On opening the door to Gautam Indian Restaurant, I was greeted with a cheerful, “Hello, George-san!” The kitchen staff stopped to wave and smile. It felt like I had dined there only yesterday, but in actual fact it had been six months since my last visit. Even if it is your first time, Gautam, his wife and staff will welcome you with smiles. This day, I was having lunch with a uni friend, who always comes from Kakogawa for Gautam’s curry.
After chiding me about always driving by without coming in, Gautam was within minutes asking my advice on something. It felt like going to lunch at an Indian relative’s home. His Nepalese wife came over with water and oshibori towels, berating me in Japanese for not visiting her more often—like your favourite aunt would.
Laxuman Gautam, the owner, worked in Indian restaurants in India, Hong Kong and various locations in Kansai before opening his own establishment in Okamoto, five years ago, with his wife, who spoke little Japanese and no English then.
The lunch menu ranges from a simple curry and rice with salad at 700 yen to a special lunch course, which includes tandoori chicken, sheek kabab, tandoori jheenga (king prawn), two curries, nan, rice and a drink, at 1,500 yen. I always order the B Lunch (pictured; 1,100 yen) and walk out full. The curry of the day was chick pea, but my guests did not like chick peas. Gautam was only too happy to substitute the chick pea curry with a vegetable curry. No special request is too difficult. I once rang ahead the day before taking some friends who could not eat spicy food, and Gautam made a special mild curry for them.
The dinner courses—ranging from 2,100 yen to 4,500 yen—will satiate you, too. The first time we dined at Gautam, we ordered Course B (2,700 yen) and we walked out tummies first, we were so full. We ordered the same thing the second time we dined here and we didn’t think we’d make it back up the hill to the station. Since then, we order a la carte. If there are three of us, we we are satisfied with two curries, tandoori chicken, nan, and pakora (Indian tempura) or samosa. Gautam offers over 25 varieties of chicken, keema (mince), lamb, mutton, fish, prawn and vegetable curries, ranging from 850 yen to 1,200 yen.
One of my vices is their home-made chili chutney, with renkon (lotus root), cauliflower and carrots. The spiciness hits after you have swallowed your first bite and the sweat seeps from the pores on your crown. You either reach for more, or reach for your lassi to extinguish the fire in your mouth and stay away from it. A friend was never fussed on tandoori chicken until he dined here. It is so succulent and delicious, cooked it fresh on order.
Gautam now has two cozy restaurants in eastern Kobe; the Hanshin Oishi branch (not listed on the web site) is managed by his son. He and his son speak English and Japanese, and Gautam’s wife speaks only Japanese, but the staff have very little Japanese and next to no English, which makes communicating with them fun when they bring the food to your table.
How to get there:
Okamoto Shop: From JR Settsumotoyama Stn, walk out the south exit and down the hill to Route 2. Turn left and you can’t miss the Indian flag. From Hankyu Okamoto Stn, head down to JR Settsumotoyama Stn, take the overhead bridge over the station. (If you do go by car, you can park out the front. Gautam keeps an eye open for the traffic police.)
Hanshin Oishi Shop (near Konan Home Centre on Route 2): Exit Hanshin Oishi Stn, turn left and walk up the hill until you will see the Indian flag on the left, just south of Route 2.
Kobe Indian Restaurant Gautam
4-3-3 Motoyamanakamachi, Higashinada-ku, Kobe
Tel: 078-453-6881
Official website: http://gautam.yu.to/index2.html
Open: 11:30-14:30, 17:30-22:30 everyday
Sometimes when you crave a hamburger—a real hamburger. So, where do you go without succumbing to MacDonald’s? Mosburger is a good alternative. I met with a friend who was craving meat in Sannomiya the other day, and I knew exactly where to take her: Grinders.
Located one block east of Sogo Department Store, opposite Beams, this little burger joint is one of Kobe’s best kept secrets. The owner, who speaks excellent English, wanted to open a hamburger joint in Japan and travelled the U.S. looking for the right hamburger. He finally approached Grinders burgers to allow him to open a franchise in Kobe.
My friend ordered a large Basil and Avocado Burger and she was afraid that she would not get through it; it was so big. She did, however, because “it tasted so good”. Other burgers include Super Cheese with a cream cheese and oregano sauce, Italiano Verde with a basil and parsley sauce, Hot Salsa, and Japanese-style with lots of mushrooms. The burgers are made with 100% quality Australian beef and fresh vegetables, and made fresh to order. The prices might seem more expensive than you are used to paying, but you will not be disappointed.
Of course, there are sets, freshly made soups, and other items on the menu to tempt you. As well as your standard soft drinks, Grinders also stocks a wide range of imported beers at reasonable prices; Samuel Adams, VB, Negro Modelo, Singha, Fosters and more.
Check out Grinders on YouTube.
Business hours:
11:00-20:00 (11:00-15:00 Tuesdays)
Closed Mondays & the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of the month.
Address:
B1F Maki Bldg, 7-1-5 Onoedori, Chuo-ku, Kobe
Phone: 078-267-3350
There are many extraordinary things about Japan. Its orderliness and cleanliness. The subways, trains, and Shinkansen that run on perfect time. The beauty of its temples and tea houses. Its unique fashion trends and broader aesthetic traditions.
But hands-down, Japan, in my opinion, is seriously lacking when it comes to one important category of life and the things that make it worth living: Sweets. Desserts. Pies. Gooey, decadent cakes. Unless you count bean paste as a culinary treat (and I don’t know many fellow Westerners who do), you can be hard-pressed to indulge your sweet tooth in this country.
So when my friend J called to tell me about a new café she had found with homemade desserts that are out-of-this world-good (or at least, thankfully, out-of-this-country), I was there almost before we got off the phone.
“café GMT plus” may have a strange name, but it makes up for this with its sound dessert policy: fresh-made cakes and pies; rich, smooth coffee; and a unique selection of house-blended teas. (They also serve lunch, which I’m sure is as delicious as their desserts, but, um, who has time for lunch when there’s a whole display case of homemade cake demanding to be ordered?)
J and I sipped our full-bodied coffees (a creamy hot latte for me, an ice-cold cappuccino, sprinkled with bitter-sweet cocoa powder, for her) while we waited for Tamaki Maeda, GMT’s owner, to bring us our sweets. Tamaki-san, a little sprite of a woman with long black braids, a huge smile, and excellent English, has owned the café for 12 years, although it’s only been tucked away in its current location, on a corner near the U.S. Consulate in Umeda, since last October. As she brought us plates piled high with cake, she explained that the café’s areas of expertise are two: freshly baked desserts using original recipes and specialty blended teas mixing fruits, herbs, tea leaves, and even flowers. I think she may have given us more details, too, but frankly, I couldn’t concentrate any longer, because there was now a triangle of dense chocolate cake, dappled with caramel and taunting me to pick up my fork, sitting alongside a fat slice of cinnamon rum-raisin cake, iced with a delicate drizzle of white and then topped with a cloud of whipped cream. Before I could even take a bite, I was overcome with the scent, a mix of spice, cinnamon, and sweetness.
Perhaps because I began eating so aggressively she thought I might choke, Tamaki-san soon brought some of her personally-blended tea: a pot of rooibus (a South African infusion) mixed with hibiscus, rosehip, and flowers. It was deep, deep red with a sweet smell but a surprisingly tangy and even slightly spicy flavor. Then she walked us to the glass display case to exhibit what else we could have ordered. Sitting plump and deliciously on the shelf were a slew of newly-baked treasures, among them a sweet cheesecake; a salty butter and caramel cake; a fresh banana loaf; a sweet, brown chestnut cake; and a confection of blueberry angel chiffon, iced with sugar.
“We’ll be back,” I told Tamaki-san, tearing my eyes away from the case to smile gratefully at her. “Hopefully tomorrow.”
Details
café GMT plus
大阪市北区曾根崎１－３－１５
06-6363-2323
Monday through Saturday, 11:00―20:00
Holidays and occasional Sundays, 11:00―18:00
http://www.gmt-cafe.com
Map @ http://www.gmt-cafe.com/access.htm
Menu in English & Japanese; staff speaks English
When you think Chinese in Kansai, one tends to gravitate towards Kobe’s Nankinmachi (Chinatown) near Motomachi station. But let me tell you unequivocally, one need not go that far west. In fact, you’ll not only be pleased with the food and service at Konan-Shun, you’ll also avoid the Chinatown crowds, especially on the weekends.
According to Oh-san, the Owner/Manager of Chinese restaurant Konan-Shun, near Sannomiya in Kobe, “Konan” refers to a place of great food bounty and “Shun” to that of a famous poem. Self-fulfilling prophesy or not, Konan-Shun supplies both, a bountiful menu full of truly poetic Cantonese-style cuisine. A Kobe native, Oh-san has been running Konan-Shun for 10 years. In that time it has become a favorite for locals, many with Chinese ancestry. Their English menu is fairly new, but they are very open to welcoming foreigners and helping them to experience their exceptional fare.
Our experience began with a Chinese standby, gyoza. As it turns out, Oh-san’s family started a gyoza shop in Chinatown—a long-standing favorite—before opening Konan-Shun. Today, the same recipe and techniques are employed at both places. Unlike most Japanese gyoza, which are fried, Konan-Shun’s gyoza are boiled. They also come with a variety of ingredients inside. Ours were a mix of scallops, shrimp and octopus (350 yen for 3 gyoza). The gyoza were firm on the outside and offered a moist flavor explosion on the inside. They were served without any sauce. And indeed, none was needed.
We next moved on to a couple of entrees. The Braised Beef (1,800 yen), a house specialty, came with 7-8 large squares of beef next to a few pieces of bok choy. It was served in a thick sauce very typical of this sort of dish, but without the typical sweetness. The sauce had a very subtle spice to it and the beef was first rate and cooked to tender perfection. For health conscious individuals feeling guilty about eating red meat the dish was also cooked with antioxidant-rich Goji berries—about 4-5 of them were floating in the sauce.
Next, we were served Mapo Tofu (1000yen). This common Chinese dish of tofu and minced pork was served very uncommonly at Konan-Shun. It came to our table boiling and sizzling in an earthenware pot, like one you might see sukiyaki served in. It was rich, peppery and a bit spicy. And it was the perfect size for sharing between two, especially if you’re not partial to spicy food.
Our last dish was an elegant and simple one. Negi Ramen (650 yen) came with bok choy and very finely sliced green onions. The noodles were not too firm, not too soft, and the broth was subtle, but a perfect finish after the rich dishes we just ate.
In the end, we didn’t sample even a fraction of the restaurant’s extensive menu. But what we had will bring us back. Konan-shun offers set menus from 3000 yen to 15,000 yen (840yen and 1260yen for lunch) and ala carte dishes of fish, beef, pork, chicken, rice, noodles, tofu and more. The drink menu was also complete, with a large selection of beers, wines, and shochus. As a specialty, they also import ShoKoChu, a Chinese version of shochu. Konan-Shun also has plenty of places to enjoy its food. A small dining room on the first floor accommodates regular dining, and two floors above are reserved for larger parties and banquets of up to 50 people.
Konan-Shun
Tel: 078-325-8725
Address: Kobe shi Chuo-ku Kita-Nagasa Dori 2-8-6
Open : Mon-Sat 1130am-200pm, 530pm-900pm Sun. Holiday 1130-900pm Closed Wednesday. Reservations recommended.
Getting there: Closest station Sannomiya. Walk down Ikuta Road west. Pass Tokyu Hands. Turn left (south) on first street past Don Quixote on south side of street. Walk one block. Located on southeast corner.
Find Konan-Shun online at www.engmenu.com
There’s an old advertising saying that instructs to “Sell the sizzle, not the steak”. What it means is that a steak is generally just a steak, but the “sizzle” is the whole experience surrounding the steak. If you wander around Sannomiya you will come across plenty of Kobe Beef restaurants selling a whole lot of sizzle. Unfortunately, the advertising and luxury surroundings that makes up that sizzle comes at a price. But, if you happen to veer off the main strip a bit, and find Fuji (look for their extra-large Certified Perfect English Menu sign) you’ll discover a little less sizzle, but a whole lot more steak for your yen.
For more than 10 years, the owner of this unpretentious restaurant has prided herself on her ability to provide high quality food that families and those without corporate expense accounts can afford. From Kobe Beef to free-range chicken to locally-grown vegetables, Fuji provides the kinds of cooking and dishes that make you want to come back. On top of the certified beef and fresh ingredients, Fuji purposefully cooks with less oil and uses lighter oil than most restaurants. This means dishes that are usually greasy aren’t at Fuji, and they consequently don’t leave you feeling too full afterwards.
We began our dinner at Fuji by ordering the Kobe Beef Sirloin Steak Course 200g (5,520 yen). This course, which could feed two people, started with a fresh green salad. Next came Tonpei-yaki, an omelet with pieces of sliced pork cooked into it and covered with negi. This was a unique combination and absolutely delicious. Next, came Suji Negi-yaki, another thin omelet-like dish, but this time with small pieces of cooked beef tendon (suji) sprinkled on top. Tendon is a common ingredient at Fuji, and many people who like it tend to be regulars at the restaurant. At last our Kobe Beef came—200 grams of luscious, marbled, perfectly grilled goodness served in bite-sized pieces on a hot iron plate. It was served with grilled vegetables, garlic chips and salt to dip the meat in. As a resident of Kobe, I’ve had Kobe Beef at several places over the past few years. And though I have typically paid far more at other places, this beef was just as melt-in-your-mouth tasty. Finally, Sobameshi, fried and diced egg noodles with rice and pork, was last in the set. Sobameshi is a Kobe specialty that’s sort of like fried rice, but the noodles give it a slightly more interesting texture, and it is somewhat less salty. All in all, this Kobe Beef set was more than worth the price and provided far greater variety and excitement than a typical Kobe Beef meal.
But Fuji had a few more tricks up its sleeve. We also tried the Grilled Vegetables with Seafood (1,260 yen) and Grilled Vegetables (650 yen), which both came out on large hot iron plates and tasted light and delicious. And we tried another house specialty, the 100% Kobe Beef Hamburg Steak (1,000 yen). This was served topped with a rich sauce and smothered in red and green peppers, onions, carrots and mushrooms. Though I am not exactly a Hamburg aficionado, I can easily say that this was the best I’ve ever had. No kidding.
Regarding drinks, let me just say that if you love shochu like I love shochu, you will be happy at Fuji. They boasted at least a dozen mugi (barley) choices, close to 20 imo (potato) varieties, a few good kome (rice) bottles and at least two Awamori (shochu from Okinawa) selections. I sampled the Kamo Kagura imo shochu (600 yen) a couple times. They also offer blended shochus with ingredients like brown sugar, wild berry, wasabi and chestnut. Of course, the extensive English menu had a good selection of beer, whiskey, wine, sake and soft drinks.
Needless to say, I’ll be visiting Fuji again soon. My only regret is that I’ve lived in Kobe for so long without knowing about it. Oh well, I guess I have some eating (and drinking) to make up for.
Fuji
Tel: 078-391-1141
Kobe city Chuo-ku Nakayamate Dori 1-9-5
Open : Mon-Sat 5pm-midnight Sun. Holiday 5-11pm
Getting there: Closest station Sannomiya. Walk north on Kitano-zaka for three blocks. Turn left at karaoke on west side of street. Fuji is on your right one block ahead.
Find Fuji online at www.engmenu.com
My best friend in Japan, J, is an American who’s a slightly finicky eater. While I long for huge Texas-style cheeseburgers and love to indulge in a big slab of steak, she’s a confirmed vegetarian. She ingests no ground beef, no chicken, no cutlets fried into crispy, luscious ton-katsu, no ramen steeped in rich, pork-bone broth. She rarely even takes a bite of cheese.
She does, however, eat Kobe beef.
So when I suggest that we celebrate her latest career coup by eating at Wakkoqu, which my Japanese husband and I think serves the best Kobe beef on the planet, she responds, “Let’s go tonight.” J justifies her enthusiasm by claiming that whatever greater force exists in the universe to judge our adherence to ethical and nutritional values, he/she/it will certainly forgive a periodic nibble on the forbidden flank.
In general, Kobe beef is from Wagyu cattle bred in Hyogo (of which Kobe is the capital), and, although not as expensive or famous in Japan as Matsuzaka beef, it’s legendary across the world. It’s highly marbled (with nearly 50% fat), although–at least according to the Australian nutritionist Dr Tim Crowe–it’s also rich in Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids: the “good,” cholesterol-lowering fat. Kobe-beef cows are rumored to drink beer, especially in the summer months, which ranchers give them to combat loss of appetite due to heat. Legend also has it that the animals are brushed with saké to soften their skin and are periodically massaged to keep their meat tender. Yet despite this swanky life (at least for a quadruped), some of the Kobe beef places I’ve frequented in Kansai offer steak that’s more greasy than great.
But Wakkoqu’s is sublime. Located in the Kitano area of Kobe, their chefs cook Teppanyaki-style, on an iron grill in front of you. (They also serve grilled prawn and abalone, for vegetarians more pious than J, and have a great wine list.) We begin with a sliver of rich smoked salmon garnished with onions and salty capers, followed by a simple green salad. Then comes our 220-gram hunk of heaven.
The chef brings the meat over on a wooden tray and places salt, pepper, and a dollop of sharp mustard near our plates. Then he slices off a strip of fat to coat the grill and roasts fresh garlic chips in it. Next, he dices the beef with a sword-sharp knife, lays it on the grill in front of us, and salts it as it sizzles. After cooking it as we request (medium-well for both me and J), he slips the cubes of rich steak onto our plate. As we feel each chunk literally melt in our mouths, he starts to roast the vegetables: huge slices of carrots, crips bean sprouts, deep-purple-fleshed eggplant, earthy mushrooms, and more. Last comes the rice, cooked in a small portion of left-over fat, salt, chopped garlic, and the remaining flavors on the grill.
It’s so good, I can’t even describe it, except to say that I think I may be addicted to it all.
Details:
1-22-13 Nakayamate Dori, Kobe Hillside Terrace
(On Pearl St., just east of Kitano-zaka)
Phone: 078-222-0678
It was my friend Sally’s Japanniversary, and to celebrate her third year of survival in Kansai, we decided to take her for tequila and tacos. (She had a show later that night as part of an improv comedy troupe with which she performs, the Osaka-based “Pirates of the Dotonbori,” and we had the idea that we’d get her even more ready for the stage by ordering her multiple margaritas.)
So a group of us went to Ola Tacos in Shinsaibashi − near enough to her performance in a club along Dotonbouri, but far enough so if she needed to walk off a buzz, she’d have the chance. Ola is a small place, but it’s big enough on both flavor and variety to boast 30-40 kinds of hot sauces (from mild to super hot), a huge range of cocktails (from Cubra Libres to the “Malibu Pine” − coconut, pineapple, and dark rum − to the requisite margaritas), as well as a collection of rare tequilas that the very hip bar-chica, Shino-san, assured us are very hard to find in Japan. Shino-san has a long, wild mane of kinky black hair and was sporting a huge sliver and turquoise-studded necklace, and she explained in charming broken English that the chef, her husband, “makes tortillas every day by hand; hand-made tortilla is also very rare in Japan, even if in Mexico, too.” Then she explained that every year she and her husband go south of the (U.S.) border to study Mexican food and culture (and apparently to shop, given her great accessories and all the Mexican-themed decorations dotting the bar and walls).
We started our Japanniversary fiesta with quesadillas, which Ola offers fried or non-fried. Ours was chicken in tomato sauce, blanketed with melted cheese and topped with fresh guacamole and sour cream. We had pozole, a delicious, spicy soup with pork and “giant corn” (a milder, boiled version of the corn snacks sold fried and salted in Kansai’s combini), garnished with sliced onions and jalapeno. Then came enchiladas verdes, with a sour green tomato sauce over chicken-stuffed tortillas covered in cheese. For tacos, we had ones enfolding a spiced mix of beef, pork, and chicken in chili tomato sauce; then ones with shredded beef and cheese; and a finally an order with pork stewed in orange and a peppery achiote spice.
When we left, we were stuffed, Sally was still standing strong–so she didn’t have to stumble an unsteady serpentine path to her performance after all–and we were looking forward to many more Japanniversaries of toasting kanpai with Ola’s tequila.
Details
Ola Tacos & Bar
Osaka Higashi-Shinsaibashi
1-17-15
Marusei Building, 6F
06-6251-2082
Tuesday – Thursday, 6pm – 1am
Friday & Saturday, 6pm – 3am
Sunday, 6pm – 12am
Closed Monday
Menu in English & Japanese; staff speaks English
Drinks from ¥550-¥950 (excluding rare tequilas)
Food from ¥550-¥1050
English Web site @ http://homepage2.nifty.com/olatacos/eng-index.html
No I can’t read kanji. Yes, I AM hungry. This is the yin and yang I find myself in on a daily basis as a foreigner living in Japan. So, here I am, writing out of compassion for those sharing this particular pickle.
This brings me to Jamaicana in Kobe. I walked by this place so many times I ceased to notice it any more. Then one day, hungry and hung over, I walked in (Cue the orchestra, the spotlight and the chorus of angels). At the entrance stood a Jamaican man with a smile beaming from ear to ear and a menu full of pretty pictures and English. The Jamaican man turned out to be the owner, Noel, whose gracious welcome and warm good nature made me feel like I was back home with my family in Jamaica (even though I’m actually a pasty-white man from America).
Then came the Jerk Chicken (1200yen at lunch), served with a heaping salad, a creamy soup and two luscious fried bread rolls. The chicken itself was a large breast smothered in jerk sauce (ask for extra napkins). Though I consider myself somewhat refined at the dining table, I soon found myself sopping the last of the sauce with my fried bread—and I think I was giggling maniacly at some point too. I also tried the Ackee with Fish, Jamaica’s national dish. The flesh of the ackee fruit is sautéed with the saltfish and was also very delicious. Ackee has the look and texture of scrambled eggs, but is somewhat more pungent. Not quite as heavenly as the Jerk Chicken, but I’d definitely try it again.
And so should you—hungover or not.
JAMAICANA
Tel.078-251-6488
1-22-27, Nakayamate dori, Kitano-cho
Dom’s Bldg. 8F Kobe
Open 11:30am-2, 5:30-11pm (LO). Closed: Mondays
Getting There: Nearest station: Sannomiya JR
Walk north up Kitano-zaka, cross Yamate Kansen,
Northeast side of street.
The façade of Petit Rosa Pizzeria can’t help but remind you of an old pizza joint entrance in Chicago or New York (that is, if you’ve ever been to an old pizza joint in Chicago or New York.) Luckily, I have. So, as I walked in I had to smile. Olive oil, wine bottles, warm lighting and a bustling kitchen embrace your senses—just the way an Italian restaurant should. Ascending to the second floor, the interior kept my smiles intact by presenting a well thought-out, Italian-inspired décor that successfully conspired to put one at ease, and lull one into forgetting that a crazed Midosuji lie only a couple blocks west.
The first order of business once we sat down was the wine list. Here we found a respectable selection of reds, whites and Spumante by the glass or bottle. We chose a glass of earthy and slightly fruity Querciabella Mongrana from Tuscany (700 yen). We then quickly settled in to our appetizer. The Antipasto Misti 4 Tipi (1450 yen) was a generous helping of four cold appetizers. Gnocchi in red sauce with Matsutake mushrooms stood in the center of the antipasto platter. Around it, were Parma ham resting on cantaloupe slices, honeycomb tripe cooked in tomato sauce and two types of carpaccio (sea bream and tuna). The tuna, served on a bed of onions, had a brilliant sun dried tomato spread that perfectly complemented the fish and onion pairing.
The menu (ask for the English menu) featured main courses in number sufficiently large to give you choice, but not so extensive you couldn’t decide. It contained both unique and classic offerings of meat and fish, pasta, pizza and risotto. From the pizza portion of the menu we ordered the Japan-ubiquitous Bizmark (1580 yen for the regular size). Petit Rosa’s regular size could easily pass for large in most restaurants, and we were grateful. A classic take on the Bizmark, this asparagus, bacon and egg pizza boasted a handmade crust and pleased beyond expectations.
Like the pizza crust, the pasta at Petit Rosa is “casalingo”, homemade by the restaurant from imported Italian flour. The choices included spaghetti and linguine dishes. We ordered the Spaghetti Pescatore (with seafood, 1480 yen). Again, the portion was ample and seafood generous. Mussels, clams and shrimp sat atop a delicate, but tasty red sauce.
But the real genius of Petit Rosa’s menu was saved for last. The fish of the day is offered on the menu as a whole (2800 yen) or half (1580 yen) order. Today it was a poached sea bream, served “acqua pazza” (literally, “crazy water” in Italian) in a steaming casserole dish with the poaching water. The aroma hit our noses about ten seconds before it hit the table. Bursting with capers, sun dried tomatoes and black olives, and sprinkled with thinly sliced red pepper, this dish was truly exquisite. The half order would make a great main course with an appetizer. The whole order is perfect for sharing.
Petit Rosa has been in the same location for 11 years—good staying power in a restaurant town like Osaka. And for good reason. Upon leaving we marveled again at the hustle and bustle of their open kitchen, met their English-speaking chef and surreptitiously planned our return.
Address:
Osaka-city Chuo-ku Higashi Shinsaibashi 1-16-26
06-6241-6708
3min from Exit # 6 at Shinsaibashi station
