On our first day in Osaka, the self-declared food tour of this trip began with two snacks: dango and takoyaki.
Osaka is called the kitchen of Japan for good reason. We had themed this trip a food tour, and we half-jokingly aimed to eat our way through Osaka.
The first thing we tried was dango from Lawson, which my husband had been most eager to taste. Japan’s Lawson stores are full of snacks; Korea could use them.
This Lawson in Denden Town had a green sign instead of the usual blue, so I took a photo. The lettering was different too. We bought green tea and dango.
The dango was grilled rice cake with what looked like honey, tasting like sweet pumpkin jeondeugi. It was surprisingly good, and we devoured it in seconds.
The second half of our dango and takoyaki tasting was takoyaki, famous in Osaka. Takoyaki shops line the streets like tteokbokki shops in Korea, so we just picked one. The first one we tried also seemed the cheapest.
Six pieces for 300 yen. The one we had later in Kyoto cost more. For the price, the taste was good, and the shop had so many Korean tourists there was Korean writing everywhere. Half the customers seemed Korean.
We bought six pieces for 300 yen and dug in.
It was softer than the takoyaki back home, milder in seasoning, a touch saltier, but nutty. People say Osaka takoyaki divides opinions, but I liked it.
Prices, hours and details in this post are from our visit in May 2018 and may have changed, so check the latest information before you go.