Fast, Cheap, & Delicious! Four Osaka Foods You’ve Just Got to Try at Hanshin Department Store’s Snack Park (part 1)

Looking for something delicious, yet affordable that you can eat in a rush? Fast, cheap, and delicious, the Hanshin Umeda Department Store Snack Park checks all three boxes. 
I dined my way through this unique food court designed for eating on your feet. Let me tell you all about it!


What Exactly is Hanshin Department Store’s Snack Park? A Dining Heaven with Low Low Prices

The Snack Park first opened its doors in 1978. It has been closed for renovations before, but all-in-all this food court has been satisfying the hunger of Osakans for close to 50 years. 
And despite the expensive nature of department store food, everything here is affordable, only costing around 500 yen, or what the Japanese call “one coin.” It’s a relief to find something this cheap, since prices everywhere seem to be going in an upward direction.

Snack Park is like a food court, but you won’t be handed a buzzer or be called through an automated screen. Simply get in line and wait a conveniently short time for your food to come up. Service is very speedy!
Thirteen different establishments are here serving up delicious treats. I want to introduce 4 special dishes that are specialties in Osaka.



To get to the Snack Park, simply head to the basement first floor of Hanshin Department Store. It’s in a separate area from the main food floor where fresh fish and meats are sold. Look for the signs that say “スナックパーク.” You can’t miss it!

Open the door and step inside an Osaka food wonderland!

Since reopening in 2018 after renovations, the Snack Park feels fresh and new. It’s got a casual atmosphere and is easy to dine alone or with one or two friends. Although there is no seating, there is a long bar along the wall and some small tables designed for one.

The Ever-popular Kadoya Shokudo Ramen

The first stop I made was an Osaka classic—Kadoya Shokudo.

People were thrilled when this noodle shop joined Snack Park after the renovations. Normally a bowl of ramen at this popular restaurant costs more than a thousand yen, but in the spirit of the Snack Park, they made a special simple dish priced at ¥590. 


And even though people were lined up here at lunch time, I got my food relatively quickly. The thin noodles and slightly sweet broth went down smooth. It is a treat to get something like this at such a good price!
I got mine without toppings, but don’t let that stop you. There are options to add an aji-tama (flavored egg) or pork.

Perfect after a Night of Drinking—Osaka-style Meat Soup!

Next up, Osaka Central Wholesale Market’s Fujimi Udon. As the name implies, this is a noodle shop from Osaka’s central market. 



Udon shops are known for their fabulous flavorful soup broth. To enjoy those flavors to the fullest, I recommend the meat soup. This local dish, known as Niku-sui was created right here, in Osaka, when a local comedian went to an udon shop with a hangover. He ordered “a bowl of meat udon, hold the udon” and so a star dish was born.



Fujimi serves a set that includes Niku-sui and tamago-kake-gohan (rice and raw egg). The meat soup alone is only ¥500! This would be a good end to your evening if you zig-zag between the different shops and finish it off with a bowl of Niku-sui. 



This would also be a great lunch spot, since you can get a filling lunch for just over ¥600.

Takoyaki’s Predecessor? Try Choboyaki as a Snack

Just when I was looking for my next dish to try, I found Genso Choboyaki Honten. It sparked my curiosity.

What exactly is a choboyaki? I decided to give it a try, for just ¥185 for the regular. What a deal!



One of the main ingredients is flour, so it’s known as konamon in Japanese, just like takoyaki and okonomiyaki. First a watery flour-based batter is poured over the indented copper plate and sprinkled with the other ingredients like konjac and red pickled-ginger and then grilled to perfection.

It almost looks and tastes like takoyaki, but it’s its own unique dish. 

Parts are soft and melt in your mouth the way takoyaki does, but it has a different texture at the same time. Because it is speckled with raised dots, it got the name choboyaki—chobo meaning dots and yaki because it is grilled. It comes out hot, so be sure not to get burned. It is the perfect size for a quick bite and it was absolutely delicious. 


Apparently it is unusual to find a stand that specializes in choboyaki, so be sure to try it when you visit Snack Park!

Winning Fans for 70 Years—Snack Park’s Most Popular Dish: Ikayaki!

Since I was already feeling full, I grabbed an ikayaki for takeout. 
Actually, I haven’t had so many chances to eat ikayaki, but it has been available at Hanshin Department Store since it opened its doors in 1957. It remains the most popular item at Snack Park. When I arrived, there were about 20 people waiting in line to get their’s.


Although ika correctly translates to squid, ikayaki isn’t simply a squid-filled okonomiyaki, nor is it just grilled squid. It’s made from a batter of dashi and flour that is mixed with chopped squid tentacles and then grilled on a press. 
It’s then served piping hot, but it actually tastes great after it’s cooled down too. 


The chewy texture goes great with a glass of beer!



Plain ikayaki is just ¥187! Add an egg and it’s still only ¥242! Get it with green onion for ¥198 or get the Japanese-style deluxe version for ¥253. 



They’ll wrap it up nicely for you to take home. And if you want one keep in the freezer for a quick snack, they even sell them frozen. 



So that’s it! I hope you enjoyed reading about the Osaka-special foods you can find at Snack Park. And there is plenty more to choose from. So look forward to my next report from Hanshin Department Store’s Snack Park.