Unique Eats in Hiroshima, Japan

Modern day Hiroshima, Japan is more than its memorials. The sprawling metropolitan’s various restaurants offers visitors delicious Japanese cuisine. In Hiroshima, you will find tasty pastries at Andersen Bakery and St. Marc Café. At Masui enjoy tonkatsu and Japanese curry dishes. As for other traditional dishes, such as okonomiyaki and ramen, be prepared to eat these made with a Hiroshima twist.

Andersen Bakery

Pastry from Andersen Bakery

The Original Andersen Bakery

Andersen Bakery, which has locations throughout the world, came from humble beginnings. The story of Andersen Bakery began when its founder Shunsuke Takaki visited Europe in 1959. Shunsuke fell in love with Danish pastries and he vowed to bring these delicacies to the people of Japan. The first Andersen Bakery opened in 1967 in Hiroshima. The success of this shop led to the franchise opening bakeries throughout Japan. Later, more Andersen Bakery locations opened in the United States, Hong Kong, and where the inspiration came from, Denmark.

You will find the main Andersen Bakery at what once was the Hiroshima Branch of the Teikoku Bank. After the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima renovations on the building began. The first and second floor of the building are home to Andersen Bakery. The first floor of the building, known as the Bakery Market floor, offers customers a variety of baked goods and pastries. Visitors can buy coffee or tea to drink along with their fresh-baked purchases. The second floor, known as the Kitchen floor, offers customers a variety of meal options. Select from grilled and stewed foods, sandwiches, salads, pizza and pasta, and Chinese dishes. Besides those options the Kitchen floor has a full delicatessen, desserts, and beverages.

Entrance to St. Marc Cafe

Meal at St. Marc Cafe

Logo for St. Marc Cafe and Choco Cro

Close up of a Choco Cro at St. Marc Cafe

St. Marc Café

Another great choice for pastries, sandwiches, and coffee is the restaurant chain St. Marc Café. These cafes became popular throughout Japan for their chocolate croissants. These chocolate croissants, called Choco Cro, are so famous that often people call the cafes by the name of Choco Cro and not St. Marc Café. Look for special varieties of the Choco Cro that mark events such as the holidays Halloween and Christmas.

Tsukemen noodles and spicy broth at Bakudanya

Tsukemen noodles and spicy broth combined at Bakudanya

Entrance to Bakudanya

Karaage at Bakudanya

Hiroshima’s Take on Ramen

In the simplest terms, ramen is a bowl of broth with noodles. Yet, as one travels throughout Japan they find a variety of styles and takes on this simple dish. In Hiroshima, their style of ramen is tsukemen. Chefs first cook the tsukemen noodles and serve them dry. Patrons dip the noodles into broth before eating. Establishments that cook up tsukemen serve their customers two separate bowls. In one bowl you will find your tsukemen noodles, meat, and other sides such as eggs. Another bowl has the broth. Add the noodles, meat, and sides into the bowl with the broth, mix it around and enjoy.

A popular chain specializing in tsukemen noodles is Bakudanya. Here you can choose what level of spiciness you want for the ramen’s broth. A handy heat chart details the spice level from zero to a hundred. Pick the level of spiciness you can handle. Bakudanya offers more dishes beyond ramen such as rice wrapped in seaweed and karaage (Japanese fried chicken).

Tonkatsu Curry at Masui

Outside Masui

Display case outside Masui

Tonkatsu and Curry

A popular Japanese dish is tonkatsu, breaded deep-fried pork. Combine this dish with Japanese curry and you have a hunger quenching dining experience. Masui in Hiroshima is a hard location to miss. Next door to the restaurant is a deli with a sign reading “Sukiyaki and Foreign Food” with a bull’s head and the word beef emboldened over it. Right next to the deli is the entrance to Masui.

Before entering Masui stop by the display case housing various dishes. These plastic recreations of the dishes Masui serves may help you decide what to order. Upon entering the restaurant, you will have your choice of table seating or a tatami table. Tatami is a mat, and will mean removing your shoes as shoes should not touch the mat. If needed, you may ask for an English menu. Order the tonkatsu with curry for a treat of a meal.

Okonomiyaki from a food stall in Okonomimura

Outside Okonomimura

Insides of an Okonomiyaki from a food stall in Okonomimura

Side entrance and elevator to Okonomimura

Hiroshima and the Okonomyaki Playground

Okonomiyaki is a Japanese style savory dish similar in texture to an omelet and similar in shape to a pancake. Associated with the areas of Hiroshima and the Kansai region of Osaka, the okonomiyaki dish comes in two different styles. In Kansai, Osaka chefs mix the ingredients before using them to form the omelet pancake. Cooking okonomiyaki in Hiroshima involves the ingredients being layered to form the omelet pancake.

Step 1 making Okonomiyaki at a food stall in Okonomimura

Step 2 making Okonomiyaki at a food stall in Okonomimura

Step 3 in making Okonomiyaki at a food stall in Okonomimura

Step 4 in making Okonomiyaki at a food stall in Okonomimura

Step 5 in making Okonomiyaki at a food stall in Okonomimura

Step 6 in making Okonomiyaki at a food stall in Okonomimura

Step 7 in making Okonomiyaki at a food stall in Okonomimura

Step 8 in making Okonomiyaki at a food stall in Okonomimura

Step 9 in making Okonomiyaki at a food stall in Okonomimura

Step 10 in making Okonomiyaki at a food stall in Okonomimura

Step 11 in making Okonomiyaki at a food stall in Okonomimura

Step 12 in making Okonomiyaki at a food stall in Okonomimura

Foodies that seek amazing okonomiyaki will want to visit Okonomimura. This playground for okonomiyaki lovers offers multiple food stalls on three floors. There are over twenty food stall on floors two, three, and four. Pick a stall that looks good to you and saddle up to an open seat. To keep things simple just let the chef know if you want meat or seafood and sit back and enjoy the show. Right in front of you the chef will cook up your food. Before you know it, you’ll be dining on a delicious Hiroshima style okonomiyaki.

Hiroshima Eats

loading map - please wait...

Andersen Bakery: 34.394735, 132.457210

St. Marc Café: 34.394070, 132.455778

Bakudanya: 34.387256, 132.460120

Masui: 34.394534, 132.463102

Okonomimura: 34.391289, 132.461894

	Andersen Bakery Unique Eats in Hiroshima, Japan Hiroshima-shi, Japan
	St. Marc Café Unique Eats in Hiroshima, Japan サンマルクカフェ, Hiroshima-shi, Japan
	Bakudanya Unique Eats in Hiroshima, Japan Hiroshima-shi, Japan
	Masui Unique Eats in Hiroshima, Japan Hiroshima-shi, Japan
	Okonomimura Unique Eats in Hiroshima, Japan お好み村, Hiroshima-shi, Japan

Osaka Food : A Foodie’s Dream Destination

Foodies will fall in love with Japan’s city of Osaka. Nestled in the Kansai region of Japan, visitors to Osaka will find plenty of variety to choose from when deciding on where to eat. Osaka food offerings include popular dishes such as ramen, Japanese pancake omelets called Okonomiyaki, sushi made from just caught fish, and a local delicacy called Takoyaki and nicknamed Octopus Balls.

Ramen at Ichiran

Entrance to Ichiran

Ramen preference form at Ichiran

Every Osaka food checklist should include a meal of ramen. The restaurant chain of Ichiran is known for producing high quality delicious bowls of ramen. Osaka’s district of Dotonbori has two Ichiran restaurants. Opt for the original location right by the canal. If the original location is busy, with a line of people waiting, do not be dissuaded as the line moves fast.

Ichiran makes ramen made to order. If you’re waiting in line, a server may hand you a form. This form, available in English, lists preferences for selecting your ramen. Fill this form out so you will be ready to order once you reach the front of the line. The form will have you select strength of flavor and level of richness for your bowl. You can select toppings such as garlic, green onion, or sliced pork. If you opt to add Ichiran’s original hot sauce to the ramen check the box for the level of spiciness you prefer.

Inside Ichiran

You’ve made it to the front of the line when you reach a vending style machine. Don’t worry though, your food won’t dispense from this machine. You will use the machine to place your food order. You will select the ramen you want which will set the base price of your meal. Besides the ramen select items such as an egg, seaweed, and drinks, including beer. You will pay through the machine and be given tickets printed with various parts of your order.

Private booth inside Ichiran

Ramen at Ichiran

From the machine you will sit at a private booth. Designed for one person, partitions between each booth move to the side if you are eating with someone else. Once in your booth layout the form you filled out, along with the printed tickets from the vending machine, at the front of your table. These tickets signify what extras you bought and the form you filled out tells the servers and chefs how to prepare your ramen.

As you sit in your private booth, you will see only your server’s legs. You won’t speak to the server but you will hear their voice letting you know what they are delivering to your table. After you have received your food, a lowered blind gives you privacy. You won’t even see the legs of the server anymore. Just sit and enjoy your ramen in blissful foodie solitude.

Okonomiyaki in Osaka

Sign for the entrance to Kiji

Plate found at Kiji

Okonomiyaki at Kiji

Okonomiyaki is a Japanese style savory dish similar in texture to an omelet and similar in shape to a pancake. Associated with the areas of Hiroshima and the Kansai region of Osaka, the Okonomiyaki dish comes in two different styles. Cooking Okonomiyaki in Hiroshima involves the ingredients being layered to form the omelet pancake. In Kansai, Osaka chefs mix the ingredients before using them to form the omelet pancake. The Osaka food style of Okonomiyaki is what you will find in other parts of Japan.

Head to the Umeda Sky Building’s Takimi Koji Alley for a fantastic Okonomiyaki experience. Here you will find Kiji, with its friendly staff and owner. Although you won’t find an English menu, the staff knows enough English to ask you if you want your Okonomiyaki made with seafood, chicken, beef, or pork. The chefs will create as many omelet pancakes as you want. In the center of the table is a hot plate that will keep your Okonomiyaki warm while you eat. Enjoy the fantastic flavors the chefs bring together to make the exquisite Okonomiyaki.

Fish Market Sushi

Entrance to Endo

Menu for Endo Sushi

Ginger and soy sauce at Endo

Ikura (salmon roe), Ika (calamari), and Sayori (halfbeak) sushi at Endo

Sake (salmon) and Toro (fatty tuna) sushi at Endo

Toro (fatty tuna) and Hamo (sharp toothed eel) sushi at Endo

Sushi in Japan is way and above fresher, compared to sushi served in other parts of the world. It doesn’t matter if you eat sushi at a high-end restaurant or from a subway stall vendor. Even so, levels of sushi quality exist within the various Japan eateries. For the freshest spots for sushi aim to eat near fish markets, such as those next to the Osaka Central Fish Market.

One such restaurant is Endo Sushi. Here you order sushi made of fresh fish pulled out of the water by fisherman that morning and sold at the nearby fish market to the restaurant. You’ll sit either at a table or the counter and can ask for an English menu. The simple menu has just four different plate options. Each plate comes with five different pieces of sushi. Besides sushi you can order miso soup made with small clams. If you’re there when the friendly owner is working he may even come over and help you brush soy sauce on to your sushi.

Osaka’s Octopus Balls

Waiting in line for Octopus Balls

Batter being poured for the Octopus Balls

Warming up the Octopus Balls before serving

Final product, Octopus Balls with toppings

You will find plenty of options to try the Osaka food delicacy of Takoyaki, or Octopus Balls, if you are by the canal walkways of Dotonbori. These bite size-fried goodness consist of batter mixed with bits of octopus and cost five US Dollars. You will order the Octopus Balls flavored in either soy sauce or soy sauce and mayonnaise. You can ask the vendors to add onions and other toppings on top of the Octopus Balls. Enjoy the show by watching the vendors prepare the Octopus Balls right in front of you. Eat the Octopus Balls on the spot before continuing on to your next destination.

Osaka Eats

loading map - please wait...

Ichiran: 34.669210, 135.503039

Kiji: 34.704728, 135.490601

Endo Sushi: 34.684256, 135.479588

Takoyaki (Octopus Balls): 34.668515, 135.502552

	Ichiran Osaka’s Foodie Destinations Ichiran Dotonbori shop, Osaka, Osaka Prefecture, Japan
	Kiji Osaka’s Foodie Destinations Kiji Umeda Sky Bldg., Osaka, Osaka Prefecture, Japan
	Endo Sushi Osaka’s Foodie Destinations Endo Sushi, Osaka, Osaka Prefecture, Japan
	Takoyaki (Octopus Balls) Osaka’s Foodie Destinations Dotonbori, Osaka, Osaka Prefecture, Japan