Food_amp_amp_Travel_Arabia_Vol3_I7_I8_2016_vk_com_ENGLISHMAGAZINES

CITY BREAKS
OSAKA
Clockwise, from top left:
fresh sushi; neon-lit
sidestreet of Dotonbori;
preparing green tea; view
from Ebisubashi bridge;
grilled takoyaki (battered
octopus); menu boards;
Dotonbori river; seafood
Blending bustling modern streets with traditional culture, the food and finance capital
of Japan more than lives up to its name as the ‘nation’s kitchen’, says James Williams
Why go? A culinary metropolis known for kuidaore (eating till you
drop), Osaka holds 98 Michelin stars and a stellar array of street
vendors and excellent backstreet finds. Friendlier and easier to
navigate than Tokyo, this industrial powerhouse has everything
from neon-lit shopping districts to ancient sights within its limits.
July also marks the Tenjin Matsuri festival, a millennia-old ceremony
that’s one of the biggest celebrations of local art in Japan.
What to do A good place to get your bearings is at Osaka
Castle. The beautiful, tiered edifice is protected by 12km of
walls and a 70m-wide moat, and has gardens that fan out in all
directions. Allow a good few hours to take in all the artworks and
tapestries. From here, make a beeline to Kuromon Ichiba Market
kuromon.com where chefs come to buy their soft-shell crab, eels
and oysters. This meat, fish and seafood cavern is also famed for
its grazing stalls – don’t leave without trying glazed baby octopus on
sticks or the takeaway sushi boxes. It’s a short stroll west from here
to the Minami district, one of Osaka’s two city centres (the other is
the business district Kita to the north). Here you can discover such
gems as Amerikamura americamura.jp a quarter filled with thrift
shops, cafés and cool kids showing off their cutting-edge clothes
and haircuts; Den Den Town, an area notorious for electronics; and
Dotonbori, a neon-strewn canal-side drag that never sleeps. Close
to Dotonbori Bridge is the Hozenji Temple, a haven of calm where
lanterns are lit every evening. Take the subway to Shinsaibashi
to explore Tokyu Hands tokyu-hands.co.jp one of the most
remarkable stores in all of the city. Here some 200,000 items jostle
for space, including everything from bicycle saddles to bathroom
kits. Be sure to pay a visit to Shochikuza Theater shochiku.com
which opened in 1923 and hosts excellent traditional kabuki
(dance drama) performances.
Where to stay If you want to drink tea on tatami (straw) mats
and be provided with yukata night robes then Kaneyoshi Ryokan
00 81 6 6211 6337, kaneyosi.jp on the Dotonbori waterside
is your place. The traditional inn has cosy en suite rooms, a
communal hot tub and authentic breakfasts. The Ritz-Carlton
Osaka 00 81 6 6343 7000, ritzcarlton.com in Kita is the cream
of the Western-style hotels. From the chandelier-clad lobby to
its sophisticated restaurants and range of opulent rooms and
suites, it’s a first-class abode. Hotel Ichiei 00 81 6 6641 3135,
hotel-ichiei.com is an affordable boutique base in Minami with
spacious rooms and suites that have plenty of character. Be sure
to book one with its own stone garden or tea ceremony room.
Where to eat and drink South of Dotonbori’s canal, Hozenji
Yokocho is an alley steeped in history, with some 60 restaurants
and pub-style joints known as izakaya. At Houzenji San Pei 00 81 6
6531 8225, choose your toppings then grill okonomiyaki (pancakes)
at your table. Matsusakagyu Yakiniku 00 81 6 6214 5145,
matsusaka-projects.com specialises in succulent Matsusaka beef
(a type of Wagyu), barbecued and devoured at ‘digging seats’ on
the floor. Take things up a notch at Nagahori 00 81 6 6768 0515,
a Michelin-starred izakaya in Chuo-ku that excels in sake. To pair,
chef Shigeo Nakamura serves up onigiri and sashimi of the highest
quality. If it’s udon noodles you’re hankering for, Dotonbori Imai
00 81 6 6776 0319 is arguably the best. Established in 1946, its
kelp and bonito flake broths are instantly satisfying. Another stalwart
is Kushikatsu Daruma 00 81 6 6645 7056, drawing locals and
tourists alike for its moreish grilled skewers. Real bon vivants should
head for the Dotonbori waterfront come dusk, when any number of
bars and vendors bid for your stomach late into the night.
Time running out? For a break from all the culture, take a short
train ride to Universal Studios Japan, a surreal world where Harry
Potter meets Snoopy meets Hello Kitty. usj.co.jp
Trip tip Take note of the best places to escape the heat in summer.
One of these is Umeda Sky Building. At 173m tall, it features a
Floating Garden Observatory and glass escalator that whizzes you
scarily between the two towers. kuchu-teien.com
Travel information
Currency is the yen. Time is nine hours ahead of GMT. Flight time
from Dubai to Osaka is 9 hours. The cost to carbon-offset this
trip is $23.21. For more details, see climatecare.org
Getting there
Emirates flies from Dubai to Osaka International Airport daily
emirates.com
AVERAGE DAILY TEMPERATURES AND RAINFALL
Resources
Osaka Info is the official local tourist board website, offering
practical advice and tips for seeing the city. osaka-info.jp/en
Further reading
Nanban: Japanese Soul Food by Tim Anderson, a MasterChef
winner and London restaurant owner, is the ideal cookbook for
anyone craving a hit of umami at home.
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Photos by Mark Parren Taylor; Charmaine Grieger
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FOOD & TRAVEL ARABIA