20 must-go restaurants in Southern Osaka

Sakai

In the world of sushi, the freshest fish isn’t always the finest, as evidenced by the aged delights served at Moriya. Practically bursting with umami, these palate-invigorating morsels are the result of careful craftsmanship and an unparalleled eye for quality, demonstrated by the chef himself during his frequent trips to local ports to meet with trusted fishermen and pick out the most promising seafood. Be sure to order the sake pairing, curated to bring out the very best in every piece.

Carnivores with an eye for unique cuts travel from far and wide to peruse the frequently changing menu at meat master Tsuneyuki Kobayashi’s yakiniku grill. Sourcing rarities like Kumamoto black tongue and ultra-thick wagyu tenderloin from a private network of suppliers, Tsunechan is worth the trek for any dedicated beefeater.

Bringing a slice of Sicily to Sakai, chef Yusuke Mori completed part of his culinary training on the Southern Italian island and now has a little garden of his own, where he grows the Sicilian vegetables and herbs that colour his vibrant multicourse meals. Consider pairing yours with a bottle of Sicilian natural wine.

Senboku

If you can make a living for four decades serving a fish as fickle as fugu, you’re probably doing something right. At Agatha, plump 1.5kg pufferfish are available fresh in the restaurant’s own tanks year-round, ready to be cut up into thick pieces and served either as springy sashimi (‘tessa’) or in shabu-shabu form with ponzu sauce. Either way, the flesh is luxuriously light and mellow, with a refined hint of umami. Not a fugu fan? Try some other type of sashimi, or go for the excellent kushikatsu.

Scrutinise the marine riches of Senshu through an Italian lens at this conveniently located trattoria right by Izumiotsu Station. Small jako shrimp, brand-name Izumi octopus and hamo (pike conger, a type of sea eel) are only a few of the local specialities highlighted in pastas, pizzas and multifarious small dishes. If you happen to visit on a quiet weekday, the chef will sometimes ask you about your favourite flavours and offer to cook up something special off the menu.

Select seasonal ingredients from Italy meet super-fresh Southern Osaka meat and produce in vibrant, inventively plated dishes. If you’re looking to kick back and savour local specialities like Naniwa Kurogyu wagyu, Naniwa heirloom vegetables or Kawachi duck with a glass of wine or three, this is the spot.

If you’re looking for top-value Chinese cuisine with a local flourish, China Table Kisshin in Takaishi is an iron-clad choice. Chef Yoshitomo Tanaka channels his Sino-Japanese expertise into imaginative dishes that make full use of seasonal ingredients. His distinctive Japanese-style tableware is worth admiring, too.

Churning out Breton galettes of the very highest order, On pairs its pancakes – made entirely from domestic buckwheat flour – with vegetables sourced from local farms. Be sure to check out their seasonal specials; on one of our recent visits, we were left floored by a galette filled with a combo of ground meat, Malabar spinach and miso butter. You’ll also find a nice selection of fruity drinks on the menu, with both cocktails and mocktails well represented.

Sennan

Fresh seafood brought in the same day from the nearby ports gets turned into vibrant seasonal dishes at this kappo stalwart, conveniently located just a few minutes’ walk from Kishiwada Station. While the fish steals the show – you’re offered different types of soy sauce depending on the source of the seafood served – Yuko’s meat and veg dishes are excellent as well, deserving of a pairing with choice tipples from the restaurant’s selection of around 100 wines and 50 types of sake.

Special occasion? Celebrate in Senshu with an opulent French meal incorporating the finest flavours of the region: handsome, nutrient-rich vegetables sourced from a select crop of local farmers, and the freshest fish courtesy of wholesaler Tozaemon, a dealer in the highest-end Osaka seafood since the mid-1800s.

Dine in style while gazing out at the elaborate Japanese garden just south of the Kishiwada castle moat at this samurai estate turned fancy kaiseki restaurant, where you can enjoy multicourse meals centred on delicacies such as Kobe beef. Tip: You don’t have to eat at Gofuso to visit the garden and its three teahouses.

A French bistro set in a traditional Japanese row house, with a commitment to spotlighting the Senshu area’s finest foodstuffs – a cosmopolitan hog if you ever met one, ‘The Golden Pig’ sources its seafood from Izumisano Port and fish dealers in Kishiwada, while most of the veg comes from its own neighbourhood. Try one of the imaginative multicourse meals built around a single ingredient, such as plump and sweet Senshu mizunasu eggplant from Yamade Farm nearby.

Obanzai is straightforward Japanese cooking at its best – a longstanding culinary tradition of using fresh, in-season ingredients that results in meals bursting with natural flavours. Malu turns greens grown in the restaurant’s own garden or sourced from farmers in the neighbourhood into wholesome combinations of inviting small dishes, eight of which are served alongside melt-in-your-mouth rice balls and miso soup in the restaurant’s signature Malu Gokan Teishoku set.

Stewed fish, crisp tempura, Japanese omelette, sashimi cut fresh from fish brought in from the Izumisano fishing port that morning – the options are many and enticing at this eatery where you get to assemble your very own set meal. Open from as early as 4am, it’s a wildly popular spot, so come prepared to queue.

A historic red-brick silk mill in the town of Tarui houses Rojica, a real multitasker of a destination that started out as a shop dealing in Southeast Asian furniture and sundries but now also encompasses an event space – and, crucially, a tranquil café serving some of the most lip-smacking cakes in all of Osaka.

Kappo Matsuya styles itself the only restaurant in Japan specialising in watarigani, or Japanese blue crab. Take your pick of the multicourse meals, which include a bonanza of crab-based treats prepared in a myriad of ways – from salt-grilled to sashimi, in a salad, and incorporated into a rice dish. For a boozy finish to your culinary adventure, be sure to order a cup of the restaurant’s own ‘crab sake’.

Run by the wife of a fisherman based at the nearby Nishitottori Port, this no-frills eatery offers hearty home cooking centred on super-fresh seasonal seafood. Try the daily set lunch, built around your choice of the day’s catch.

The bustle of central Osaka feels a world away amidst the tranquillity of rural Kumatori. Gaze out at the pond in front of this cosy café while treating your taste buds to a healthy and filling lunch or some homemade sweets, ideally combined with the bright greenery of early summer or the golden foliage of autumn.

Crafting ‘ethical sweets’ like cheesecakes made with brown rice flour and layered cakes featuring misshapen fruit donated by local farmers and turned into purée, this friendly little pastry shop brings joy to both the planet and intrepid sweets fiends willing to make the trip way out to Sennan.

A sizeable tank filled with seafood brought to shore on local boats dominates the airy interior of this fishing-village sushi joint. Make a quick pit stop for a couple of nigiri topped with in-season delicacies, or call ahead and settle in for an elaborate multicourse meal built around fugu or hamo sea eel.