During my business trip to Osaka, I stumbled upon a kushikatsu restaurant near my regular hotel, T Hotel. I didn't realize it was a chain restaurant until now. The freshly fried kushikatsu was delicious. I prefer a thicker coating on my kushikatsu as it goes well with the sauce. However, I was disappointed that the sauce was not served for dipping, but rather poured over the skewers. The sauce itself was honestly not very tasty - neither too strong nor too bland. I ordered a variety of kushikatsu skewers including red pickled ginger, wagyu beef, large prawn, garlic, quail egg, simmered egg, shiso-wrapped sushi, and ham cutlet. I also had a draft beer (Premium Malts) for 500 yen, followed by two highball whiskies - one with Hakushu and the other with Yamazaki, each for 480 yen. The kushikatsu was delicious, especially the red pickled ginger and soft-boiled egg. The service was a bit slow as there was only one staff member initially, but it improved once another person joined. The only downside was the sauce, which really needs improvement. It's a shame because everything else was great.

This is a restaurant serving kushikatsu, located near the subway station of Nakatsu and within walking distance from Hankyu Nakatsu. It seems to be managed by a major restaurant chain. The kushikatsu portions are large, but the batter is thick so it lacks the crispy texture. The batter being thick means you can't eat as many pieces even after draining the oil. Unlike the typical way of dipping kushikatsu in a silver bowl of sauce, here you pour sauce into a small dish and dip the kushikatsu. It felt a bit lonely compared to the usual image of kushikatsu. The sauce could have had a deeper sweetness or fruity flavor. I tried some interesting kushikatsu like natto and pickled radish, which turned out surprisingly good. I forgot to try their signature item, "dote-yaki," but I hope to have the chance to do so in the future.

Kushiman (Nakatsu, Kita-ku, Osaka City) Today, I had lunch in Chayamachi, so I decided to head towards Nakatsu on the subway, where I haven't been able to go recently. However, since my walking ability hasn't fully recovered yet, I found a place called "Kushiman" just about 100 meters away. The deciding factor was that they had karaage (fried chicken) on the menu. The bright interior had counter seats in the front and table seats in the back. Since there were no other customers, we were seated at a table in the back. You can feel comfortable talking openly here, even about things you might hesitate to discuss in public. We both ordered the karaage set and waited a while. Interestingly, at this restaurant, you pay upfront before the food is served. The rice portion can be upgraded to extra-large, but we opted for the regular size. The karaage was, as expected from a kushikatsu (deep-fried skewers) restaurant, freshly fried. It was a leisurely lunch break. (2013.11.14)

I went to the Kushikatsu restaurant "Kushi Man" in Nakatsu. Kushikatsu and beer go hand in hand, so I ordered "The Premium Malt's" (460 yen). It was delicious! The glass was frozen, which added to the experience. While waiting for the first kushikatsu to be fried, I dipped cabbage in sauce and enjoyed it. The first skewer I had was "kisu" (150 yen) and it was piping hot and tasty. A whole fish on a stick, it was very satisfying. Next, I tried the "ebi" (220 yen) which was large, firm, and succulent. Despite being on the pricier side, it was worth it. I also had "gyu katsu" (100 yen), "asparagus" (120 yen), "quail egg" (100 yen), and "duck" (130 yen), all of which were delicious and reasonably priced. I ordered a "Highball" (300 yen) which was very affordable and tasty. The "shishamo" (130 yen) was also large and tasty. The "hotate kaiware" (150 yen) lacked freshness, but was still good. I enjoyed the "red wiener" (120 yen), "camembert cheese" (180 yen), and "sasami shiso roll" (150 yen) as well. The camembert cheese was especially creamy and delicious. I also had a "mugi shochu water" (300 yen) which was cheap and good. I almost forgot to order it, but I couldn't resist trying the "shima pork loin" (150 yen), which was also delicious. Lastly, I had the "ochazuke nori" (300 yen) to finish off the meal, even though I was already full. The restaurant is part of the Marche Group. Mickey's Column: http://blogs.dion.ne.jp/mwc/

I discovered a restaurant where you can eat 37 different types of deep-fried skewers. The restaurant, located in front of Bistro de Yoshimoto, is in a quiet and beautiful place. I aimed to conquer all 37 types, but the skewers were large and very filling. You pour the sauce on the skewers yourself. I tried various skewers, and the large shrimp was delicious with a nice texture. The sausage was also flavorful and filling. I was surprised by the deep-fried natto skewer. When I tried it, I was amazed to find that the natto was inside the batter. I asked how they fried the sticky natto, and they said they freeze it before frying. It's a great idea and it was delicious. I ended up eating a total of 17 skewers and I definitely want to go back for more hearty eating.

For the second visit, Osaka people really love kushikatsu. Personally, I love renkon the most among all kushikatsu, no matter what others say. Renkon is a must-have. Even if I'm feeling a bit full by the second place, I always order renkon. I leave it to my friend to order shishamo and a side dish called seseri ponzu. We just eat these with beer. The total cost for two people is around 5,000 yen. The place is quite spacious inside, so next time let's go to the first place.

I recently realized that I hadn't tried kushikatsu since coming to Osaka, so I decided to visit Kushiman near my hotel. I started with a cold glass of premium malt beer and some chilled tomatoes, then ordered a set of 5 kushikatsu skewers (beef, thick-cut bacon, shishamo, cheese-filled bamboo ring, lotus root). I also added some additional items like shumai kushikatsu, quail egg, potato, and chicken tenderloin. The thick-cut bacon was particularly impressive with its generous portion. It was nice to see shumai kushikatsu on the menu as well. I was also happy to find tomato sour as a drink option, and ended up ordering multiple refills during my meal.