Munimuni Umeda — Restaurant in Osaka

This place had so much potential, but ended up in us wanting to leave as quickly as possible. Firstly, it is allowed to smoke inside, so for everyone that doesn’t like to sit inside while others smoke around you - don’t come here.

But what was the main hit for us, was the fried chicken. When it was served we noticed it wasn’t cooked properly as it was still a bit pink on the inside. All good, things happen so we ask if they can give us a new one that is not pink on the inside. Quite some time goes by so we think: OK great we’re actually getting a new one. But when it is served back to us, the first thing to notice is the super hot plate. Having a better look at the food, the what was once fried chicken is now bathing in water, the crust is no longer crispy but soggy, the sauce is watery, and the lettuce even is WARM? This must be coming from the microwave. We asked the staff, and they confirmed. I’m sorry but Izakaya style food that is heated up in the microwave after not being cooked properly in the first place? We were served an entirely fresh one later, but we already didn’t want to order more.

Besides, having a quick look in the kitchen learns you that it is actually incredibly dirty. Same goes for the toilet that smells...

Very conflicting because the food is absolutely delicious but I don’t like to be scammed for not being Japanese. First of all the English menu has higher prices. We were also offered a “appetizer” that we did not ask for and then later saw on our bill a charge for “appetizer” for 780 yen. This “appetizer” was the tiniest plate with two bites of cold chicken and kimchi. They don’t really speak English but they were able to ask a couple of things and tell us that you need to order 2 dishes per person, 2 drinks and have a 2 hours limit… but they couldn’t tell us that this tiny appetizer we didn’t ask for was 780 yen? Also there’s a QR code where you order and we noticed that the prices are higher than the paper menu that’s in Japanese. I don’t expect the paper menu to be in English but there was no way for us to order fully in Japanese because the QR code gives an option for the English menu or for a japanese app that did not work on our phones. Obviously, you’re not told that you’re paying on average 500 yen more per dish/drink. Again, the food was absolutely delicious and one of the best meals but very annoying that you have to be scammed just because I don’t...

I had high hopes for this izakaya, as I heard great things about the food, which did not disappoint—it was delicious. However, the overall experience left much to be desired. From the moment we arrived, we did not feel particularly welcome.

As foreigners, we understand there can be differences in service styles, but we couldn’t ignore a few issues that made us feel singled out. For instance, the sake prices on the Japanese menu were cheaper than those on the English menu. Additionally, we were served an appetizer we never ordered and later found out we were charged for it, which felt misleading.

It was also clear that there was pressure for us to leave sooner than we intended, even though we were respectful of the space and time. It would be more straightforward if there were clearer signs or communication regarding any unspoken rules or preferences about foreign customers.

The food itself was wonderful, but unfortunately, the service overshadowed our experience. I hope this feedback is taken as constructive criticism to create a more welcoming atmosphere...