Kenji’s tour was a fantastic experience. Everything we ate was high quality, and a lot of it was not the typical style you might get at any restaurant.
The takoyaki was a good starter, with a little spice in the sauce. The sushi was delicious, and the restaurant had a nice atmosphere. The bar was full, so we took off our shoes and ate cross-legged in a cozy room upstairs. Our favorite place was the standing barbeque restaurant, where we tried some common cuts of meat like leg and shoulder and some less common parts like tongue and raw heart. We were feeling pretty satisfied already when we got to the ramen place. Rather than the standard pork broth, this restaurant served fish or chicken-based soups. It was excellent, with tender cuts of pork mixed in with the chewy noodles.
Kenji knew so much about the food and was great at answering all our questions. He led us through some cozy-looking back alleys packed with restaurants, and he pointed out some of his other favorites in the neighborhood in case we wanted to come back. He also was an attentive host, making sure we enjoyed our experiences, taking pictures, and being an all-around fun person to spend an evening with. I highly recommend Kenji’s food tour if you’re in Osaka.