Table of Contents
Introduction
Lunch time can get intense in Osaka, especially on a weekday. With long lines of salary men grabbing a quick bite it can be tough to find a seat, let alone a GOOD restaurant. That’s why I’ve gathered a few places off the beaten path where you can avoid the lines but STILL eat something delicious! All of these spots were suggested to me by REAL Osaka locals as their favorite hidden gems in the city. These have almost certainly never made a “best of” list. Read on, if you dare, and you can taste something truly authentic and rare! Our first candidate is…
Hidden gem #1: Ranshu Gyuniku Men: Homemade Noodles in Namba!
Address: 加佐松ビル 1階, 2 Chome-3-7 Minamisenba, Chuo Ward, Osaka, 542-0081. Tel: 06-6926-8146. Open: 11:00-22:00.
Our first location is in the Namba. These days this area has become very popular and crowded with tourists so I think you’ll be happy to find a less busy place to grab lunch! I had recently gotten word of a VERY authentic ramen joint called “Ranshu Gyuniku Men” so I thought I might try it out! It wasn’t your typical Japanese type -it was much more unusual! This Ranshu type (蘭州 in Japanese and spelled Lanzhou in English) includes impressive hand-pulled noodles. Apparently, the technique takes years to master and it’s from a type of Hui Muslim cuisine from the Gansu province of China. As you can see below, it’s a treat to watch the chef beating and stretching the noodles as you wait for your meal. The meat is Halal certified and filled with quite a number of fragrant spices!
When you visit the restaurant and see the gigantic menu with too many things (some of them with no explanation) there is an ipad to order so you can use English to pick what you like and even customize your order!! But since it’s lunch make sure to go with the special so you can get a good deal.
As you can see above there are over 8 different noodle thicknesses to choose from! Each one has a different texture and chewiness. I ordered the bottom left which was pretty thick and had a unique feel when chewing it.
Authentic Chinese Taste
I ordered the big and thick and amazingly delicious noodles to try out the largest side of the spectrum and fellow Osaka writer Nagisa ordered the medium size but she said my gargantuan ones had more of the “wow” factor. Both were delicious, but either way, they go well with the fragrant broth. I couldn’t figure out what the spices were but the smell of them hit me like a hammer to the face the second I walked in. The little sprinkles of cilantro were a refreshing addition as well. An unlike Japanese ramen, these have a spicy kick! But it’s not only the noodles and broth that are tasty…
Some great cuts of meat were included as well. As the “gyuniku” (meat) name implies, this ramen is made with beef as opposed to the standard pork you would find in Japanese-style ramen. But I didn’t come here for the usual faire, I was looking for something more unique. My noodle soup came with another interesting couple of things because I ordered the “C” set.
This oily but delicious (spinach?) pancake. It was cooked hot and fresh and was DEFINITELY not something you would find in a Japanese ramen establishment. (I double checked the menu and it said this was “onion oil mochi,” -the translation seemed a little off, but we’ll ignore that for now.)
Mystery Pickles
The other part of my set were some mystery pickles. The menu offered no help in explaining these – the person who suggested this place told me its “potatoes” (but don’t take my word for it.) All said, the exotic (from my perspective) tastes assaulting my tongue (in a good way) were what made this dish stand out for me. They were a more concentrated version of the herbs in the ramen. On that note, since I ordered my ramen with no rayu hot sauce, I will show you a picture of what the standard “hot” ramen looks like, which has a bit more of that spiced flavor like the potatoes:
The menu is chock full of other dishes but I wasn’t brave enough to try them yet! Like the ramen, these aren’t standard for your traditional “machi chuuka” Japanese-style Chinese joint.
As you may see, some of the menu items don’t even have a Japanese katakana translation, so I wouldn’t even know how to order them or what they are. Perhaps the next time I go I will work up the courage (they all look great!)
Hidden gem #2: Il Sole Ten 3: Authentic Italian Pizza in Tenjinbashi
Address: 3 Chome-5-16 Tenjinbashi, Kita Ward, Osaka, 530-0041. Tel: 06-6809-2767. Open: 11:30-14:00; 5:30-21:00. Closed: Mon. Website: https://pizzeria-ilsole-ten3.com/menu.html.
While writing a piece on the Tenjinbashisuji shopping arcade I stumbled upon an amazing Italian place, “Il Sole Ten 3.” I stopped here for lunch and felt it was too good to write just a short blurb. This is now my GO-TO place for pizza lunch in Osaka!
Certified Authentic Italian Pizza
When deciding whether to go here what sealed the deal was the “Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana” (aka: AVPN) plaque on the wall. AVPN is a Italian non-profit created to protect Italian pizza making tradition for generations to come. Their approval means it’s made in the traditional Naples style. Fun fact: there are many “AVPN” approved restaurants around the world, but outside of Italy, Japan has the most! You can find more affiliated spots (including Osaka) by using this link.
I asked the pizza chef about the cheese and he said it’s imported Italian Buffalo mozzarella cheese. The AVPN rules state that “true Neapolitan pizza must be garnished with ingredients preferably from Campania regions.”
They have other specific specifications too such as it must be kneaded by hand, the dough can only contain flour salt and yeast, and it must be cooked in a wood-fired oven etc.
Another thing that sealed the deal: the amazingly cheap price. For 1190 yen I got a wood-fired pizza, salad, and hot lemon tea -unheard of! In this day-and-age of inflation I was shocked you could get such quality at a reasonable price. With today’s dollar to yen ratio you could be eating this meal for $7.60. I don’t even think you could buy an authentic Italian lunch that cheap in the US 10 years ago, let alone today. But make sure to come at noon, I suspect dinner is more expensive. By comparison, getting the special at the other AVPN verified restaurant in Osaka was around 2000 yen to start. Perhaps the pizza size may be bigger there, but this place is perfect is you’re eating solo!
In the front of the restaurant they have a long row of counter seats so it’s no problem to come by yourself if you need to grab a quick bite (as I did that day.) The first thing that was brought out was the salad. The leaves were fresh and crisp and the dressing was homemade and mixed together in a gigantic olive oil jug.
While waiting for the pizza to come they gave me a little booklet full of factoids about Italian food. For one, they make a distinction between pizza and “peet-sa.” “Pizza” (pronounced “pee-ZA” in Japanese) is American style with a thick crust while “pee-TSA” is the traditional thin and crispy (I guess they haven’t had New York pizza.) They also mention that while many Japanese like to drip Tabasco sauce on their “pee-ZA” here at Il Sole they prefer the traditional way: homemade hot pepper oil.
I was excited to taste the difference using the homemade oil , I became giddy when I saw the chef sticking the tray into the brick oven, “ooh I bet I’m next!” I thought. Indeed I was, the pizza fit perfectly into a large white plate was brought right over to me like a Christmas gift. It’s the perfect size for 1 person.
I took one bite into it and felt like I was back in Italy again. I had visited Rome a number of years ago and this was as good as what I’d had. The fresh tomato sauce mixed with the Italian cheese and that fluffy but crisp crust was incredible. According to AVPN guidelines the tomatoes are crushed by hand which is what give it that freshness. There must be something special about the flour too. It was too fresh, too chewy than something you could get from regular dough.
Indeed, unlike “American-style” pizza the crust was as thin as paper. But the quality of the ingredients are what really shone through on this amazing slice. Given the thinness, I noticed it was quick to cool off. As someone who enjoy piping-hot pizza with gooey cheese I realized I better eat this quick!
Another great thing about the place is they have a window in front so you can watch the pizza getting made. They’re so proud of their process and fresh ingredients that they want the whole world to see! It certainly makes you want to eat there!
To end the meal I enjoyed a nice hot cup of tea and lemon. I had the option for ice tea as well but I needed to melt some of the food in my stomach because I was really full. Other choices on the menu included “red orange juice” which I assume is “blood-orange” juice -but that’s a strange way of saying it.
For my next visit I’ll be sure to try some of their other toppings which include sausage, arugula, and ham! I noticed some people around me were enjoying pasta as well but I laughed at their stupidity, “you buy PASTA at an AVPN verified PIZZA place? What nonsense!” But I only kid, I’m sure it’s JUST as amazing as the pizza (peet-tsa.)
Hidden gem #3: Miyatake Sanuki Udon in Umeda
Address: B2F Umeda Food Hall 1-1-3 Shibata, Kita-ku, Osaka Hankyu Sanban-gai North Building, Osaka 530-0012. Open: 10:00-22:00.
Udon is the original “fast food.” Historically a cheap food for the working (wo)man who needed a quick bite! With that in mind, I thought it approriate to include in my lunch list. These days there are “self serve” style udon joints where you can pick up your own tempera, tenkasu fried flakes, and onigiri as you slide your tray along the lane. You’re usually eating within 5 minutes which is just as fast as any Burger King I ever went to!
But what caught my attention about restaurant Miyatake Sanuki Udon wasn’t the quickness, it was the fact that it’s home made! I saw through the window the dough being rolled out and noodles cut. For prices as cheap as theirs I was amazed! That’s 370 yen for the least expensive one -about $2.50 in American. Good luck getting a side of french fries for that much in the states! As a side note, when I was visiting Torrance, California in 2022 to get some udon at the Galleria mall I think I paid close to 15 dollars -and I’m sure it’s more now. In other words, enjoy these affordable noodles while you’re here -they sure taste better too!
And they aren’t cut in the usual style, they’re “sanuki” type which are made with high gluten wheat flour which make them extra chewy. On top of that they’re shaped to be extra thick to enhance that springy feel! Made with authentic ingredients from Kagawa, the birthplace of udon, it’s as they say in Japanese: “machigainai” (definitely a sure thing!)
Big Thick Chewy Noodles
Since udon is cheap to begin with there wasn’t a “lunch special” here perse, but while testing the udon order for lunch and dinner (yes, I went a little nuts) I noticed that the chikuwa tempura was hot and fresh at noon as opposed to evening. Therefore, I would recommend coming at noon if you want a fresher fry! That being said, the noodles were true to the Sanuki name: big, thick, fresh, and chewy -you can’t beat that texture! Don’t let the “fast food” buffet style setting fool you, these noodles are as good as any you could get at an expensive restaurant! Since we’re focusing on lunch today, this style is also more appropriate as well.
Now you’re probably wondering why I picked this establishment out of all the other udon locations in Osaka. To fit in with our “hidden spots” theme I picked an underground food court: Hankyu Sanban Gai’s Food Hall located in the Umeda area! While most may not think a food court packed with people as secluded, I beg to differ. While strolling around the busier parts of Osaka during the lunch hour and seeing the lines down the street, I was able to get my meal here at Miyatake within 5 minutes -that’s pretty good! There are also all manner of restaurants besides udon: new style ramen, old style chukka soba ramen, sashimi bowls, vietnamese food, Showa style Western diner food, etc.
With it all being under the Hankyu umbrella, I was amazed to see the signature Hankyu train green felt seats recreated for the diners to have a “train experience” here in the dining area. This is perfect for train (or felt) enthusiasts alike!
Conclusion
While there are literally thousands upon thousands of hidden lunch places, if you’re like me: you have a hard time choosing. Today’s choices represent a good place to start and in 3 vastly different parts of town. I hope to continue this series in the future because, like I mentioned, there are SO many to pick from and I hope to make life a little easier for our readers.
Until next time: bon appetit (in Japanese: “itadakimasu”)
