Osaka: Okonomiyaki

By bullet train, Osaka is only 2.5 hrs from Tokyo and seriously how else would you want to go. As the train arrives at the platform 100% on time to this beautiful station I again think about our sad transit system at home. If only our Amtrak was capable of such greatness.

Onward we zoom to Osaka for our afternoon cooking class. Mom loves a good cooking class and I love to eat so this seemed like the perfect welcome to the city. Yoko picks us up from the train station and walks us through a popular lunch spot street, through her local shrine and explains some of the architecture there. After this it is a quick walk to her apartment where we will spend the afternoon.

We decided on an upgraded menu of okonomiyaki, gyoza and sushi. Yoko was so responsive and helpful in creating the menu for us without meat. With slippers on our feet and aprons around our waists we dive into the recipes. The highlights here were learning how to make gyozas with the right amount of stuffing and folding technique. Second to that was the stressful flipping of the okonomiyaki. Stacked with veggies and seafood there was a lot of stress but in the end – crushed it.

After two hours of cooking we dive into the miso soup, crab cucumber salad, tuna sushi, seafood okonomiyaki and prawn gyozas. Yoko tells us we don’t have to finish it basically as we eat the last couple gyozas. She laughs saying “well if you are true Americans you should have room for some ice cream”. Naturally we did.

Yoko is the perfect host and takes us towards another temple and more sight seeing before heading to her next job. We spend the afternoon walking off our epic lunch along the Osaka river. As the sun starts to set and golden hour sets in we grab a river cruise and learn about the variety of different bridges, their names and other cultural facts.

With only a day in Osaka I am so glad we were able to spend time with a local, learning about the food and culture. If you find yourself there and hungry – book with Osaka Kitchen for the experience.

I have to agree with Yoko, I think Osaka soy sauce is better than Tokyo’s. Don’t @ me.