Chef's guide to Osaka: Kenjiro Kurita, Critters Burger
In the years since, the uncompromising chef's Critters Burger has introduced countless thousands of Osakans to the joys of carefully crafted wagyu patties and satisfyingly fluffy buns baked with Hokkaido wheat. The eatery has grown into a local icon, first through its beloved Amerikamura shop and, since March 2025, as part of our very own Time Out Market Osaka.
We imagine that evangelising for quality burgers in the promised land of takoyaki, kushikatsu and udon can be exhausting, especially when you've been doing it essentially non-stop for 17 years. To find out what keeps Kurita going, we checked in with the busy chef to ask where he likes to eat and shop in Osaka – and where he always takes visitors from out of town.
Where do you go for breakfast on your day off?
West Wood Bakers in Horie. Their pancakes and sandwiches are amazing.
How about a quick lunch?
Tonkatsu at Ofuji. This one's in Horie too.
And kitchen equipment – where do you get yours?
At Ebisuya on Doguyasuji. They sell everything you could need as a chef. For furniture and tableware, I like Timeless Comfort.
What's one ingredient or condiment you can't live without at home?
Mitsuboshi soy sauce from Horikawaya, a 300-year-old brewery in Wakayama prefecture.
Lastly, what's a place you always take friends to when they visit you in Osaka?
American in Dotonbori. It's a pure and simple café that opened just after World War II and hasn't changed much since the postwar years of rapid economic growth. A real throwback. Also, I like to follow up with okonomiyaki at Sazare nearby.
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