壽喜燒 美食之旅(2)

Kentaro was our tour guide. He was a font of interesting information about Japan, Osaka and local food.

Our guide, Russ, was very knowledgeable and, true to his Welsh roots, he entertained us with many fun stories and anecdotes about both the old and new Osaka . Wondering through the streets and side alleys, Russ introduced us to many restaurants, shops, and (yes) even a temple that is also home to a large family of cats. As well, a shout out to Virginia who accompanied us as a guide-in-training. Lots of fun and I highly recommend it to anyone wanting to experience a special part of Osaka!

Spencer exceeded our initial expectations as our tour guide for the evening. The tour started a bit awkwardly, but Spencer’s eclectic knowledge helped spark conversations which connected us as a group. The tour started at the bridge overlooked by the popular Glico man where Spencer provided history on the origins of the company and mascot. At the first food stop, we had 4 different types of takoyaki which was the best we’ve ever had - piping hot crispy crust, decadent gooey insides, and juicy pops of chewy octopus. The tour continued through some cute alleyways where Spencer highlighted art work depicting the history of Osaka and a tiny shrine for the 1 inch-high samurai. The next food stop, which we never would have discovered on our own, was a quiet restaurant featuring homestyle cooking. Here we had tonjiru (pork-based soup), agedashi tofu, and a tsukune skewer. Spencer also bought us a round of drinks. We then walked through the busy streets of Dotonbori and marveled at the oversized mascots and kitschy decor above the restaurants. Spencer pointed out the restaurant where conveyor belt sushi was invented, which we went back to try later. The next stop was a busy izakaya packed with locals that would be intimidating for foreigners to enter unguided. We had 2 types of okonomiyaki, chicken karaage, and more drinks. We felt like we got a taste of being a local. Last was a taiyaki stall with hot fish shaped cakes - the perfect street dessert capping a fun night in Osaka!

This was an amazing tour. We are vegan and our tour guide was extremely accommodating.

Russ was a pretty fun guide for our first night out in Osaka. He exclusively speaks English so if that is something you would like definitely go for the tour. Good food and pretty good conversation throughout!