Osaka Eats: Matsusakagyu Yakiniku

As mentioned in my previous post, I saved the best for last.  And here it is!  But first, a little back story:  The night after we ate in Dotonbori, when we got back to our hotel, I immediately went online to search for good restaurants in Osaka.  We were quite lost amidst all the restaurants we saw, and didn't want to take the chance of trying the wrong ones since we only had a few days to spare.  I wanted something that came highly recommended by all - be it tourists or locals and one restaurant that I came across was Matsusakagyu Yakiniku.  How highly recommended was it?  #1 out of 5806 restaurants in Osaka (according to Tripadvisor)!!!  Need I say more?  Sadly, we had just had our fill of wagyu beef that night so I passed and went on to search for other restaurants to try.  Besides, the address was far too confusing (someone mentioned it was located in some alleyway) and being unable to read Japanese, we definitely had to pass.  Fast forward a few days later, it was our last day in Osaka.  We were running around like headless chickens because of last minute shopping, and we already had one restaurant on our lunch list:  Ichiran.  We haven't had the chance to have any tonkotsu ramen yet and Ichiran was among one of the highly recommended ramen restaurants in Osaka.  As luck would have it, when we arrived in Ichiran, the place was closed!  We couldn't read why, but it was scheduled to reopen a week after.  Boo.  Seemingly lost, we wandered around, until Hubby went into one of the alleys to look for food.  Most of the restaurants were still closed, so we walked on until a familiar signage caught my eye.  At first, I wasn't really sure what made me stop and look at the signage.  It looked strangely familiar and then suddenly, *DING!!!*  Lightbulb moment!  Lo and behold, we were standing right outside Matsusakagyu Yakiniku!

The excitement died down as soon as it started when we realized that a. no one was outside , b. the door was closed thus c. the restaurant might be closed.  Luckily, I married a very persistent husband who, seeing the closed door, went on to open it and marched inside.  We were greeted by a surprised server who thankfully can speak English and informed us that they only accept cash during lunch.  

The extremely small dining "room"

After our agreement to the "cash only" basis, we were ushered into this small yet cozy dining room.  It was cramped; there were only two of us but we felt like we couldn't fit another person in there anymore.  But who cares?  We were there for the food!  So we browsed for a while, debating what to get since everything sounded so good.  Finally, we agreed on 2 combination sets, then got another order a while after *wink* (will explain this a bit later).

Lean Parts

Marbled Parts

Rare Parts

Sets

Part Chart

Combination of Marbled and Rare Parts Set

An order of Maboroshi No Misuji

Sizzle, Sizzle

The verdict?  Words cannot express how extremely delicious the beef was!  Orgasmic x 1000000.  Crazily good!  The tenderness of the beef, coupled with the heavenly aroma sent us into a glassy-eyed euphoria.  Yes, it was the best piece of meat we have tasted in our whole life.  EVER.  Hubby and I initially just chose 2 combination sets to try, but we got so overwhelmed with how good one particular part was, the maboroshi no misuji (only one comes from each cow, according to the menu), that we decided to get another order of just that part!  Eating wagyu will never be the same again once you've tried the ones served in Matsusakagyu Yakiniku.  I've never given this rating before but I'll happily give it 10 out of 5 stars!  Matsusakagyu Yakiniku, I will be back.  And that's a promise.

Matsusakagyu Yakiniku is at 1-1-19 Namba, Chuo-ku, Osaka, Osaka Prefecture 542-0076, Japan

Osaka: Where and What to Eat

From my previous post, I've mentioned that Dotonbori in Osaka has a whole stretch of restaurants.  We were able to try some of them during our trip and one realization I have is that the Japanese really have a passion for food.  95% of what we ate during our short 4-day stay was delicious!  Advanced apologies though, this list is not complete, and only one of them has an English name.  But no worries, I've also taken photos of the store signages in case you guys are in Osaka and would want to try out  some of the restaurants I featured here.   

Chibo

Osaka is famous for two main food items.  This is the first one:  Okonomiyaki, which is a Japanese pancake.  Before our trip to Osaka, Chibo came highly recommended by two people, so it was indeed a must-try.  Good thing too because the signage has English so it was way easier for us to find.

Okonomiyaki

So how was Chibo's okonomiyaki?  Er...  truth be told, we didn't like it.  Disappointed would be the word.  We expected something soft, moist and fluffy that will send you straight to orgasmic fantasies but this one did nothing like that.  What we got was a piece of pancake that was quite dry and a bit overcooked.  Must have been a off day for the chef because my friend D who recommended Chibo couldn't believe it when I told him that it wasn't good.  He actually thought there was something wrong with my tastebuds.  LOL.  I assured him that nothing was wrong with me because two of us tried it and we both didn't like it.  As I said, off day.  Sad though because we weren't able to go back and try it once again.

The second food item which Osaka is known for would be the takoyaki.  Many of us here in the Philippines is familiar with this one because you can practically find this everywhere - from the streets, to the malls and even bazaars!  And in Osaka, there was definitely no shortage of takoyakis because the stretch of Dotonbori has 5 or more stalls selling takoyaki.  We wanted to try each one initially but our tummies wouldn't permit it, so we had to decide on one.  What made us go for this one was that the queue was much longer compared to the others.

Takoyaki

Sadly, once again, this one failed in comparison to the better takoyakis we've had here in Manila.  I regret for not going takoyaki-hopping.  Maybe next time...

After the unsatisfying okonomiyaki and takoyaki (yes, we ate all these on the same night!), Hubby suggested we try a restaurant we passed by earlier.  We were intrigued by the black cow hanging on the side of their signage.  Upon closer inspection, it was indeed a restaurant that serves wagyu beef.  After that realization, we were inside faster than you can say "wagyu"!

Wagyu

Don't ask me how it was because by merely judging the marbling of the pieces served to us, it was a little piece of heaven!  Literally melt in your mouth!  The wagyu was coated with some kind of sauce (tasted like teriyaki sauce) when served, which added to the flavor of the beef.  Oishi! (means delicious in Japanese)

When in Osaka, do go for the okonomiyaki and takoyaki.  Though we did not enjoy the ones we tried, I'm not closing my doors on those two because I know there's definitely other restaurants that serve better versions of it.  And do not ever miss out on the wagyu beef!  Also strongly recommended are the sushis and surprise surprise, packed meals from 7-Eleven.  

Don't worry, my food posts are not done yet.  Among all the restaurants we've tried during our stay in Osaka, one did extremely stand out.  And boy, our palate got so spoiled with this one, things will never be the same again.  Watch out for it!

Dotonbori is at Dotonbori, Chuo-ku, Osaka, Osaka Prefecture, Japan

Osaka: Where To Go

Being a first-timer in Osaka, I mainly relied on countless research and reviews on the internet when it comes to where to go.  Since we were just spending four days in Osaka, we made sure to make the most out of it by going to places which ranks high on the must-visit lists.  Here are some of the places we went to:

Shinsaibashi Suji

Shinsaibashi Suji is a well known shopping street.  It boasts of a few kilometers worth of shops, and being a shopaholic, how can you not visit this place?!  What I like most about Shinsaibashi Suji is that you can find a mix of everything - be it local or international, high end or low end.  Practically everything is here: food, cosmetics, apparel, sports, and then some more!  The only thing you have to worry about is how your wallet and your credit cards will handle the pressure!  LOL.

Dotonbori

Shinsaibashi Suji and Dotonbori is separated by a bridge.  And in this area, you will find the iconic Glico Man sign, which is originally installed way back in 1935.  So what is Dotonbori?  Oh, just a whole stretch of restaurants.  What?!  Yup, a whole stretch.  We didn't get a chance to see how long that stretch is, but let's just say that you'll find a number of Osaka's best restaurants here in Dotonbori.  Nuff said.

Universal Studios Japan

I think this one needs no explanation.  No matter how far you go, or how many times you've already been, a visit to Universal Studios is always a must.  Always.  This is the third Universal Studios I've visited, and no two Universal Studios are the same.  Fun, fun, fun!

Rinku Premium Outlets

...and for those extreme shopaholics, Osaka has Rinku Premium Outlets.  Tip:  Visit Rinku Premium Outlets upon arrival or on your departure day because Rinku Town (where the Rinku Premium Outlets are) is just one stop away from the airport.  The outlet boasts of 210 stores from both local and international brands.

Osaka Aquarium

8 floors.  27 tanks.  11,000 tons of water.  346 tons worth of acrylic glass.  The biggest aquarium in the world.  Have I convinced you yet?  If not, how about interaction with sharks and stingrays?  Yes, you get to hold them, and no, you will not die.  I'm still alive to tell the tale, aren't I?  LOL.  Kidding aside, this is one impressive aquarium.  And if you love marine life, then you'll surely love Osaka Aquarium.

In summary, above are some of the must-visits when in Osaka.  So when going to Osaka for the first time (or the nth!), try to visit these places and see for yourself what Osaka has to offer.  Now I'm done with the "places to visit" post, do wait for my next post:  it's all about FOOOOOOOD! :)

Best Western Hotel Fino Osaka Shinsaibashi

If you guys noticed the lack of posts last week, I've got an excuse.  Two words:  Osaka, Japan!  Yup, was out of the country for a while, so wasn't able to blog much.  My apologies!  But, I am back, and I've got a few upcoming blog posts about our recently concluded trip!  Excited much!  It was my very first time in Japan and being a country that speaks little to no English, we had quite an adventure!  But first, let me show you where we stayed.  

A little back story:  My best friend D went to Osaka early this year.  When he got back, he had so much interesting stories that it made me want to go there and I soon found myself booking a flight to Osaka!  While booking for the hotel accommodations, I remembered D telling me that the main shopping and eating place is called Shinsaibashi and Dotonbori, so I made sure that our hotel would be somewhere nearby.  Best Western Hotel seemed like the perfect hotel.  Reviews were good, and it's within walking distance to Shinsaibashi and Dotonbori.

Arriving in Osaka, our flight was delayed and even with directions to the hotel, we had a bit of a difficulty getting there.  So when we finally got to Best Western, it was close to midnight.  The good thing was that the hotel is located right across 7-Eleven!  Off topic:  Japan's 7-Eleven is AHHHMAZING.  They have the most amazing selection of heat-and-serve food and it tastes soooo good!  Even better than some restaurants here, I daresay.  

Ok ok, enough stories, scroll down and see the place we called home for 4 nights! 

View from the doorway

Closet/Luggage Space

Bathroom

Twin Beds

Working Area

The first reaction we had when we entered the hotel room was "Is this it?!  It's so tiny!!"  It was the smallest hotel room I've ever stayed in.  I know hotels in Japan are known to be tiny, but somehow I didn't expect it to be that small.  But aside from the size of the hotel room, we have no complaints.  We have free wifi, the room is clean, the toiletries are complete, and the bathroom even has a heated toilet seat complete with push button bidet!  How can you go wrong with that?  4.5 out of 5 stars!

Best Western Hotel Fino Osaka Shinsaibashi is at 1-2-19 Shinsaibashi, Chuo-ku, Osaka, Osaka Prefecture 542-0083, Japan