What to eat Kansai? culinary specialties and gastronomy

Discover Kansai : Gastronomy

Considered to be one of the world's most refined gastronomies, Japanese cuisine is a journey in itself. If you only have a glimpse of it in France, discovering this country is a perfect opportunity to familiarize yourself with rarer specialties, from cheap noodle bars to Michelin-starred restaurants. In Japanese cuisine, the ingredients must be very fresh, carefully seasoned to preserve their taste and colour, and the beauty of the dishes is pushed to the limit. Located in the heart of Japan, Kansai is home to the former imperial capital, Kyoto, and Osaka, considered the gastronomic capital of the country. Pork, chicken and beef - including the exorbitant Kobe Wagyu beef - are accompanied by a multitude of vegetables and mushrooms, while seafood is prepared with great care. All this is ideally served with sake, which Japan has made its specialty.

The basics of Japanese cuisine

Rice is a central element found in many dishes. The donburi consists of a large bowl of sautéed rice with different toppings : katsudon (breaded pork/tonkastu), gyūdon (strips of beef), unagidon (grilled eels), oyakodon (chicken and eggs), kimuchidon (kimchi, fermented cabbage with Korean chilli pepper), dtekkadon (tuna sashimi), sakedon (salmon sashimi) or tendon

with shrimp tempura. Bentō is the equivalent of a homemade lunch basket for schoolchildren or workers. This dish, prepared in a compartmentalized box, is usually also made of rice, accompanied by a small omelette, chicken or fish, and vegetables. You can find it everywhere in the shops and especially in railway stations for a fairly low price, often between 5 and 7 €.

Noodles, which are also very popular in Japan, come in three main varieties: soba, udon and rāmen. Soba are buckwheat pasta. They are eaten hot in soup (kake soba), or cold with soy sauce (zaru soba). Udon, a thick wheat pasta, is eaten in beef or pork soup. Rāmen,

of Chinese origin, are eaten in soup. The noodles are perfect for small budgets (from 5€ on average).

There are many appetizers to peck at, especially in street stands and cheap stalls. Tempuras are prepared with vegetables, shrimps, fish or oysters, all covered with a thin fritter dough. Yakitoris are skewers of chicken, but also beef, fish or mushrooms, lacquered with a sweet sauce. Finally the gyozas

(ravioli stuffed with pork, cabbage and leek) are first grilled before being steamed.Oden is a stew made from fish stock. It is garnished with eggs, radishes, turnips, vegetable croquettes(ganmodoki), fish pâté(tsumire or hampen), konnyaku (konjac tuber starch jelly), konbu seaweed, etc. This winter dish is very popular. Sukiyaki is a dish of meat, vegetables and tofu cooked in a broth of soy sauce, sweet rice wine (mirin) and sugar. The various ingredients are sometimes dipped in a raw egg yolk. Another classic, the robata-yaki turns out to be not a dish, but a type of cooking, a kind of barbecue offering a wide variety of ingredients: meat, seafood, fish, vegetables, etc. that are grilled in front of customers on demand. Finally the teppanyaki is quite similar, but the charcoal grill is replaced by a plancha-style hot plate.

The art of raw fish

Although the Japanese only eat them occasionally, sushi and sashimi are nevertheless a major part of Japanese gastronomy and often have a unique flavour on the spot. Sushi is a generic term for several specialties based on vinegar rice(shari). The classic nigiri-zushi is a slice of raw fish placed on a ball of rice coated with a touch of wasabi, sometimes surrounded by a strip of nori seaweed. Maki-zushi, consisting of a roll of nori wrapped around a rice, fish and vegetable filling, is the version we know best. Served in a bowl, chirashi-zushi consists of a bed of rice on which different varieties of fish, omelette and mushrooms (shiitake) are placed. Finally theinari-zushi is a fried tofu pouch, filled with rice and various other ingredients (meat, fish, mushrooms). In fact, sushi as a whole can contain a wide variety of ingredients: eel(unagi), scallop (hotate), crab (kani), shrimp (ebi), omelette (tamago), sea urchin (uni), mackerel (saba), salmon (sake), cuttlefish (ika) and of course tuna(maguro). Not forgetting the fatty tuna(toro), a highly prized piece from the belly of the fish, reputed to melt in the mouth. Sashimi, on the other hand, is a slice of raw fish or seafood, accompanied by a little soy sauce and sometimes wasabi. It is usually served as an appetizer for a traditional meal, as the delicate flavour of fish should not be disturbed by the taste of an already cooked food. The most sulphurous sashimi in Japan is made from fugu. The translucent flesh of this fish sends many Japanese to hospital every year! Indeed most of the organs of fugu are toxic and the slightest mistake can make the dish deadly. Years of training explain the astronomical price of this dish, going up to 100 € per guest.

Kansai Specialties

Many of the specialties that are widely spread in Japan actually originate from Kansai and especially from the city of Osaka, known for the excellence and diversity of its cuisine and especially its street food offered by street vendors (yatai). One thinks, for example, ofokonomiyaki, a pancake of grated white cabbage crowned with pork (buta), squid (ika), vegetables (yasai) or mixed (mikkusu), covered with a sweet brown sauce, mayonnaise, soy sauce and dried bonito shavings (katsuobushi). Hiroshima is also known for its tasty okonomyaki. Another specialty of Osaka is takoyaki, cooked dumplings containing octopus and served with mayonnaise and sweet-salty sauce. Akashiyaki are similar to tayoyaki, but are served without sauce in a dashi broth; they originate from the town of Akashi, near Kobe. The kushikatsu

is a type of breaded skewer that can include beef, pork, chicken, seafood, quail eggs, or a variety of vegetables.

Noodle dishes are also numerous such as kitsune udon, an udon soup with fried tofu (aburaage) popular in Osaka or udon-tsukimi, a noodle dish in a light seaweed broth with raw egg yolk. Not forgetting yakisoba, ramen sautéed with vegetables and meat, seasoned with soy sauce. The very popular osaka zushi are square sushi, called hako zushi or "canned sushi

", which are garnished with raw fish, lacquered eel or omelette. There are also more robust dishes that are appreciated in winter. The famous shabu-shabu is the Japanese equivalent of a Mongolian fondue; it consists of thin slices of beef, tofu, vegetables and mushrooms cooked in a seaweed broth and served with various sauces. Finally, yudofu, a very delicate recipe, is prepared with tofu simmered in a broth flavoured with kombu seaweed from Kyoto.

Kaiseki or the art of imperial cuisine

As the former capital of the Empire of Japan from 794 to 1868, Kyoto has a unique gastronomic know-how. The kaiseki or kaiseki ryori is the epitome of Japanese refinement. This meal, consisting of a set of several dishes - up to 14 - requires great mastery and a keen sense of aesthetics. Each dish consists of a small portion of a few ingredients, elegantly presented in finely decorated dishes. These include sashimi, vegetables served with meat, soup, a grill, cooked vegetables served cold, a rice dish, vegetables in brine, a steamed dish, pot-au-feu (nabe

) and finally a dessert (fruit, ice cream or pastry). The seasonality of the ingredients also plays an important role in this meticulous cuisine. Kaiseki is generally associated with the tea ceremony or chanoyu, dating from the 16th century. Initially the term refers to a few simple dishes served with tea, frugally, especially by Buddhist monks. Over time, this type of meal evolved, becoming more refined once served at the tables of emperors and samurai, as well as in the many tea houses in Kyoto. This meal, usually enjoyed in a peaceful setting, often with a view of a Zen garden, has a cost (between 100 and 300 € per person).

Desserts and tea

Traditional Japanese pastry (o-kashi

) is the poor relation of Japanese gastronomy. Indeed, there are a rather limited number of specialties that often have the unmistakable similarity of anko or azuki bean paste. Matcha tea has become common in desserts as well, although this is a recent trend. Mochi (sticky rice paste) is the great classic, most often topped with anko. Bean paste is also used to garnish manjū (steamed brioche), dorayaki (a kind of pancake) or taiyaki (a kind of waffle moulded in the shape of a fish). Pancakes are very popular in the country and we love hottokeki, a type of pancake that is very thick and soft. It is also the case of the blown cheesecake, created in Japan in the 1940s, which is very airy. Usually pastries are served in cafés, while restaurants limit themselves mainly to ice cream. Green tea has been Japan's national drink since the first seeds were imported from China in the 9th century. It is drunk daily and there are many tea-based drinks, such as bubble tea from Taiwan, containing gelatinous tapioca balls and soy milk.

Between sake and whiskey

The emblematic alcohol of Japan, sake (nihon shu) is very different from the digestives served in Asian restaurants in Europe, often very strong Chinese rice wine. Sake is a light rice wine at only 17°. There are more than 2,500 varieties of nihon shu. It can be karakuchi (dry) or amakuchi (sweet). It can be consumed hot (atsukan) or cold (reishu). Shōchū is a sweet potato, barley or rice alcohol at 30° often accompanied by soda and lemon juice (chūhai or chū-hi). Otherwise let yourself be tempted by umeshu, a very delicate plum liqueur, at only 10-15°. It can be drunk both iced in summer and warm in winter. Beer appeared at the end of the 19th century and is very popular in Japan. The best known national beer brands are Kirin, Asahi, Sapporo, Yebisu and Suntory, but there are many others.

If this may surprise at first glance, whisky has nevertheless an important place in Japan. Although the production only started at the end of the 19th century with the opening of the country to the world, Japan is today the fourth biggest consumer of whisky in the world! There are several companies producing whisky in Japan, but the two best known are Suntory and Nikka. Until the end of the 1990s, Japanese production and consumption nevertheless remained domestic, but several recent awards have boosted the worldwide recognition of Japanese whiskies, as well as the price of some bottles that sell for several thousand euros

Enjoying yourself Kansai

Timetable Kansai

Opening times are unpredictable. While some restaurants serve non-stop from 11am to midnight, smaller outlets have reduced hours: 11am-2pm for lunch, 6pm-10pm for dinner. Still others remain open, but stop serving lunch after 2pm and offer a different menu.

If in doubt, we recommend checking the latest information on the establishments' websites or Instagram pages, or giving them a call.

Budget & Tips Kansai

Expect to pay between ¥800 and ¥1,200 for a bowl of noodles or a small platter of sushi. There are water vending machines everywhere, but it's much cheaper to have a reusable bottle that you fill up in parks, shopping malls or railway stations. Water is drinkable everywhere (unless otherwise stated). In restaurants and cafés, the tax is 8% on takeaway orders and 10% on the premises.

What costs extra Kansai

Prices are generally quoted with and without taxes (10%). There are no nasty surprises at the checkout, and no tipping is tolerated. A glass of fresh water or barley tea is always offered on arrival, along with a small towel for wiping hands. Payment is usually made at the cash desk as you leave, but waiters will tell you on arrival if it's to be made at the table. In smaller restaurants, a vending machine located at the entrance allows you to choose your dish and pay automatically. You then receive a ticket which you give to the waiters.

When you enter a restaurant, you generally have to wait to be seated by the staff.

The local way Kansai

The type of cutlery used in Japan depends on the menu. Most restaurants serving Japanese food use chopsticks only, but a curry restaurant will offer spoons and forks instead. Portions can be quite small. There is sometimes the option of a free rice refill(okawari muryō), an oomori option, i.e. a larger portion of rice or pasta, or a sukuname option, i.e. a smaller portion of rice or pasta.

To be avoided Kansai

A few rules on chopstick use: don't stick your chopsticks in your dish, don't point your chopsticks at anyone or anything, and don't cross them with another person's chopsticks. If you want to cut your food, it's better to ask for a knife than try to cut it with your own chopsticks.

Kids Kansai

Smaller restaurants may refuse entry to children, but most welcome them without problem. Children's chairs and menus are often available. Children may enter restaurants where alcohol is served, but alcohol consumption is strictly forbidden under the age of 20.

Smokers Kansai

The law changed recently. Since April 2020, smoking has been banned inside restaurants, with the exception of small bars and gargotes run by a single person or a family, which have a reduced surface area. Some cafés and restaurants do have smoking areas, but these are becoming increasingly rare.

Tourist traps Kansai

In busy neighborhoods, restaurants are often upstairs. Hustlers call out to passers-by on the street, inviting them upstairs. It's best to check the menu and prices before letting yourself be taken up. Prices should always be displayed.