During a business trip to Osaka that ended up turning into an overnight stay due to work not finishing on time, I found myself in the famous drinking district near Osaka Station Building No. 4. Although I had a specific restaurant in mind, I ended up wandering into Ittoku-san before reaching my original destination. This area is definitely a food lover's paradise. I sat at the counter, devoured three servings of kushikatsu and highballs, and then set off to find the next restaurant.

As we were finishing our trip to Osaka, we stopped by for lunch only. We couldn't miss the delicious kushikatsu at this restaurant, which was not crowded and we were seated right away. The kushikatsu was crispy and tasty, freshly fried, and paired perfectly with a highball. We also enjoyed the delicious tonpeiyaki!

On September 28th, the writer escaped the heavy atmosphere at Horyu-ji Temple and hurried back to Osaka by direct train. To break free from this heaviness, they stumbled upon a restaurant in the station building. Although they had seen this restaurant many times before, they had always avoided it because it seemed more like an outside (off the beaten path) location. However, with their wife's strong encouragement, they decided to give it a try. The writer's frugality won out, as the menu consisted mostly of items priced at 99 yen, with drinks (excluding some like wine) priced at 199 yen. The writer ordered a highball, while their wife, going against the happy hour deal, ordered a 500 yen glass of red wine. Despite the option of a 99 yen "cheese roll," the wife opted for the more expensive 280 yen "cheese and shiso roll" because she wanted a shiso leaf. The writer humorously reflects on the quirks of their wife's ordering habits, but ultimately accepts the affordable prices of the restaurant. They end the review with a lighthearted reflection on their struggles as a frugal husband and express gratitude for the meal.

On Thursday night, we sat at the counter. The restaurant was about half full with customers. My friend from Tokyo wanted to try something Osaka-style, so we came here. This place is part of a chain with multiple locations around Osaka Station. The counter seats face a wide aisle (outside the restaurant), so it might not be the most relaxing place to enjoy a meal. We ordered a set of kushikatsu, which came out quickly. The batter was light and crispy, and the Worcestershire-like sauce for dipping was satisfying. The doteyaki was sweet with a lot of broth and few ingredients, but my friend, who was trying it for the first time, really enjoyed it. Overall, the food was mostly as expected, but the layout and comfort of the counter seats weren't great, so I might try a different location next time.

While on a business trip in Osaka, I visited "Kushikatsu Ittoku" in Umeda, Osaka. I was amazed to see that every building from the first to the fourth had this restaurant. It was packed with local customers, which made me think that it must be truly loved by the locals. The taste was even better than a famous kushikatsu restaurant in Osaka that I know. They had a wide variety of options and plenty of side dishes. The beautiful waitresses provided excellent service, making it a wonderful dining experience. I definitely want to visit again when I go back to Osaka!

Exploring the station building with a friend, hopping from one bar to another. It was a weekday afternoon, past lunchtime, and the station building was surprisingly quiet. We found a restaurant on the second basement floor of Osaka Station Front Building No. 4, tucked away in a corner. There was a sign on a pillar advertising a "Weekday Limited One Coin Set" with four 10 yen coins. It included 5 skewers and a drink. We decided to check it out. The restaurant was next to "Himono Yaro" and was quietly operating. There were no walls, thresholds, or vinyl curtains, making it easy to enter. We ordered the One Coin Set and a beer. Soon, a small portion of cabbage arrived. It seemed a bit lonely for two people. After a short wait, the skewers arrived. The beer came later, as if they had forgotten. We enjoyed the skewers - shiitake mushrooms, squid, quail eggs, sausages, and white fish - lightly breaded and fried. The Worcestershire sauce was unremarkable. We toasted multiple times with our beers. Despite wanting to order more drinks, the staff seemed too busy to notice. We settled the bill and left. Thank you for the meal.

They apologized for the delay due to the crowds, but thankfully the service was not actually slow.

The sauce was delicious!

Drinking at Lucua and then heading to Osaka Station Building to buy the Valentine Jumbo. Went straight to the basement of the 4th building. Decided to go for some light drinking with kushikatsu, so we searched and found a kushikatsu place in a hard-to-find location. Only two customers there. Feeling a bit uneasy, but decided to trust the sign of Shinsekai. My wife ordered a lime sour, even though she's weak with alcohol, she found it too sweet and light in taste. The glass was small too, so it was a bit underwhelming. Didn't want to bother choosing, so we went for the daily special of 10 skewers for 1400 yen. It included beef, chicken breast, ham, mochi, sardine, shrimp, octopus, pumpkin, lotus root, and eggplant. The frying, taste, and sauce were good, but overall just average. Thought the set was cheap, but we only saved 30 yen, so not a big difference. The atmosphere was lacking a bit. Could hear the staff chatting behind the counter, maybe they're paid low wages, but they should make sure customers don't hear. Customer service is also an important part of service. Just serving good food is not enough, right?

The usual set of 5 skewers (onion, ham, squid, pork, shrimp) comes with today's special, which is eggplant. It lacks a bit of impact (I was hoping for a more luxurious ingredient). It comes with a side of vegetable salad, miso soup, and pickles. The price is average, so the taste is also average. The Worcestershire sauce tasted like a store-bought sauce. Being in Osaka Station front building, known for its fierce competition of kushikatsu, I was hoping for some unique features.

Located on the basement second floor of Osaka Station Front 4 Building, right next to the famous Himono Yarou-san. The interior is quite chilly as it is open to the street, but the prices are cheap. For lunch, you can get 5 skewers (A, B) with rice, miso soup, and salad for 600 yen. You can choose between type A and type B for the skewers. If you order both A and B, you get 10 skewers for 1000 yen, which is also a great deal. They also offer a skewer-only set for those who want to enjoy some drinks. The taste is good for the price. The only thing missing is pickles to make it perfect. Of course, there is a sign prohibiting double dipping in the sauce.

This might be my third time trying kushikatsu in my life. I don't know the average taste, so this is purely my personal impression... The batter is sweet, like pancakes. The sauce is, well, it's there. They have a set of 10 pieces, and I ordered the set with a cup of oolong tea. Initially, it's sweet. Is this how it's supposed to be? That was my impression. Shinsekai Kushikatsu Itto Osaka Station Front Building 4th Store 06-6348-9499 1-11-4 Umeda, Kita-ku, Osaka City, Osaka Station Front Building B2F No. 70.

This day was a chance for solo drinking in Umeda! I hurriedly headed towards the 4th building. Um, as for unexplored standing bars around here... It's hard to come up with one all of a sudden. Tokuda Shoten is still preparing for the night. Ah, that's right, I remembered there was a kushikatsu place next to Hanamono Yarou. So I went to check it out. This place is located on the B2 floor of Umeda 4th Building. It's on the Midosuji side, outside the stairs/escalator coming down from the outside. It's right next to Hanamono Yarou. The exterior is white, so you might mistake it for Kushikatsu Tanaka. It seems to be a chain store as well. The shop is quite open, so you can see everything inside. On the left side, there's a slightly hidden large table for about 8 people, a counter seat in the middle, and two tables for 4 people on the right side. Of course, smoking is allowed at all tables at all times. But for some reason, there were families with children at the table seats, which was a bit strange. There are two main menu items here. The first one is from opening until 6:00 pm: draft beer, sour, shochu (Iichiko/Black Kirishima), soft drinks, all for 180 yen per glass (excluding tax). The second one is a weekday limited set: one drink + 5 kushikatsu pieces (beef, pork, smelt, pumpkin, lotus root) for 500 yen. Since I wanted to go light on my first visit to this place, I was grateful for the one-coin set, but unfortunately, it's limited to weekdays. So I switched my target to the 180 yen draft beer and decided to go for individual kushikatsu pieces. It would have been perfect if there was a set of about 5 pieces, but it's only available on weekdays. If I were to go for a set of 10 pieces, it would be too much for one meal. - Kushikatsu (beef): 120 yen - The meat inside the coating was very tough and block-like. - Kushikatsu (wiener sausage): 120 yen - The wiener sausage itself was very bland... - Kushikatsu (shrimp): 220 yen - The shrimp was tough and had a good texture, but the flavor was weak... Come to think of it, they don't serve cabbage here... Hmm, besides the price of the draft beer, I couldn't find any other selling points. Visit date: October 23, 2016

In the New World, there is a kushikatsu restaurant that I have never been to before. When I went to the one in Honmachi, it felt like an izakaya with takoyaki. The new store in the 4th building has both tables and a counter, so you can enjoy a leisurely drink or stand and drink. The thin coating with fine bread crumbs makes it easy to eat and light. With this, I feel like I could eat as many beef kushikatsu skewers as I want. There are also plenty of other seafood and vegetable options, making it hard to decide. The red pickled ginger kushikatsu is a bit pricey at 180 yen, but the portion is generous, and it's nice to have the Osaka flavor of red pickled ginger. The sauce is sweet with a refreshing aftertaste, not too heavy. Of course, double-dipping in the sauce is not allowed.

There was a new kushikatsu (deep-fried skewers) restaurant. Lately, there are many kushikatsu restaurants in the building in front of the station. This restaurant is located next to Himono Yarou Umeda 4th Building Main Store in the basement of the 4th building. The lunch set with 5 kushikatsu skewers starts from 600 yen, and they also offer yakisoba within the price range of 1000 yen. It comes with cabbage and miso soup. The portion size is average. The rice portion is small, so men might need to get a refill. The kushikatsu is crispy and delicious. The sauce is on the sweeter side, so it might be a matter of preference. Even though they have a lunch menu, many people were drinking beer from noon, so it seems you can enjoy alcohol from lunchtime.

I used to eat delicious fried skewers before, so I found a branch of this restaurant and visited it immediately. The location is in Umeda's Fourth Building, and the restaurant has a very open and welcoming atmosphere. I ordered some random skewers. The sauce here is slightly sweet and sour, which is to my liking. I enjoyed the hot skewers along with two lime sours, and in the end, the total price was 1710 yen, which was quite reasonable. I was able to go home satisfied. It was a delightful experience.