Let's go around Shinsekai, the most interesting town in Osaka, with an Osaka lady! ~ Gourmet and sightseeing trip!

A 20-minute train ride from Osaka Station, the Shinsekai district attracts both Japanese and international tourists, with the atmosphere of a friendly old town, and the liveliness of the whole town is like an amusement park. Enjoy Osaka's symbol, Tsutenkaku, and Osaka's soul foods, kushikatsu, okonomiyaki, and takoyaki, as well as shopping. This time, we will go around the town's gourmet and sightseeing spots with Ms. Takahashi, who runs a clothing store here and knows everything about the town.

Now, I will introduce some restaurants and others with Mr. Takahashi!

■ Recommended gourmet food by the Osaka lady ①: Kushikatsu "Yaekatsu"

While there are many kushikatsu (deep-fried on skewers) restaurants, we recommend Yaekatsu, which has fresh ingredients for kushikatsu and good oil for deep frying. Fluffy and crispy kushikatsu is fried right in front of you, and there are more than 30 types of skewers on the menu, including beef, seafood such as shrimp, squid, and vegetables like onions and potatoes, etc. The price ranging from 130 yen to 500 yen for one bite-sized skewer is reasonable and nice. There is a rule when eating kushikatsu: you can dip your kushikatsu skewer into the can of sauce only one time, and you cannot double dip it after you already have a bite.

▲ There are two other restaurants across the aisle, and they are popular as well with a long line in front of each restaurant all the time.

▲Recommended beef skewers 390 yen for 3 skewers. Freshly fried skewers are placed on a tray.

In addition to kushikatsu, beef tendon simmered in white miso called Doteyaki is also a popular local dish of Osaka.

▲The famous Doteyaki, 3 sticks for 390 yen. Piping hot with its steam rising from the dish.

Basic information about Yaekatsu

Location: 3-4-13 Ebisu Higashi, Naniwa-ku, Osaka

■Recommended gourmet food by the Osaka lady ②: Takoyaki "Kankan"

▲Photos of many celebrities who have visited the food stand are displayed on the right side of the entrance. Delicious taste loved by many including celebrities.

▲ A pack of 8 pieces of takoyaki is 450 yen, which is cheaper than other takoyaki places. Eat with the stick on the right.

▲The golden statue on the right next to the staff makingtakoyaki is called Billiken, the god of fortune. You get good luck if you touch its feet!

Basic Kankan information
Location: 3-5-16 Ebisu Higashi, Naniwa-ku, Osaka

■ Recommended gourmet food by the Osaka lady ③: Okonomiyaki "Usagiya"
Like takoyaki, okonomiyaki is made by dissolving wheat flour in dashi stock, adding cabbage, pork, beef, squid, or shrimp according to your taste, and spreading the batter flat on an iron plate. The okonomiyaki of Usagiya, which has been in business for over 70 years, is characterized by its crunchy chopped cabbage. The cooked okonomiyaki is finished with sauce, mayonnaise, and dried green lavers.

Let's make your okonomiyaki with a spatula and enjoy blowing on it to cool it down.

▲ A large Japanese noren curtain is the trademark of their restaurant.

▲ The most popular pork and egg okonomiyaki 680 yen

▲ Usoyaki, their original dish made by mixing famous chewy udon noodles with soba noodles to create the new texture (780 yen)

▲All the menu items are cooked by staff, placed on the steel plate, so that you can serve yourself while the meal is still hot.

Usagiya basic information
Location: 1-14-5 Ebisu Hihgashi, Naniwa-ku, Osaka

■ Rickshaw recommended by the Osaka lady: Shatenriki
A rickshaw is recommended as an entertaining way to explore Shinsekai. In addition to information about famous places and restaurants in the area, they will also take you to your hotel and the downtown of Namba. As the name suggests, Osaka is a city with many hills, making rickshaw perfect for people who may get tired of walking. Charging 6,000 yen / 20 minutes for 2 people, the charge is cheaper than in Tokyo or Kyoto.

▲The rickshaw staff members are all kind and have a lot of information, and their service is the best!

Shatenriki basic information
The rickshaw is waiting for you in front of Tsutenkaku, or the Takoyaki stand "Kankan"

▲Shinsekai has a retro-style mood, and have shops such as shooting range, shogi arena, and Japanese pinball, for your amusement.

■Recommended sightseeing spots in the area ①: Tennoji Park Zoo
The highlight of Tennoji Park Zoo is the "Savanna Zone" where lions and zebras live together. It's like being on an African safari. You may get a little surprised at the size of the lions seen at close range through the glass.

Tennoji Park Zoo Basic Information
Location: 1-108 Chausuyama-cho, Tennoji-ku, Osaka

■Recommended tourist spots in the area ②: Tsutenkaku Tower
Tsutenkaku means "a tall building that leads to the sky" and it is 64 meters high. If you go up to the observatory in the elevator, you can enjoy the panoramatic view from there.　

Tsutenkaku basic information
Location: 1-18-6 Ebisu Higashi, Naniwa-ku, Osaka

Next time, we will introduce the leopard-print fashion store run by Ms. Takahashi, an Osaka lady who guided me through Shinsekai, so please look forward to it!