi Shimbun building. It reminded me of the days when many customers from there used to visit the cafe "New Austria" where I worked about 10 years ago. It was also a place where many customers from Daiken used to come. I recalled the now-closed "Takashimaya Store" and "Festival Hall." It was a trip down memory lane as I strolled towards Yodoyabashi Station.

I had an early meal at a restaurant in Sannomiya on May 23, 2011, because I had to pass through Umeda for work. I entered the restaurant a little before noon at 11:30. I was the only customer. I had seen it get crowded after 12 o'clock before. The level of crowding around here varies greatly depending on the time. The main dishes at this restaurant seem to be eel, chicken, and kushikatsu, and the prices are reasonable. I ordered the special mixed bowl, which cost 600 yen. Rice is 80 yen, and you can get free refills of miso soup. The portion was quite large, so a regular size was enough for me. Next time, I might go for the even cheaper kushikatsu.

Today I went to Araku-tei. It is an izakaya located in the basement of Osaka Station Building No. 2. I feel like I've been here a long time ago. The place looks the same, but I'm not sure if it's the same shop. The overview of the shop: it has a deep red wall with "Araku-tei" written in white. Menu sheets are displayed outside the shop, mentioning a 288 yen uniform menu. It seems like this is a uniform price shop. I confirmed this by looking at the sign. Both drinks and food are 288 yen tax included. It's similar to a standing bar price. The shop curtain says "Shunmi Sakana Miraku-tei." It's a lively curtain. The wall says "Araku-tei," while the curtain says "Miraku-tei." Which one is the real name? It's interesting. Let's enter the shop. I started with a draft beer for 288 yen as usual. It seems to be Suntory's Malt. Ah, delicious! Now, what should I have as a side dish? The menu consists of all items for 288 yen. The drink menu also has all items for 288 yen. There was also a seasonal menu. I tried the buttered potatoes for 288 yen. I needed to fill my stomach first. The hot, fluffy potatoes were delicious, especially when dipped in butter. I enjoyed it. I also tried the homemade cheese and raw ham for 288 yen. This was really good. Next, I had a highball for 288 yen. So cheap! The drinks here are really affordable. I might end up drinking a lot. I also had the beef tendon yakitori for 288 yen, which is one of my favorites. It's great that they have this dish. I then tried the black pork iron pot gyoza for 288 yen. It came out hot and was delicious. I had it quickly while it was still hot. I then switched to sweet potato shochu for 288 yen. It's great to be able to drink for 288 yen. I also had the spicy sausage for 288 yen. It was really spicy, but I enjoyed it with my beer. Araku-tei is really doing their best with all items for 288 yen. Even if you order 10 items, it won't exceed 3,000 yen. It's amazing. It's a great place for salarymen. Especially the drinks are really cheap. It's a good place for drinking buddies. I found another great shop this time. I'll definitely go back again.

In front of the station building, the cherry tree was blooming beautifully. Unfortunately, all the photos taken that day turned out completely white because the exposure on the digital camera was set to +2. I wandered around the underground of the station building, and decided to try "Ajirakutei" which was already open. I was intrigued by the steak bowl on the menu. I love meat, so I often find myself stopping at such items. In the end, I ordered the "Sashimi set meal" which came with sashimi, simmered meat and potatoes, chawanmushi, pickles, and miso soup for 830 yen. The sashimi included squid, tuna, scallops, and three slices of sea bream. The freshness was decent, but the rice was a bit hard, and I ended up with leftovers. The pickles were... The "Gochisou Don" for 580 yen had rice topped with lettuce, ginger pork, skewered pork cutlet, grilled squid, and came with tofu and miso soup. The rice was about two bowls worth, and it was quite filling. Afterwards, I visited "Tokubei Shrine" on the 3rd floor of the 2nd building in front of the station. There was a stone monument stating that the station building was built in 1976. It's a bit younger than me, but it's already showing signs of aging. There were proper facilities for omikuji and hand washing. The overall rating for the restaurant was 2.5. Ajirakutei, Umeda, Kita-ku, Osaka City, 1-2-2, Station Front Building B2

This restaurant closed in 2014! The competition intensified around the Second Building with the arrival of Gyoza no Ohsho and Saizeriya. On a Saturday for lunch, I went to "Ajirakutei" on the 2nd floor of Osaka Station Front Building 2, near the fountain. This place offers affordable set meals during the day and turns into an izakaya at night. I had been wanting to try their Sauce Katsu set meal, which looked delicious when I saw other customers eating it on a weekday lunch visit. Finally, on this Saturday visit, I was able to enjoy it for 500 yen. The Sauce Katsu, which is popular for its generous portion and low price, is very delicious. The thick slices of pork loin, breaded finely, are fried crispy without being greasy, and two pieces are served, making it quite filling. It resembles the cutlets from old butcher shops in the 1970s. Although I forgot to take a photo, I'll share a picture of their popular assorted skewers (680 yen) instead. It includes shrimp, pork fillet, green pepper, and other daily selections, all of which are also very tasty.

[Revisit] This is my third visit. [Location] It is located on the 2nd basement floor of Osaka Station Front Building No.2. [Customer Traffic] I entered around 1 pm on a weekday. There was one customer before me. It gets less crowded after lunchtime. [Customer Base] Mostly in their 40s, salarymen. [Ambiance] There are counter seats and table seats. It's a small and somewhat old-fashioned izakaya. [Order] Steak bowl (comes with miso soup)…750 yen [Taste] - Steak bowl: The meat is tender and well-seasoned. It's delicious considering the price. Osaka never disappoints when it comes to delicious food. - Miso soup: Delicious. The broth is well-balanced. [Service] Casual and friendly service from the Osaka obachan (middle-aged woman).

I decided to have lunch at the second building and found this restaurant right after getting off the escalator. The restaurant has table seating and counter seating. The steak bowl costs 760 yen. It comes with about 5-6 slices of steak on top of rice with a soft-boiled egg and shredded cabbage on one side. It also comes with a side dish, miso soup, and pickles. The portion of the steak bowl was just right, not too much. The taste was decent, so I think it's a good deal to have a steak bowl for 760 yen.

An izakaya located in Osaka Station Building No. 2. I used it for the second party of a drinking party with friends. It's just a normal izakaya, very cozy. In a relaxed atmosphere, we ordered normal things, drank and ate without hesitation, and had a great time chatting. Of course, there are also plenty of creative Japanese dishes, which I'm sure are delicious as well.