【Takoyaki in Osaka】 Must-Visit Takoyaki Restaurants around Osaka Station and Umeda Area

Takoyaki(Octopus Balls) and Okonomiyaki(Japanese pancake) are some of the most famous food in Osaka, and you definitely want to eat them while you are in Osaka. We Love Osaka walked around this area and visited best Takoyaki restaurants in Osaka, so I will introduce them here. It is not only in Namba and Dotombori where there are good restaurants! You can enjoy good takoyaki in Umeda as well, so I strongly recommend visiting here.

1.You can choose the seasoning. Takoyaki restaurant in Whity Umeda

【Takohachi, Umechika】
This takoyaki restaurant was open in 1979 in Namba Dotombori. They now have 12 locations, and some are in Ginza, Hamamatsu, Tottori, and in Okayama. “Moving moment of eating takoyaki” being their motto, they serve great takoyaki. There is only a U-shaped counter in the store, and takeout is also available.
I ordered 10 takoyaki balls. They quickly served takoyaki with dashi broth. You eat this takoyaki by dipping them in the dashi, and you can choose hot or cold dashi broth. This time I chose the hot one.
I had one after dipping one in the dashi. The takoyaki itself was very soft and the inside was creamy. I felt like I could eat them endlessly as they are not too heavy.
Next I put sauce and mayo on it, as well as bonito flakes and seaweed laver. This combination is the classic one, and it was also good. The sauce was a bit spicy and the mayo was a little sour, which went really well with the plain takoyaki.
At last, I had them with ginger soy sauce and mayonnaise. I liked this combination the best! The flavor of the soy sauce was great, with the flavor of mayo.
At first I thought this one would not go well with takoyaki, but I absolutely loved it.
You can choose seasoning on the table and enjoy different tastes.
This is the menu. They also have okonomiyaki and ikayaki(broiled squid)

2.The classic taste of takoyaki in Nishi Umeda.

【Aizuya, Umeda】
This place is located in Umesankouji, on the west of Sakurabashi Ticket Gate of JR Osaka Station. It is located to the north of Nishi Umeda Station of Osaka Metro Yotsubashi line. They started a food stall of radio-yaki, which is the parent of takoyaki, in Imazato, Osaka in 1933. At first, they were eaten by children as a snack.
This time I had set A (1,000 yen), which had 10 original takoyaki balls, 6 radio-yaki, and 6 negiyaki (takoyaki with green onion in it). They had crispy ones and soft ones, so I chose the former. You do not have to dip in anything because soy sauce-based dashi broth is used. You can eat one with one bite, but be careful, they are really hot! The surface is very crisp and the inside is creamy, so when you bite on it, the hot batter will spread in your mouth.
Can you see the size? It varies one by one, but on average they are twice as big as the thumbnail.
The ones in the front are negiyaki and the ones at the back are original radio-yaki. Radio-yaki has beef tendon and konjac, which gives you different texture and flavor from that of takoyaki. This makes you want to drink beer. Negiyaki, as you can tell from the name, has a lot of green onion in it. Radio-yaki and negiyaki look quite similar, so make sure which one you are eating.
This is their menu. I had set A this time. I recommend two people share set C.

3.If you want to take a rest in Hankyu Sanbangai

【Bubutei, Hankyu Sanbangai】
Bubutei is very famous for Akashiyaki (takoyaki made with extra egg), which they use selected bonito flakes, seaweed, and dashi broth to cook, but their takoyaki is also awesome.
Here are very soft takoyaki! You put sauce on the table by yourself. It is fun to put sauce with a brush.
You finish off seasoning by putting mayo, bonito flakes, and seaweed laver. You taste the flavor of dashi in the soft and creamy takoyaki, and later you taste the umami flavor. The piece of octopus is pretty big. The taste of sauce and the batter are well-balanced, and they are very good.
The menu is quite simple. Akashiyaki is strongly recommended as well.

4.Eki Marche near Osaka Station

【Takoya Dotombori Kukuru, Eki Marche Osaka】
You can enjoy Kukuru’s takoyaki in Eki Marche Osaka, which is located right by JR Osaka Station. The main location of Kukuru is in Dotombori. It is very close to the ticket gate, so it is quite convenient.
The pieces of octopus are pretty big. They pay a lot of attention to the octopus, and they instantly freeze octopus on ships to seal in the taste.
You put the sauce, mayo, bonito flakes and seaweed laver. The soft and creamy takoyaki has rich flavor of dashi broth.
This one is akashiyaki. As you can see they are creamy and soft. You dip them in dashi with Japanese honewort and pickled ginger. They are plain, but the pickled ginger is sweet and sour, which gives accent to the dish.

※Click to the photo enlarge.

This is the menu. You can enjoy Takoumeshi other than takoyaki and akashiyaki.

5.A long line in Umeda! Popular menu is impressive

【Hanadako】
This is the takoyaki restaurant with a long line in front of it. The restaurant is located in Shin Umedashokudougai and is on the ground floor, it is easily accessible from Umeda and JR Osaka Station.
You can dine in and get some to go. You eat takoyaki standing as you see in the picture. The space is big enough for seven people to fit in. You can see them making takoyaki while dining.
There is a hook you can hang your bag on.
The most popular menu is this nekimayo (green onion mayo). A lot of fresh green onion is on the takoyaki, so you should consider the ratio of takoyaki to green onion. The bitterness of fresh green onion and takoyaki make a good match.
There are 6 takoyaki balls in one bowl. They use raw octopus in the takoyaki, so they have a plump texture. The takoyaki is very soft and the inside is very creamy.
The place is the end of Shin Umedashokudougai near Hankyu Umeda Department Store and JR Osaka Station, you can use this sign as a guide.

※Click to the photo enlarge.

You can choose the taste of takoyaki, negimayo from sauce, ponzu sauce, dashi soy sauce, salt, shiodare, and unseasoned. Takosen (takoyaki put between rice crackers) is good for eating while walking around.

6.Takoyaki restaurant where you can make your takoyaki, in Maru building

【Takonotetsu, Maru Building】
The place is located on the B2 floor of Osaka Maru Building, where you can cook your own takoyaki yourself. There are 72 seats, so families, friends, couples can come here and enjoy takoyaki.
In the center of each table has an iron place for making takoyaki. For those who have made takoyaki, you can show your skills!
You can put green onion, tenkasu (deep fried bits of tempura batter), and pickled ginger.
I love the ginger, so I put a lot. After turning them over, they came to look like takoyaki! You can make it crisp or soft as you like.
This is takoyaki set meal served during lunch time. People in Kansai often eat okonomiyaki with rice, but they hardly ever eat takoyaki with rice. But they actually go well with each other!

※Click to the photo enlarge.

They have other set meals for lunch other than takoyaki. Lunch time is during 11:00 to 15:00 on weekdays.

7.Go for a drink near Umeda Station. A restaurant where you can enjoy soft akashiyaki

【Ekitei】
A place in Shin Umedashokudougai, which only has counter seats. They are open since 1972.
This restaurant is famous for akashiyaki. They use a lot of egg in the batter, so they are so soft. They shrink when they get cold, so they make them after you order. The akashiyaki fresh from the iron place is so creamy and tastes great!
The dashi broth is made from chicken and bonito, and it is light but rich, bringing out the simple akashiyaki.
I recommend the set of akashiyaki, drink, and a side dish, which is \1,050 (tax included). They also have a variety of dishes like oden and yakisoba. This is one of the places you want to stop by for a drink.

8.Takoyaki restaurant on Hankyu Higashi street, where you can eat takoyaki as a snack

【Karitoro, Umeda】
Takoyaki restaurant whose main location is in Juso, Osaka. You can find this place if you go southward down Higashi street, and this place is open till midnight, so you can come here to finish off the night.
This one is Karitoro takoyaki. Kari means crisp, and toro means creamy. You can put sauce, soy sauce, and ponzu sauce on the table, but they have taste themselves, so you can eat them without any seasoning.
This one is Shirutoro. You eat takoyaki with dashi. After dipping them in the dahsi, the crispy parts become soft as well, so it is nice to eat when you drank too much because they are easy on your stomach.
This is their menu. Scorched takoyaki with cheese on it is also intriguing. I will order it next time.

Summery

How was it? Takoyaki, the soul food of Osaka. You can try good takoyaki in Umeda around Osaka Station. Many takoyaki places are in different areas, so visit one nearby when you feel like eating takoyaki.