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The Takoyaki Tower Marks the Spot for Osaka Takoyaki Market
Most of Osaka’s most famous foods are made primarily of wheat flour and called konamon in Japanese. Takoyaki, perhaps the most widely-known konamon dish, is popular for its convenience since it can be easily picked up at food stalls and eaten as a snack.
It also has the power to make you smile. There’s nothing like waiting in front of the hot grill watching the balls spin on the plate, anticipating that first bite of the piping hot takoyaki.
In case you don’t know where to get your takoyaki, I’d like to introduce you to the Osaka Takoyaki Market, a spot in Umeda where you can try takoyaki from multiple famous shops, all in the same place!
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Five Popular Shops at This Takoyaki Mecca
Here it is—the OSAKA Takoyaki Market!
The market is located in Umeda, on the narrow street between HEP Five and HEP Navio, where you’ll find that famous giant red Ferris wheel, an Osaka landmark.
I’ve been making takoyaki at home ever since I was a kid. So to be honest, I haven’t eaten that many shop-made takoyaki. That being said, watching the takoyaki cooks spinning the balls so quickly and skillfully right in front of me, is a sight to see. It’s really exciting to see the takoyaki being flipped round and round. Even though I’m from the Kansai region, I still get excited!
And I had no idea a place like this existed in Umeda, where you can buy so many kinds of takoyaki! Osaka has tons of interesting spots to discover, even for those of us who live there.
It’s easy to find too because of the giant tree-shaped takoyaki tower in front of OSAKA Takoyaki Market.
Near the tower, you’ll find five famous takoyaki shops.
You can enjoy the flavors of takoyaki shops that represent Osaka—Kukuru, Yama Chan, Koga-ryu, Aiduya, and Juhachiban.
Kukuru & the Sign that Screams Osaka!
So, which shop should I try first?
Every shop looks good so it’s hard to choose, but I decided to start with Kukuru. The octopus in front of the store is very eye-catching.
There is a ticket vending-machine system which can be used to purchase your food and drink from any of the shops.
Select the corresponding button for what you want to order from the ticket machine in front of the shop.
Head inside to wait until your order is ready.
Although this is a collection of restaurants, almost like a food court, it feels kind of like an English pub!
There are over 100 seats in all, and you can sit down with your takoyaki from any of the five restaurants. This is great because you don’t have to worry about rainy, hot, or cold days♪
At Kukuru, I chose a set that comes with a choice of two different toppings.
As expected, I couldn’t resist the classics, so I went with the sauce topping.
And after some deliberation, I chose to get kimchi too.
The takoyaki dough at “Kukuru” is soft, so it melts in your mouth!
It’s so hot that it’s easy to burn your tongue! But even so, I still like takoyaki when it’s hot (^^♪
The cold kimchi cools the hot takoyaki a little, so in a way, you could say this is the right choice. Just like how chijimi and kimchi go well together, kimchi also tastes great with takoyaki.
Juhachiban & Those Addictive Tempura Flakes
Next, I went over to Juhachiban.
I noticed that one of the options here is a cheese sauce topping. And I was curious about what the texture of the tempura flakes would be like when they are cooked on the iron plate.
The takoyaki center is essentially the same, but they are finished off with a generous amount of cheese sauce and they even come with a cheese cracker. Yum!
The crunchy tempura flakes are still crunchy even after they’re cooked. This is a unique flavor sensation I’ve never experienced with takoyaki before!
Juhachiban’s takoyaki are pretty mellow, probably because they add milk to the batter, and so it goes great with cheese. It’s almost reminiscent of cheese fondue. It was delicious!
Koga-ryu, an Unforgettable Classic
After those first two servings of takoyaki, I was pretty satisfied to tell the truth. But I wanted to try some classic takoyaki sauce flavors, so I went over to Koga-ryu.
Compared to the first takoyaki I ate at Kukuru, I’d say the texture of the takoyaki is a little firmer. This is the classic style! It’s a simple and fits right in to the takoyaki flavors I have come to know and love. The sweet sauce is absolutely addicting.
Even if you top your takoyaki with the classic sauces, you’ll notice a lot of variety in the flavors at each shop. It would be fun to taste and compare the classic takoyaki styles with the traditional sauce toppings at each shop.
I wasn’t able to get to Aiduya or Yama Chan this time, so I’d like to come back to Osaka Takoyaki Market for sure!
OSAKA Takoyaki Market
https://takoyakimarket.com/
[Business hours] 11 am–10 pm (last order 9:30) *May open early from 10:45 on holidays, etc.
[Closed] Irregular holidays (in accordance with HEP closures)
[Access] About 3 minutes on foot from Hankyu Osaka-umeda Station, about 5 minutes on foot from Hanshin Osaka-Umeda Station, about 4 minutes on foot from JR Osaka Station. About a 5-minute walk from Umeda Station on the Osaka Metro Midosuji Line, about a 5-minute walk from Higashi-Umeda Station on the Tanimachi Line, about a 10-minute walk from Nishi-Umeda Station on the Yotsubashi Line
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