I took a day off on August 10, 2023, and decided to travel to Osaka. After visiting the Osaka University Museum of Academic Endeavors, I went to the cafeteria in this library around 2 p.m. Despite it being a weekday and during the summer vacation period, there were quite a few customers. There were groups and pairs, but also many solo customers. Even non-members of the cooperative can have a meal. I ordered fish cutlet (I think that's what it was called), miso soup, and a medium-sized rice. I received the receipt but lost it. I informed the cashier that I was not a cooperative member, and the total came to the 500 yen range. The miso soup was clear and quite delicious. The fish cutlet was decent. I was satisfied with the value for the price. In terms of service, there was a handwashing area and self-service water. Additionally, I visited the Osaka University Museum of Academic Endeavors, which reflects on the history of the university. I saw both young students from Osaka University and over 10 members of the public (mostly affiliated individuals, I assume). The museum showcases the achievements of Dr. Hideki Yukawa (who conducted research at Osaka University and received a Nobel Prize) and Dr. Kenzo Shirai (who developed the electronic computer), among others. I found the discussion on insects living on Mount Waitakeyama interesting. The entrance fee was free, but I donated 1000 yen. Lastly, I purchased "Wuthering Heights (Part 1)" by Emily Bronte from the cooperative.

This is a review from a restaurant called "Anjo no Yakata". During the Kyushu-Okinawa Fair, I ordered a limited edition menu item because I am weak against limited time offers. I couldn't tell the difference between this fried chicken and regular fried chicken, but it was fried to perfection and the quality for the price was amazing. I would love to try it again during the limited time offer.

Renowned violinist Kopachinskaya gave a lecture at Osaka University, where she also performed a bit on the violin. Her interpretation of Beethoven was truly eye-opening. The event was hosted by Shinko Ito, with translation by Anita Drexler. The venue was reminiscent of university dining halls, with a nostalgic atmosphere. The menu included dishes like roast pork cutlet with sesame sauce, mapo eggplant, deep-fried duck, spinach, and pork kimchi salad. It was a delightful meal.

I had a business trip to Osaka University, so I decided to use the cafeteria while I was there. I wasn't very hungry, so I ordered a Japanese-style pork cutlet bowl and cold tofu. It was decently tasty. I'm not sure when I'll be back again, but if the opportunity arises, I'll visit again. Hopefully, by then, the coronavirus will be gone. (Side note: The student cafeteria had a nostalgic feel, but it's different now with cashless payments being common. I'm not a co-op member, so I couldn't use cashless options. I ended up using cash for the first time in a while.)

I entered Osaka University for the first time and it's so spacious. I had a light lunch at the cafeteria below the library. - Juicy fried chicken @352 - Small rice @94 - Miso soup @33 - Fruit yogurt @110 Total: 618 yen. I thought the cafeteria food used to be cheaper back in my day. Nevertheless, the food was freshly made, reasonably priced, and delicious. If you live around here, you might end up coming here on days when you don't feel like cooking. Non-members of the Osaka University Co-op will have a 5% surcharge. Thank you for the meal!

When I visited before, the menu was limited, but today there were so many choices that I had a hard time deciding. I ended up choosing the hamburger with corn sauce. It came with rice, miso soup, and cabbage, which is a common combination for hamburgers. The hamburger was topped with plenty of white corn sauce. I also picked cold tofu and spinach ohitashi from the side dish section, all for 548 yen. It was a well-balanced and delicious lunch that was also very affordable.

Today, I couldn't find the yuzu soy sauce for the fried chicken that I received last time, so I bought a Japanese-style pork cutlet bowl, miso soup, and spinach with sesame dressing for a total of 531 yen. There were many high school students enjoying the school cafeteria today. The pork cutlet was tender and delicious. School cafeteria food is not something to be dismissed. It was delicious. Thank you for the meal.

I have eaten here quite a bit in the past, but I am definitely not a graduate! It has been over 10 years since I last visited the university library cafeteria. The menu is limited during the break, but there are still many students studying here besides those in clubs. I had fried chicken with yuzu sauce, rice, and miso soup for 432 yen. As I have always thought, the prices are indeed cheap. The vegetables were only cabbage and onions, but the fried chicken was simply delicious. I used to think that whatever I ate here tasted like a typical cafeteria meal, but my opinion has changed. I am surprised by the improvement in quality, while the prices remain low. Truly Osaka University. Next time I go to Kyoto University for work, I will skip the Kyoto ramen and go straight to the cafeteria. Thank you for the meal.

I visited Osaka University Toyonaka Campus! I tried the popular dish among students at Osaka University, the famous "Tianjin Mapo Don". I was surprised by the portion size, it was even bigger than I imagined. It only costs 450 yen, which is incredibly cheap. The fluffy egg with the creamy sauce was delicious. Thank you for the meal!

I had breakfast at Osaka University (as of April 2019). I went to the library cafeteria, which opens early. It is run by the co-op, and I had rice for 72 yen, beef croquette for 108 yen, and nanohana with wasabi for 86 yen. The taste was neither good nor bad.

I had a business trip to Osaka University and visited my alma mater and research lab for the first time in 4 years. The professor invited me to lunch, and we went to the library cafeteria, known as "Kanshita." I reminisced about my foolish self from my university days, skipping classes early to hang out with friends and play DS. I decided to challenge the Osaka University student's soul food, Tenshin Mapo Don, known as "Tenma." Back then, I could easily finish it, but now I struggled to finish it while gasping for air... I was young back then, haha. Looking at the receipt, I was shocked to see that it easily exceeded 1000 calories. I couldn't believe I used to eat such high-calorie meals every day. I made some good memories at the nostalgic school and cafeteria. When I return to Osaka University, I want to challenge the Tenma at Kanshita cafeteria again!

With a limited menu, I purchased a meal consisting of simmered flounder that can be eaten with bones, boiled spinach, cold tofu with sakura shrimp, miso soup, and a medium-sized portion of rice for a total of 501 yen. While the portion size was on the smaller side, the meal was delicious.

Please bring back the Tianjin curry for lunch ASAP. I want to eat it again before I graduate.

The specialty dish at Kaneshita Shokudo is the Tianjin-style Mapo Don. The green onions on top are especially delicious.

The cafeteria food is delicious.

End-of-year tests for Osaka University students are over and winter break has begun, so I went to have lunch at the cafeteria on the Osaka University Toyonaka Campus during the quieter period. During times when there are fewer students on campus due to long breaks, some cafeterias may be closed. However, the Library Lower Cafeteria is usually open even when other cafeterias are closed. You can check the operating days and hours of each cafeteria on the Osaka University Co-op website. The Library Lower Cafeteria also operates during dinner time. To get to the Library Lower Cafeteria (Kanshita), the nearest stations are Ishibashi Station on the Hankyu Takarazuka Line and Shibahara Station on the Osaka Monorail. It is a shorter and less hilly walk from Shibahara Station, but many find the access more convenient from the Hankyu side. It takes about a 10-minute walk from Shibahara Station and about 15 minutes from Ishibashi Station. The Library Lower Cafeteria, known as "Kanshita," is located below the library, hence the name. It is a slightly tricky place to find, with stairs or a ramp leading to the entrance. Kanshita is one of the busiest cafeterias on the Toyonaka Campus, as it is close to the building where general education classes are held, attracting many first and second-year students during regular class days. On Saturdays or during breaks when classes are not held, it tends to be less crowded, but there are still students from clubs or those conducting research or experiments in nearby Faculty of Engineering or Faculty of Science buildings. To order at Kanshita, you can find the menu posted on the wall. Depending on what you want to eat, you line up at the corresponding counter from 1 to 6 and place your order with the staff at the kitchen counter. The location for ordering varies depending on the dish (e.g., rice bowls, curry, set meals), so make sure to check the signs carefully. After placing your order, you can pick up salads, side dishes, desserts, etc., and put them on a tray. Once you have everything you want to eat on the tray, you line up at the cash register. I went with the intention of eating the famous "Tianjin Mapo Don" (commonly known as "Tenma"), but I ended up changing to the smaller Tianjin Chinese Don at the last minute due to concerns about the portion size. So this time, I had the Tianjin Chinese Don in a small size (310 yen for co-op members, 325 yen for visitors). It is topped with a vegetable-filled sauce similar to Hachimitsu. The fluffy egg and vegetables are a delight to eat. While Osaka University's Toyonaka Campus cafeterias are known for Tenma born at Kanshita, the Tianjin Chinese Don is also a unique menu that you won't find elsewhere, and I personally consider it a specialty. The small size was just right, and I thought I could have eaten Tenma. Kanshita offers weekly rotating small-sized rice bowl dishes. Of course, there are weeks when the small-sized Tianjin Mapo Don is available as well. After finishing your meal, return the dishes to the designated area. Dispose of trash in the trash cans and put chopsticks or spoons in the designated place. There are standing counters near the entrance and exit for quick meals. During regular lunch breaks, these counters are also usually full, but they are not used at all during the current period without classes. In summary, Kanshita is a cafeteria that gets quite crowded during class days. To avoid taking away meal spots from students, I recommend adjusting your timing significantly or visiting on Saturdays or during long breaks when classes are not held. I will definitely come back! HIBINOTAWAGOTO↑ I would be happy if you also visited my blog!

The library cafeteria, known as "Kanshita," is the largest cafeteria at Osaka University's Toyonaka Campus. A must-try dish here is the "Tianjin Mapo Don," also known as "Tenma." It consists of fluffy egg, sauce, and mapo tofu over rice, topped with green onions. Its simple yet alluring taste has attracted people from Kyoto University just to come and try it. The price is 460 yen. Other menu items include Tianjin Chinese, Tianjin Curry, Tianjin Rice, and Mapo Don. Tianjin Mapo, Tianjin Chinese, and Tianjin Curry offer reasonably sized S-size portions that change weekly. In addition to rice, side dishes, curry, bowl dishes, ramen, and udon are also available. The bowl dishes and ramen have weekly rotating menus, so trying those out could be a good idea. They also serve cold noodles in the summer.

On this day, I casually had... a mapo tofu rice bowl. The place is known as "Kanshita" because it is located underneath the library at Osaka University. It seems to be a specialty of Osaka University, with a thick layer of egg on top of the rice, topped with dashi and mapo tofu. This cafeteria offers various side dishes, but this is the one that I sometimes crave for (≧▽≦). The mapo tofu rice bowl here is filled with fluffy scrambled eggs and has a unique mapo flavor. It's not like the mapo tofu you get from instant packages. The staff cooks the eggs fresh for each order, using about two eggs per serving. They place the eggs on top of white rice, pour a mapo tofu-like sauce over it, and then top it off with a broth-like liquid. The taste is mild and mysterious, but incredibly delicious. It costs 450 yen, a bit on the pricier side for a university cafeteria. I recommend getting the large portion because it's quite filling. It's open to the public, so if you ever find yourself nearby, give it a try. It's really tasty and unique (^0^).

One of the school cafeterias at Osaka University Toyonaka Campus, commonly known as "Kankashita." It is quite popular among students. It was renovated at the beginning of 2009 and the menu has changed significantly. Among the various menu items, the "Tianjin Mapo Don" (a dish of Tianjin rice topped with Mapo tofu, priced at 450 yen for a regular size, abbreviated as "Tenma") is particularly popular. If you go around noon, you can see a long line of people waiting for the distribution of Tianjin Mapo Don. By the way, the taste and amount of tofu can vary depending on who makes it. It's delicious when made by the older lady.