KITTE Osaka & Barchica03, the Latest Gourmet Spots Near Osaka Station!
Category: Food&Drink
Did you know that new spots are popping up one after another in the Umeda area where JR Osaka Station, the largest terminal station in western Japan, is located?
In this issue of Kodawari Times, we will introduce you to the latest gourmet spots from “KITTE Osaka” and “Barchica03”, which opened on July 31, 2024!
There are a variety of restaurants from popular Osaka gourmet restaurants to popular restaurants from all over Japan, so be sure to check them out★
New station building directly connected to the West Exit of JR Osaka Station
“JP Tower Osaka” and “INOGATE Osaka” opened simultaneously on July 31. After exiting the West Exit of JR Osaka Station, turn left to go to “JP Tower Osaka” and turn right to go to “INOGATE Osaka”.
As a side note, a stained glass work by manga artist Hirohiko Araki, creator of the popular “JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure (The Japanese title is jojo no kimyou na bouken)” manga series, was installed on the first floor of INOGATE Osaka.
It is a great spot for Jojoler (Jojo lovers). It is sure to become a new photo spot in Umeda, so please check it out as well.
Now, let’s get down to business and look at the gourmet spots!
Popular restaurants from all over Japan gather at KITTE Osaka!
“KITTE Osaka” is a commercial facility that houses more than 100 stores, including stores selling goods such as antenna stores, restaurants, cafes, and a variety of other stores from various regions of Japan, on the B1F to 6F of ‘JP Tower Osaka’.
About half of these stores, or about 50 restaurants, are located in KITTE Osaka, making the overwhelming number of stores very attractive!
KITTE Osaka is perfect for people who come to JR Osaka Station for sightseeing or business, as they can enjoy a wide variety of foods. Let me introduce some of the recommended gourmet foods.
[For more information about KITTE Osaka, click here]
Kakuuchi Ono no Hanare (KITTE Osaka, B1F)
On the first basement floor, there is a side street called “Umeyoko” where you can casually enjoy drinking, based on the concept of a hangout for adults.
At “Kakuuchi Ono no Hanare,” you can enjoy Kyushu’s ingredients and sake. The dishes using seasonal fish are exquisite. A wide variety of sake and shochu are available, making this a recommended place for those who love to drink. Please try a Choinomi (little drinking) and Hashigo-zake (Bar crawl)!
Kawakita Shoten (KITTE Osaka, B1F)
One more restaurant from “Umeyoko”. “Kawakita Shoten (Store)” serves Yakitori (Grilled Chicken Skewers). The name “Kawakita Shoten” comes from the Kawakita Honjin (Honjin was a traveling inn for lords and other nobles in the Edo period) located in Kameyama City, Mie Prefecture.
It is said that chicken dishes were served to the officials at the main inn. At Kawakita Shoten, which preserves the atmosphere of that time and combines it with modern technology, you can enjoy delicious yakitori with a glass of sake in hand.
Kushikatsu Daruma (KITTE Osaka, 4th floor)
On the restaurant floor of the 4th floor, you can enjoy Osaka’s unique gourmet cuisine.
Kushikatsu Daruma is a chain of 15 kushikatsu restaurants in Osaka City, including the main restaurant in Osaka’s Shinsekai district, where Tsutenkaku Tower is located. KITTE Osaka is also famous for its delicious kushikatsu, an Osaka specialty that combines the three essential elements of sauce, batter, and oil.
Takonotetsu (KITTE Osaka, 4th floor)
Another Osaka specialty is takoyaki. It is the original “restaurant where you cook and eat takoyaki by yourself”. In Osaka, there is a takoyaki machine in every household. People have takoyaki parties and get together to enjoy the taste of takoyaki. At Takonotetsu, you can enjoy takoyaki the way it should be enjoyed. If you are new to takoyaki or do not like to cook takoyaki, don’t worry, the staff will help you!
Kohaku Brasserie (KITTE Osaka, 4th floor)
A new form of “Kohaku”, a French restaurant in the Osaka Kita area with a long line of customers. The existing menu has been brushed up with slightly extravagant ingredients and can be enjoyed with wine.
The restaurant has a very stylish atmosphere in a bright, open space. From the seats near the window, you can enjoy a view of the buildings in Umeda.
The most popular menu item is the “French Black Truffle Scrambled Eggs.” The eggs are cooked at a low temperature to a tender consistency, and the aroma of truffles is an exquisite match. The accompanying bucket is coated with truffle butter, and when eaten with the scrambled eggs, the truffle can be fully appreciated in this luxurious dish.
Sukiyaki Shabu Shabu Tsukada (KITTE Osaka, 5th floor)
On the 5th floor, you will find a variety of restaurants offering “Japanese hospitality” perfect for entertaining guests, anniversaries, and other special occasions. Among them, we especially recommend “Sukiyaki Shabu Shabu Tsukada”.
Sukiyaki and shabu-shabu rank high on the list of favorite Japanese dishes among foreigners! Many of you may be saying, “I must have this when I come to Japan!”
At Sukiyaki Shabu Shabu Tsukada, each person is served one pot of sukiyaki, so it is easy to enjoy it alone.
Sukiyaki is prepared in the Kansai style, in which the meat is cooked in a layer of Zarame (coarse sugar). The moment you put it in your mouth, the umami of the meat and the savory flavor of the sugar will fill your mouth.
Shabu-shabu is served with either Tsukada’s special ponzu or Gomadare (sesame sauce). Both are very tasty with a mild flavor! Please try to compare them.
A heaven for drinkers! Barchica03
Barchica03 is a food and beverage zone on the 2nd to 5th floors of INOGATE Osaka, a building complex that rises across the JR tracks from KITTE Osaka, and is home to 50 restaurants and taverns of various kinds. Many of the restaurants are deep eateries targeting office workers in Umeda, so you can enjoy the lively atmosphere of Osaka.
Let Kodawari Times introduce you to some of the stores that caught our attention.
Wasurenagusa Annex Sake Place Suzume (Barchica03, 5th floor)
This is a new restaurant affiliated with “Wasurenagusa,” a famous Tachinomi (stand-up drinking) spot in Osaka with a long line of customers. This izakaya offers a variety of Japanese dishes such as fresh sashimi, sushi, yakitori, and oden. The counter is the main area, so it is recommended for drinking alone.
They have a wide variety of alcoholic beverages, and in particular, they have the largest selection of highballs made with whiskey from various regions in Japan (self-proclaimed)!
Tempura Daikichi (Barchica03, 4th floor)
A popular tempura restaurant originating from Sakai City, Osaka. This is the long-awaited second location in the Umeda area. You can enjoy about 40 kinds of freshly fried tempura and fresh sashimi directly from the market. Of course, you can have a drink at night, but lunch, available only on weekdays, is the most cost-effective with prices starting at less than 1,000 yen! The famous asari-jiru (clam soup) is also a delicious dish that will soak into your body.
For reference, the photo here is the lunch tempura set meal at Tempura Daikichi Whity Umeda. The volume is very generous and very reasonable! I want to go to Barchica03 for the lunch set meal as well!
BLUE YARD (Barchica03, 3rd floor)
This is a new format of the prestigious jazz club BLUE NOTE in Minami Aoyama, Tokyo. It is a complex store that seamlessly links three businesses: a dining area offering modern American cuisine, a café stand offering baked goods, sandwiches, and other snacks, and a record store. Live music is performed in the dining area on an irregular basis, so be sure to check it out! Recommended for those who want to enjoy music and food.
The evolution of the Umeda area has yet to stop!
What did you think of KITTE Osaka and Barchica03’s Latest gourmet spots? Since their opening, they have immediately become a hot topic of conversation and are bustling with people every day. It is the perfect place for those who want to enjoy food in Osaka, so be sure to visit.
In addition, “Grand Green Osaka,” a large-scale commercial facility, is scheduled to open in September in the Umekita area on the north side of JR Osaka Station.
This is the view from Innogate Osaka, where Barchica03 will be located. There is a nice atmosphere with a green park!
The Umeda area is evolving to be more fun and convenient for next year’s Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, and Kodawari Times will continue to provide you with new information about the Umeda area, so please look forward to it!
