I happened to pass by at lunchtime and since there was an empty seat, I decided to drop by. Just when I thought it was empty, more and more customers started coming in. I ordered the chicken cutlet set meal. Of course, the sauce was demi-glace. The demi-glace sauce was a bit thin, giving it a commercial feel. But it was nice to have plenty of sauce on it. The taste was well, just ordinary I guess? Rice and miso soup are free refills.

Visited Komichi, a daytime drinking spot at Ekimaru in JR Osaka Station, with my boss and junior colleague to kick off the Bon holiday tomorrow. Ekimaru is located within the station premises and although prices are a bit high, Komichi is quite reasonable. We ordered a platter of assorted kushikatsu, sashimi, oden, yakisoba, horumon-yaki, fried potatoes, and had about 5 drinks each. I'm not sure about the prices as my boss covered the bill, but I think it's a cheap and convenient izakaya.

Night visit on a regular day. Despite being alone among many groups, I didn't feel out of place. I prefer my beer to be colder though. The staff was lively, and I was comforted by the cute waitress's service. The timing of bringing the bill and offering a nice cold water after ordering was perfect. The kind explanation of the curry udon by the waitress was also appreciated. Thank you!笑

This is a review of a restaurant located in Ekimaru Osaka, directly connected to JR Osaka Station (the entrance to the restaurant may be a bit tricky to find). This was my first visit since it moved to this location. I visited for a solo lunch on a weekday afternoon. I was seated at the counter by the staff and ordered the Chicken Katsu Nanban set meal for 820 yen (including tax). The dish was served in about 7 minutes. The portion size for this price was good. This restaurant has always offered good value for money, and I was satisfied once again this time. The food was very delicious. Thank you for the meal.

In the year 5 of the Reiwa era, on March 19th (Sunday), even though civilization has evolved and the travel time between Tokyo and Osaka on the Shinkansen has been reduced from 4 hours and 10 minutes to 2 hours and 30 minutes, as you get older, it can still be boring and tiring! I got my favorite warabimochi in Shin-Osaka, but I decided to head to Osaka Station because I wanted to enjoy some alcohol for a while. When I got off at Sakurabashi Exit, there are only a few shops to choose from! Eventually, I ended up at my familiar spot. Although I can already hear the voices of my regular reviewers saying, "How many times are you going to review the same place?", there are only a few places where I can find solace when I'm tired, so please bear with me for a while. Our order was the "Maru-toku set" x 2 (980 yen each, including tax), a Hoppy set (480 yen), a glass of Hoppy (170 yen), rapeseed tempura (350 yen), and assorted pickles (390 yen). I still can't quite tell the difference, but there are two sets here that match well with bar hopping. Both are cheap, but what we ordered was the slightly cheaper "Maru-toku set (980 yen)" instead of the "Drunkard's set (1,200 yen)"! It comes with two drinks and a choice of kushikatsu or oden. It's just the right amount for a casual drink (or bar hopping). We also added rapeseed tempura and assorted pickles. It was 5:00 PM, and inside the restaurant, there were young men in semi-formal attire or suits carrying their luggage. Why? Well, because right in front of the shop is the pick-up/drop-off point for a luxury hotel's shuttle bus, especially on weekends when young people coming back from weddings continue to savor the moment. There are many customers like that. Despite being a casual izakaya in Umeda, it's a great place with few drinkers like me, a drinking old man from Naniwa. Thank you for the satisfying last drink today. Thank you for the feast.

I got off at Shin-Osaka and headed home via Umeda. Feeling tired, I took a quick break at my familiar spot, Komichi. I arrived around 5 pm and the place was bustling with groups of young men in formal wear and families. We sat at a table in the middle of the restaurant and ordered the following: Maru Toki Set @980 (3 skewers & drink), Maru Toki Set @980 (oden platter & drink), Hoppy Set @480, Hoppy (medium) @170, Nanohana tempura @350, Pickles platter @390(?). It was a relaxing time as always. Thank you for the meal.

I visited around 2 pm on a regular weekday. I ordered the Selfish Mix Fry Set for 850 yen. I was glad that they were still serving lunch at this time. The portion was larger than I expected, and I was surprised to leave some rice uneaten. There were no other customers at this time, so it was not crowded. The cost performance is good, so I would like to visit again.

I decided to have lunch early to avoid becoming a lunch refugee, so I had lunch at a restaurant located in the dining area attached to Osaka Station. The large pieces of fried chicken were surprising in size. I enjoyed it with some salt for a bit of flavor variation.

I went to eat oden at the Ekimaru shopping mall! After having an early dinner of yakitori, I started feeling hungry again after 9 PM. I found an oden restaurant in the mall and ordered daikon for 180 yen, thick fried tofu for 170 yen, and konjac for 160 yen. The broth was so flavorful and the ingredients were delicious. Then I realized I hadn't tried kushikatsu yet since coming to Osaka, so I ordered rice cake for 160 yen, shiitake mushroom for 160 yen, and cheese for 160 yen. It was quite filling. Oh no, I strayed from my healthy eating plan! I decided to have a cold oolong tea for my drink. The prices were wallet-friendly and the location was convenient. It was a great find! If you have time, please check out Princess Cinderella's blog, Instagram, and YouTube channel as well.

It has been almost three years since I moved here on December 10th, 4th year of Reiwa (Saturday). The bustling Umeshin-Sanjo street has disappeared, but there used to be a popular bar near the entrance where people would gather for a drink from mid-morning. Now, it is located under the JR elevated tracks behind the Umeda Ekimaru building, and the male and female staff remain mostly the same, still offering a place for daytime drinking. Today, feeling a bit tired on my way back from Hikone, and being picky eaters, we decided to visit the familiar "Daytime Drinking Bar Komichi" here. The familiarity with the staff, the food they serve, and the drinks they offer really brings a sense of comfort. It's the key to being able to relax and enjoy a drink, isn't it? Our order included: - Assorted sashimi plate (690 yen, tax included) - Assorted oden (690 yen) - Homemade potato salad (300 yen) - Ham cutlet skewers (180 yen x 2) - Stingray fin (430 yen) - Assorted pickles (480 yen) - White wine (390 yen) - Red wine (390 yen) - Hoppy set (480 yen) - Medium hoppy (170 yen) - Sweet potato shochu (390 yen) - Local sake (Spring Deer) (500 yen) We started with white hoppy paired with oden and potato salad, but the stingray fin and assorted pickles really went well with shochu and sake. I have been on a low-carb diet for the past three years, but I am thinking of lifting the restrictions with the condition that my weight stays around 65 kgs. How am I feeling now? Well, I feel like singing out loud, "I can drink, I can drink, I can drink alcohol all over Japan!" Today's meal was delicious as well.

I visited a shop that I had been wanting to visit at the station market, so I stopped by Umeda. It was around 3 pm on the weekend, and there was only one customer. I ordered a set of two beers and one dish for 1,200 yen. It's nice to have two beers - this is my favorite set pattern. I chose the assorted oden for the dish. The ingredients were large and the broth was strong. It was well simmered and went well with the beer. I was already full by the third place, so I only ordered the set, but the food felt authentic, so I would like to visit again to try more dishes.

The meeting in the afternoon ended successfully and adjourned. Now, I have a few hours before leaving Osaka. I plan to meet up with a friend from my student days and have a light drink if possible, so a quick drink would be nice. There is a place called Ekimaru, which opened in July, similar to Eki-cute in the Kanto region but with a higher-grade feel. Among them, there is an izakaya area that tickles the drinking spirit, and I entered here, "Hiruzakaba Komichi." Even though it's already night. - Lemon Highball - Assorted Oden (3 types) - Skewered deep-fried items: - Wiener sausage - Pickled ginger - Quail egg - Pork cutlet Yay~! Solo drinking in Osaka♪ My throat is dry, so the Lemon Highball tastes even better!! The oden has daikon radish, egg, and thick fried tofu! Yes~ all my favorite ingredients! They soak up the flavors well and taste delicious♪ Master! How did you know my preferences so well!? There's no chikuwa (fish cake skewer), right? Of course not!! This is Osaka~. The background music is also right up my alley, with popular songs from the 40s and 50s♪♪ Enjoying Osaka's famous skewered deep-fried items while listening to my favorite oldies. It's probably due to COVID-19 measures. You can choose to dip them in sauce or vinegar soy sauce. I really want to dip them in the silver container of sauce, but oh well. The freshly fried items are delicious, and when in Osaka, you have to try the pickled ginger tempura! So tasty. My friend sent a message saying they are about to finish work soon, and they will take the Shinkansen from Shin-Osaka Station, so I settled the bill here without ordering anything else. It came to a total of 1460 yen! This price in a station shop is unheard of in the Kanto region!! It would easily be at least 20-30% more expensive there. Although I had a rough time getting lost on the streets during the day, I feel like I made a comeback all at once! Thank you for the delicious meal!

After leaving the Doshima Butcher Shop, I headed towards the station building. However, there were few izakayas open during the day in the station building, and since I had already eaten at two restaurants, my stomach was full and lying face down for a massage seemed painful... Well, I thought about going to Tennoji for a change and headed to Osaka Station. But wait? I remember that MaiRebi-san's favorite restaurant had moved. According to the Umeda Economic Newspaper dated January 25, 2021, the specialty store street "Ume-San-Koji" at JR Osaka Station (Umeda 3, Kita-ku, Osaka) closed on January 22. The izakaya "Hirusakaba Komichi" will be relocating to the commercial facility "Ekimaru-shi Osaka" adjacent to JR Osaka Station's Sakurabashi exit in April this year, but the other stores will be closing. Yes, the name of the restaurant is "Hirusakaba Komichi." I have visited this restaurant before and my impression was quite good, so I decided to visit the new restaurant. However, the new location is a bit hard to find compared to when it was in Ume-San-Koji. The entrance is not from Ekimaru-shi but from the road outside. There is an attractive signboard at the storefront. So, I entered the restaurant and when I said I was alone, I was seated at the counter, but those who were alone were seated at a table. Is the difference between being seated at the counter and at a table related to how often you visit? Well, I ordered the "Value Set" (980 yen) that I was looking for. Surprisingly, this set does not come with draft beer. I almost thought about leaving right there, but that wouldn't have been very mature, so I ended up ordering the "Get Drunk Set" for 1200 yen. This set includes two drinks of your choice and one selected item. The difference between this set and the Value Set is that there are more options for beer, shochu, and sake. The drinks were, of course, both draft beer. I wanted to drink draft beer no matter what. If I were in a beer commercial, I would drink it in a bold and delicious way, right? (laughs) The selected item was the same for both sets. I was happy to see sashimi in the Get Drunk Set. I think there was sashimi at the previous restaurant, right? However, I ended up choosing potato fries, which I later realized was a wrong choice. The total came to 1290 yen for: - Draft Beer x 2 for 960 yen - Potato Fries for 330 yen So, there was only a 90 yen difference from the Value Set. Isn't that not much of a deal? (laughs) Maybe kushikatsu or oden would have been a better deal? What? Do I sound like a poor person for caring about 90 yen? Money is important, you know? (laughs) Maybe I don't sound convincing to those who go out drinking? (laughs) As for the service, as mentioned earlier, the female staff and regular customers seemed friendly, but the service was not great for first-time visitors. I think there shouldn't be any distinction in customer service. So, with draft beer and potato fries, my stomach was full again. Will the next stop, Tennoji, be able to continue the food and drink tour?

Located in the station, this is a good place for time adjustment. The cozy atmosphere is like a local izakaya in the city. The staff are friendly. You can enjoy one appetizer and two drinks for 980 yen, which is a great deal. The partitions are solid, making it a good izakaya for the current situation.

On February 26, 4th year of Reiwa (Saturday), I started zigzag walking south from Osaka Station and walked back and forth in the Temma Bridge shopping street almost twice, then headed to Namba via Nagahori Bridge and Yodoyabashi! The reason for going to Namba was to visit my wife's favorite Naniwa Akachochin shop, but after having some zenzai along the way, I didn't feel hungry at all even after walking 20 km, so we reluctantly took a bus back to Umeda at 3:30 PM! Since carrying a bottle of wine was a bit heavy, we decided to go to a bar called "Komichi" where there was a lively female staff! However, maybe due to the location, the place wasn't attracting many customers. When we entered, there were only two groups of customers already there. Our order was: My wife had the Marutoku set for 980 yen (including 2 drinks and kushikatsu), Gari tomato for 340 yen, I had the White Hoppy set for 450 yen, White Hoppy medium for 170 yen, Imo shochu mizuwari for 380 yen, Eihire for 430 yen, Cucumber pickles for 390 yen, and Negi salad for 280 yen. The dishes were overall neatly arranged. The standout today was probably the Eihire! Despite being a pricey ingredient, the portion was generous and the taste was deep and tender. For me, this place is not a main restaurant but a place to refresh in between visiting multiple restaurants. Thank you for the meal today.

Recently, it seems that there is a trend of attracting wonderful women to work in the food and beverage industry. Everywhere you go, you can find many kind and charming female staff members. Seeking out these lovely young women, a free-spirited and stubborn old man like myself often wanders from one drinking spot to another. Last time, I received advice from a beautiful young lady that the "drunk set" I ordered might not be worth it depending on the drink, and this time she informed me that the set is actually a good deal. Thanks to the guidance from the charming young lady, I have found another place I want to revisit! Our order included: - Maru Toka set x 2 (including 2 drinks and 1 dish) for 980 yen each (including tax) (my wife had 2 glasses of sparkling wine and skewers, while I had 2 highballs and oden) - Hoppy set for 450 yen - Hoppy medium for 170 yen - Sparkling wine for 420 yen - Ray fin for 430 yen - Fried squid for 350 yen - Pickled cucumbers for 390 yen Although the restaurant is primarily a place for drinks, the quality of the food is decent and the prices are reasonable. It's convenient as a first stop in the morning, but also perfect for a stop in between other places. This time, I had my second experience with Hoppy, and I made sure to confirm the details with the young lady before ordering. It's not too strong or too weak, with a subtle alcohol taste that is easy to drink. Thank you for the meal today.

On December 11, 2021 (Saturday), I went for a walk and had a casual drink, possibly the last one of the year. I strolled around in the morning and ended up at the second place, "Hirusakaba Komichi." I was drawn to their great value "Maru-toku set" priced at 980 yen (2 drinks and 1 dish). My husband had 2 highballs and a serving of oden (3 items), while I had 2 glasses of sparkling wine and a serving of kushikatsu (3 skewers). Even though we were satisfied with the 2 drinks, we found out that we could order the Maru-toku set multiple times. We also tried other familiar light snacks. For drinks, we had hoppy beer and sparkling wine. The snacks we tried were eihire (stingray fin), ika tempura (squid tempura), and pickled cucumbers. We didn't stay long since it was just a casual drink, but the cheerful and energetic female staff members made us feel welcomed. The whole atmosphere of the restaurant was lively and comfortable. It seems like a convenient place for a bar-hopping night. It might be one of the hits of 2021. Thank you for the delicious meal!

Daytime Izakaya Komichi (Umeda, Osaka) on a Thursday. I had passed by the day before and noticed an amazing menu featuring Chicken Katsu & Karaage, a combination that felt like a special treat. Unable to resist, I returned after 24 hours. The restaurant was bustling with almost all tables occupied, but luckily, there was a vacant table that I quickly took. Upon reviewing the menu again, I was torn between the Chicken Katsu Set for 700 yen and the special Chicken Katsu & Demi-Glace Sauce for 850 yen. Ultimately, I was swayed by the allure of the Chicken Katsu with Demi-Glace Sauce and placed my order. The dish that arrived was as impressive as the menu photo, with a generous portion that made me question if it was okay to eat so much. The classic combination of Chicken Katsu and Demi-Glace Sauce was a delight, and the meal felt like a perpetual motion machine of flavors. I managed to resist the temptation for rice and miso soup refills by focusing on the Chicken Katsu and sides like cabbage and spaghetti. For 700 yen, it was a delightful lunch break. (2021.10.28) #The restaurant originally located in Ume-Sanjo Alley seems to have moved across the street. Daytime Izakaya Komichi Umeda, Osaka City, Kita-ku, 3-1-1 Ekimaru-shi Osaka 06-6341-0394

JTB Ekimaru Osaka store had a 3-hour wait! So, we decided to go to a second bar! We had konjac (oden), thick fried tofu (oden), and 2 glasses of tomato beer for a total of 1,310 yen. This is a great place for a casual drink. The staff, especially the motherly waitress, was very friendly. The oden had large portions and was very satisfying. If there's a wait next time, we'll definitely come back here.

While waiting for the shuttle bus to Minoh Kanko Hotel to pass the time and beat the heat, I decided to stop by the nearest restaurant. The humidity was unbearable and I couldn't stop sweating. I ordered a beer as soon as I was seated at the table they assigned me. I checked the menu and saw they had a set option which included two draft beers and a choice of appetizer. I chose the set with kushikatsu. The kushikatsu included chicken, fish, and quail. The chicken kushikatsu was juicy and delicious, which was a pleasant surprise as I usually see fried or deep-fried chicken. The fish kushikatsu was tender with a good amount of fat, and the negi bag contained finely chopped green onions that still had a bit of crunch and spiciness. The ika tempura was also tender and tasty. I enjoyed my meal with a quick drink and then left the restaurant. Although it was past lunchtime, the restaurant was quite crowded, probably due to the delicious fried food they offered. It was a satisfying meal.