This Is Japan's Most Exciting Food City—and the Best Places to Eat, According to a Local Chef

Travel + Leisure

10 hours ago

At 18, Shota Nakajima left his home in Seattle to attend Tsuji Culinary Institute, in Osaka. 'It's like the Harvard of cooking schools in Japan,' says Nakajima, who was born in Tokyo. 'The teachers are brutally honest and teach you humility.' The intense training set him up for success as a restaurant owner—back in Seattle, he ran Naka, a kaiseki restaurant, and a fried-chicken spot, Taku, which closed in March. He has also been a contestant on television cooking competitions, including Beat Bobby Flay and Top Chef . From left: The Shinsekai neighborhood of Osaka, with Tsutenkaku Tower in the background; Chikyu (Planet Earth), a vegetable dish at the Michelin threestarred restaurant Hajime.
From left: Andrea Fazzari; Hajime
Osaka, the host city for this year's World Fair, Expo 2025, is often called 'the kitchen of Japan.' Its historically blue-collar culinary image is built around street food that Nakajima says is the best in Japan, like takoyaki (fried dough balls with octopus), okonomiyaki (a savory pancake), and oshizushi (pressed sushi). Here, Nakajima, who visits Osaka every year—shares his favorite spots in the city.
Naniwa Kappo Kigawa
'Founded by chef Shuzo Ueno, this restaurant has been around for more than 50 years, and is famous for kappo-style cuisine, where chefs serve customers at a counter. It's in a tiny alley that's only a few feet wide, in the busiest part of Osaka.'
Gochisou Nene
'I love this cozy tempura and oden spot. Akimura Tomonori, the husband, trained in tempura at a Michelin-starred restaurant, and Kimura Nozomi, the wife, trained in kaiseki.'
Hajime
'If there's a quintessential Osaka-style French restaurant, this is it.'
Bar Yoshida
'A classy bar located in Kitashinchi, often considered the Ginza of Osaka. Perfect for a refined cocktail experience.'
Tsutenkaku
'This neighborhood is famous for kushi katsu fried skewers. Explore different shops and don't miss the doteyaki, slow-cooked beef tendon with miso.'
Sakamoto
'I worked at this restaurant for four years after culinary school before returning to Seattle to open Naka. The chef retired a few years ago, but his son Hiroyuki Sakamoto is running the kitchen now. The beef katsu is one of the best in the city. It has a béchamel-based sauce made with pork kakuni braising liquid.' Tsukimi, the main restaurant at the Waldorf Astoria Osaka.
André Fu—the Hong Kong interiors architect behind hotels such as Shangri-La Tokyo—has outdone himself with the new Waldorf Astoria Osaka, which debuted in April. Fu drew Art Deco inspiration from the original Waldorf Astoria New York (set to reopen this fall after a massive renovation), along with Osaka's Yodoko Guest House, the only surviving Frank Lloyd Wright residence in Japan.
Related: The Newest Hotel in Osaka, Japan, Is in One of the City's Most Impressive Buildings, With an On-site Onsen and an 11-acre Park Next Door
There are subtle peacock-tail motifs throughout the hotel, from the kumiko woodwork headboards to the washi paper in the elevator. Tsukimi, a teppanyaki spot, is the hotel's signature restaurant, and one that Nakajima can't wait to try. 'I love the idea of a tasting menu with tea pairings, and I look forward to trying the Wagyu from Ishigaki Island,' he says.
A version of this story first appeared in the August 2025 issue of Travel + Leisure under the headline "Osaka, Old and New. "