I arrived at Universal Studios Japan to enjoy the Horror Night. It was around 11:30 when I arrived. The lunch options inside the park were crowded and honestly, there weren't many places that I found satisfying in terms of taste, yet the prices were high. After enjoying some of the park's attractions and parade, I decided to leave and head to Universal CityWalk right next door. There are various dining options here, including fast food restaurants, popular cafes, burger joints, and a food court featuring Osaka's popular takoyaki shop. This time, craving Japanese cuisine, I visited "Ganko Universal CityWalk Osaka" restaurant. It was a little past 1 pm, but there was no wait as I operated the reception machine at the entrance. The calm and serene atmosphere inside, filled with a Japanese vibe, was a stark contrast to the lively American atmosphere outside. I was quickly seated and led through a corridor surrounded by a courtyard-like view to my table. The restaurant offers various seating options including private rooms, sunken kotatsu-style seating, banquet halls, and counter seats, totaling 138 seats. I was seated at a table for four, which felt like a semi-private space, allowing me to enjoy my meal without worrying about the surroundings. The menu is available, but orders are placed using a touch panel tablet. I decided to have the seafood bowl, which came with tuna, fatty tuna, salmon, octopus, and a separate dipping sauce, served on a bed of shredded egg. The chilled soba noodles, served in a glass bowl, were refreshing and crunchy, complemented with chopped green onions and wasabi. Enjoying the tranquility and the delicious Japanese cuisine in such a setting was truly a delightful experience. I will definitely visit again. Thank you for the meal.

After returning from Universal Studios, I stopped by for dinner. The waiting area at the entrance was a bit warm. It was humid even at night. The restaurant had a traditional Japanese feel to it. They offer sushi sets, tempura, and other Japanese dishes. It's perfect for those looking for Japanese cuisine. They also have sushi rolls for takeout, which may be convenient for people staying at nearby hotels.

I visited Ganeko-san as usual a little after 12 o'clock. Even at this time, there was plenty of seating available. Today, I ordered the Hina Tendon set (with cold soba). The tempura was just the right size, and the soba was a normal portion. The value for money at this place is amazing! The taste was delicious, but I wish they had put a little more tempura sauce. The tempura included two shrimp, pumpkin, and shishito peppers. The soba was smooth and had a good texture. The sauce was tasty and the portion was just right. I am always satisfied every time I come here!

I arrived at around 12 o'clock. Everywhere was crowded at this time, and the waiting time was immeasurable. This is where GanKo comes in handy. Perhaps young people don't consider it much because it has a reputation for being expensive? But for lunch, there are plenty of options ranging from 800 yen. Today, despite the crowd, I managed to find a seat without any problems. I ordered the katsu and egg over rice set. The dish was served at a moderate pace. The katsu and egg were served with the egg dropped on top of a mini stove, allowing you to adjust the hardness of the egg to your liking. Homemade tofu, red miso soup, pickles, and rice with free refills. I like my eggs on the firmer side, so I started by trying the katsu. The katsu was a bit on the softer side, with a slightly fatty texture... The use of a safe sweet sauce for seasoning was good. The portion was generous, so it's a satisfying dish for those who like to eat heartily at an affordable price. The tofu was homemade and had a firm texture when placed in the container, which was delicious. I drizzled some soy sauce on it. The pickles were a bit on the small side, I wanted more. The red miso soup was hot and delicious for quite a long time. Overall, it's affordable, you can sit and relax, and there is a restroom in the store, making it a comfortable place to spend time.

After visiting USJ, I had a brunch that also served as breakfast. I opted for a special menu celebrating the 60th anniversary, which was a nice change from the usual Western-style dishes. It was nice to have some seafood after a while. I enjoyed some beer and sake in the afternoon. I used to frequent this place for business trips, but it was a great choice for a family vacation meal.

If you have an annual passport, you can re-enter, so we decided to go outside for lunch! The crowds at USJ were even more intense than imagined, with long lines at the vending machines for drinks! By the way, you can bring in a "bottle of water." There is a baggage inspection at the entrance. For lunch, we went to Ganko Sushi, which had a great set menu. The "tempura soba & negitoro roll" had a generous portion of soba noodles. It was cool, comfortable, no waiting time, and overall perfect!

Entered the restaurant around 11:30. If you're looking for a reasonable place to eat at USJ, then it has to be "Ganko"! The interior is spacious and comfortable, with box seats featuring long benches covered in tatami for easy seating. There is also a restroom inside for convenience. Cold tea is provided on the table for unlimited refills. The Hina Tempura Donburi set includes two prawns, lotus root, and green peppers, with a moderate amount of rice. The tempura is crispy and delicious, with just the right amount of sauce. However, I wish there was more sauce for the rice. You can choose between warm or cold soba and udon. The soup is lightly flavored, but I prefer it a bit stronger. I left feeling satisfied, and the prices at USJ are unbeatable. While other chain restaurants tend to raise their prices at USJ, "Ganko" remains fairly affordable. The menu is updated fairly regularly.

1. It's been a while since my last visit. I entered the restaurant a little after 12:30. 2. The atmosphere was the same as always, with familiar staff members present, giving a sense of comfort. However, the menu had been updated and ordering was now done through a touch panel. There didn't seem to be any customers in sight, but perhaps they were seated at the tables in the back? 3. While browsing through the touch panel, I came across the eel dish. Without hesitation, I ordered two pieces. It turned out to be three pieces. It was priced in the low two-thousand yen range, and it was tender without any rubbery texture. The eel was plump and piping hot. The rice was generously coated with sauce to the point where it changed color, but it tasted light and not too salty. The eel itself was well seasoned, making it a delightful experience to eat with the rice. The miso soup remained hot and delicious until I finished the eel. It had a light yet distinct miso flavor. The pickles were made of Chinese cabbage, perfectly seasoned with salt, making it a great palate cleanser. I felt full even though it didn't look like much. 4. It's hard to find a place around USJ that offers a calm atmosphere, reasonable prices, decent portion sizes, and good taste all at once. This might be the only place. The restroom was also inside the restaurant, allowing for a leisurely dining experience.

Ganko in Universal CityWalk is a restaurant that is relatively less crowded compared to others in the area, making it a good choice for those returning from USJ. The sushi and soba dishes were delicious, and the chawanmushi with sesame tofu was particularly tasty. The quick service was also a plus. However, the cost performance may not be the best due to the location, and it was a bit disappointing that the service did not quite match up to the 10% service charge. There were a few things that caught my attention. For example, when a staff member accidentally bumped into a chair and left without saying anything, or when a customer loudly scolded a part-time worker in front of others. Also, the atmosphere felt a bit strange when dishes were brought to the table with just a quiet mention of the dish name. The children's menu soup was also served with spills on the tray. Overall, the prices were around 1,980 yen for nigiri sushi set, 1,680 yen for seafood bowl with soba, and 680 yen for the kids' meal, all excluding tax. A separate 10% service charge is added.

Arrived at the WD Hotel in 2022. I wandered around Festival Walk for dinner options. It was around 7 pm on a weekday, and it was quite crowded due to many people returning from Universal Studios. I decided to try a restaurant that seemed like I could get in relatively quickly. [Atmosphere] ☆3 It was a weekday around 7 pm. There were 2 groups waiting. We were seated in about 10 minutes. The restaurant was actually quite empty when I looked around. The staff seemed to be quite busy. There were a lot of dishes piled up at the back of the aisle. I had my doubts about this place... and it turned out to be a pretty interesting experience (laughs) [Ordered Items] <Tuna Set> - 4 pieces of tuna sushi - Tekka maki (tuna roll) - 5 small side dishes - Miso soup First, let's talk about the prices. It was about 3000 yen. Expensive. Too expensive. I couldn't justify paying 3000 yen for this quality and quantity. I didn't look at the prices before ordering, but when I saw the receipt at the checkout, I thought, "Wow, that's expensive!" [Sushi] The quality of the nigiri sushi was... not great. The tuna was full of sinew and not very tasty. Why do I have to pay so much for this? It felt like the quality was on par with a 100-yen conveyor belt sushi place. [Side Dishes] Some of the side dishes were so bad that I had to spit them out after trying. It was really questionable. Also, it was funny to see that they served pickled ginger in a small dish and emphasized that there were a lot of side dishes! (laughs) I've never seen a place put pickled ginger in a small dish before! [Final Thoughts] Universal Walk itself seems to have restaurants that set their prices high, but the quality was poor and it was kind of funny how expensive it was (laughs). In contrast, at Disney, restaurants outside the park like in Ikspiari have good quality and reasonable prices. This seems to be the difference between Osaka and Tokyo (Chiba). They're so stingy!

I visited Ganko, right next to Universal City in Osaka, on the second day of my Osaka trip. This was actually my first visit to a restaurant in the Ganko group. I had a traumatic experience with Osaka sushi in the past, so I decided to have a meal here before going to USJ for a Halloween party that I won tickets for. I ordered the tuna sushi set (1580 yen) with soba set. The price was a bit high, but the ingredients were fresh and the quality was better than your average 100 yen conveyor belt sushi place. The soba had fried tofu in it and was soft, with a light and refreshing broth. It seems like Ganko is expanding their business, and I'm satisfied with my visit. Thank you for the meal.

Thank you for always going to USJ with a group of 10 or more friends and family! When it comes to post-visit meals, this place is reliable, even for large groups. The staff is friendly and accommodating to families with children. The catchphrase is "with real tuna", but unfortunately, the tuna sashimi was the only disappointing dish. Despite that, the affordable and delicious lean tuna makes up for it. Overall, this restaurant is a great option for a meal after visiting USJ, whether you're in a large group or a couple. It's recommended for when you're in the mood for Japanese cuisine!

I visited Kankosushi on the way back from Universal Studios. It was not too crowded around 6 pm. Our order arrived quickly, and the crab hot pot was a great deal with plenty of crab. The sushi my child ordered was also delicious and disappeared quickly. The draft beer and wine were also tasty. Afterward, we returned to Osaka. It's a great restaurant, very close by.

We decided to eat outside of USJ for a change and went there. It was not crowded at 13:00 on Saturday, so we could relax. The three of us ordered the hot udon set meal, fried chicken set meal, and oyster fry set meal from the lunch menu, and all of them were quite delicious. Rice refills were free. In terms of cost performance, we all agreed that the hot udon set meal was the best choice for the three of us.

I arrived at Universal City Hotel for a visit. Since it was before noon, I tried to find a place nearby for a light lunch, but surprisingly couldn't find one. There were few open restaurants, and among those few, I couldn't find a place that piqued my interest as a food blogger. With limited time, I decided to go to a familiar place. So, I ended up coming to this restaurant known for its reliable quality. Inside the restaurant, there was a courtyard-like space in the middle of the seating area, creating a calm Japanese atmosphere. Since it's a tourist spot with visitors coming to USJ from overseas, it's a good way to introduce Japan. The lunch menu had a variety of options including sushi, sashimi, udon, tempura, and tonkatsu, with plenty of set meals. From the menu, I ordered the following: Tuna Sushi Set Meal with Tempura (tax included 1,518 yen). It came with 6 pieces of sushi, 2 Negitoro rolls, and 5 pieces of tempura. The sushi was decently delicious. The rice was slightly firm, probably to prevent it from falling apart when picked up or moved around. The tempura was also decent, with a crispy coating. Overall, it was tasty, but considering the location, the cost performance may not be the best. It's probably standard for a tourist spot like this. Since I didn't see any conveyor belt sushi restaurants nearby, this place might be a good option for sushi. Thank you for the meal!

I went to Universal Studios Japan and visited Ganko Sushi in front of Universal City Station for dinner. I wanted to eat Japanese food, so I decided on the special Yawaragi Bento with Oyster Shigureni Rice for ¥2200. It had a lot of dishes at a reasonable price, and the taste was consistently delicious. Thank you for the meal.

Had dinner at Universal CityWalk. It's convenient being close to home, but I always struggle with deciding where to eat since not all restaurants are open yet. However, I saw a half-price shabu-shabu sign and ended up at this place. A kimono-clad lady served us, giving off a luxurious vibe. They add a 10% service charge after 5 pm, which explains the upscale feel. The interior is a bit old-fashioned but stylish with a central courtyard. My son ordered the domestic beef shabu-shabu set for 2,948 yen, which was half price at 1,474 yen. I had the sashimi and tempura set for 1,480 yen. The dishes took a while to arrive, but they were served on a cart. The shabu-shabu, sashimi, and tempura were all delicious. I'm not sure if the service was worth a 10% charge, but it's nice to have affordable Japanese cuisine for dinner around here. I'll definitely come back. Thank you for the meal.

I had a great time at USJ, starting from a lunch at Kani Doraku in Dotonbori, Osaka, after coming from the countryside of Tohoku. On the first night, we had a birthday party at a hard rock cafe. Most of the food we ate at USJ was predictable B-grade junk food. There were many other places and dishes we wanted to try, but considering the availability of reservations and the preference for a private room, we chose "Ganko Universal City Walk Osaka" a few weeks in advance. The restaurant was chosen because it had a later last order time of 8:30 pm compared to others in Universal City Walk during the pandemic. We took a final commemorative photo at the large globe monument in USJ around 6:40 pm, took a break at the hotel, and arrived at the restaurant exactly at 7:00 pm, ahead of about 8 walk-in customers waiting. We were all in agreement on opting for a hearty meal pattern given our hunger levels at USJ, and it was no surprise that our bodies were craving Japanese food. So, we indulged in a luxurious meal at "Ganko Universal City Walk Osaka" on our last night in Osaka. - Eel Hitsumabushi 2380 yen: My eldest son ordered this, as he loves unagi and it was his first time trying three different types of eel in one dish. As expected, he didn't feel full just with this. - Sushi Takezen 1480 yen: Ordered for my daughter's husband to enjoy with his drink, but my son ended up eating most of it. - Children's play menu 1680 yen: My younger son's order, awakening his food blogger genes. A children's set with fried chicken, shrimp fry, sushi, crab gratin, chawanmushi, juice, and dessert, perfectly satisfying an 11-year-old. - Sukiyaki set meal 1380 yen: Shared by my daughter and her husband while enjoying beer. Cooking it on the table while sipping alcohol made it even better. - Special Yawaragi Bento 2000 yen + Matsutake Dobinmushi 700 yen: My meal, a luxurious bento with yuba and tofu, along with various side dishes like tempura, matsutake rice, chawanmushi, red miso soup, and adding the matsutake dobinmushi for extra luxury. The unique flavors, especially the matsutake dobinmushi, left me in awe. - Assorted Kushiage 8 pieces 1200 yen and Aritajidori Charcoal-grilled Chicken: Ordered for my daughter and her husband to pair with their drinks. My son managed to snatch a few pieces of kushiage. - Various drinks: My son and I opted for warm tea, while my daughter and her husband enjoyed beer and highball. It was a night full of wonderful memories, sharing stories from USJ over delicious Japanese food. The service was excellent, and all the dishes were brought to us on the same cart, making the dining experience smooth and enjoyable. The large capacity of the restaurant and efficient food service made the overall experience even better. With so many restaurants to choose from at Universal City Walk, sometimes following the flow and ending up at a place like this can turn out to be the best decision. Thank you for the wonderful meal.

I spent the evening after closing at USJ and decided to have dinner at a crowded restaurant. I ordered a tempura set with tempura shrimp, 4 small pieces, vegetable tempura, miso soup, pickles, and chawanmushi. The shrimp that arrived tasted more like fried shrimp than tempura, and the sauce was too sweet. I was expecting tempura dipping sauce, but it wasn't provided separately like with tempura rice bowls. I thought service charge was only for high-end restaurants, but it was added to the 1280 yen tempura set as well (lol). And it's inclusive of tax, so it's actually the displayed price plus 20%. I couldn't help but mutter, "What a rip-off..." Thanks for the meal.

On this day, I really wanted to eat sushi, so I ordered a sushi set meal with cold soba noodles for 1080 yen (excluding tax) at a chain restaurant. I arrived around 11:00 and there were still seats available, so my food arrived quickly. I love this restaurant chain because the quality of the sushi is high. The cold soba noodles were delicious and refreshing. The restaurant is very clean and has a small garden, which creates an elegant atmosphere. The staff were all friendly and I had a pleasant time. I will definitely come back for lunch before going to USJ!