Hanshin Department Store in Umeda is hosting a six-day gyoza and craft beer festival at its dedicated food event space on the first floor. Organised in collaboration with Craft Gyoza Fes, a well-regarded dumpling festival that tours cities nationwide, the event brings together a wide variety of gyoza from some of Japan’s top restaurants.
Here you can sample everything from classic pork-filled dumplings to distinctive regional styles and inventive modern creations. Adding to the appeal is a rotating lineup of over 30 Japanese craft beers, chosen speficially to pair with gyoza.
Highlights include the famous bite-sized Hakata gyoza from Hachisuke in Fukuoka, and the grilled ryosho gyoza from Gyoza-dokoro Sukemasa in Kyoto, which specialises in Japanese-style, ginger-forward dumplings made with Kyoto ingredients such as bonito broth and local miso. Also not to be missed is the garlic-free shiso and grated daikon ponzu dumplings from Hachiman Gyoza in Utsunomiya, a city in Tochigi prefecture that’s often hailed as Japan’s gyoza capital.
Those seeking something to surprise their tastebuds should check out Hokkaido’s Gyoza & Wine Kawa to Ann for its kelp-and-salt-koji-marinated beef tongue gyoza, or Fukuoka’s Angel Gyoza, known for its beef offal in miso sauce dumplings.