Ajikitcho Bunbuan — Restaurant in Osaka

A wonderful way to enjoy authentic traditional Japanese cuisine prepared in various ways with seasonal ingredients. This does come at a premium though, it may or may not be worth it depending on your palette.

Reading the other reviews here left me scratching my head. People are complaining about a restaurant in Japan where the staff barely speaks English...really?! Or how the food was bland and ordinary. People have got there expectations way too high and don't understand what makes the food special. If you are wanting umami bomb after umami bomb then this is not the place for you. But if you are looking for a way to experience multiple Japanese dishes prepared for you in a traditional way with high quality ingredients, then yes, this is it.

I ordered the Omakase Course for lunch. Normally I'd go over dish by dish but considering the amount of food given here, the changing of the menu depending on ingredients, and the text limit on google I won't be able to do that. I can summarize and say everything used was high quality and the amount of ingredients used should already justify the price premium. It was a 10 course meal and I was very full by the end of the experience. Each dish was presented beautifully. True to form for traditional Japanese Cuisine, there wasn't really any theming from course to course. Just well prepared, well balanced ingredients show casing skill and knowledge. There was a sukiyaki dish with wagyu however, and that course stuck out so much. That was full of flavor and umami, I had to pause each bite because of the sudden shift from balanced and subtle to lip smacking intensity. And I believe that's where to big disconnect for most people would be. The expectation of having everything taste like that isn't inherently Japanese. Understanding that would mean a better appreciation for the cuisine like this. It is very evident that this is a traditional Japanese meal because it ends with fresh fruit and warabimochi. No fancy westernized sweets here. It just ends on a classic.

The staff here was great. Friendly and always made sure my tea and water was topped off. The restaurant at lunch time was dead quiet, like a library. There was only 3 other people dining at the time. I kind of wish there was more people because then it becomes a problem of "over service" where the staff watches you like a hawk because there is no one else to serve. 😅 Can be a good experience if you like that sort of thing but I don't particularly like the over attention.

So is Ajikitcho Bunbu-an recommended? I'd say, yes, but only if you appreciate traditional Japanese cuisine. It is classic and traditional to it's core, no modernization or westernization here. There are cheaper options out there but the location of being in a major city close to a train station will already tell you this will be more...

Don't know where to start on what we much anticipated to be a Japanese culinary discovery. The entrance seemed promising, but that's where it ended. From being greeted by a running waitress which sat us at our table and offered a drink menu uniquely in Japanese. No english version exists! When asked about drinks, wine, etc...we were handed a 3 pager of selection which contained roughly 5 champagnes, 5 white and 5 red which one was sold out! Quite surprising for a Michelin star! From there the menu was printed on a simple paper with little to no explanation. The waitress barely spoke english and when we requested if someone was more fluent, she indicated it was her! The menu started and progressed with no dish explanations, nonstory to describe the origins of the ingredients, etc....dishes where simply put in front of you to eat and move on. At one point when we evoqued the fact that it would be interesting to know more.about the dishes, they started to print ingredients on paper and brought to our table! By nkw the experience was going downhill and out the window. At the same time there were 2 groups in seperate areas behind doors, but the loud talking and laughing was out of the ordinary. When asked.the waitress the waitress and what seemed to be the manager if it was possible to tone down the nois, we were told they were on a buisness dinner! Oh - so we are supposed to endure what we thought be a nice and enjoyable evening at the expense of this situation but pay a full price for a set menu that was a bit over 170$ per person + 1 bottle of Sancere was 110$! No dishes were remarquable and far from memorable. The service utensiles, tray, dishes and other furniture was shiwing great sign of abuse - aging and just not to Michelin standards. Overall - this place does not hold up to a Michelin star and far from it! The whole experience was a total disaster and insignificant representation of Japanese cooking thru all the dishes! Bland, not enjoyable, lacked research and cohesion in the dishes....overall it shouls rate at most a mere Izakaya and then some as you probably eat far better in traditional ones in the city! This represent the experience...

Exquisite courses with simple ingredients~ The food pleases the tastebuds, comforts the stomach and heals the soul. The service is attentive and considerate. Even though the restaurant is located underground, the interior design creates an ambience of tranquility and privacy. Overall a wonderful place to enjoy with guests. (Even the children’s menu looks enticing :) 体に優しくて、心を癒える素晴らしいお料理ですね。

Appetizers: the vinegar and soup are mild and refreshing. The mushed pea and sticky sesame tofu is super delightful.

Sashimi is fresh and naturally sweet. Absolutely love the squid!

The seasonal set is beautiful. The “dragon boat” is loaded with delicate food. String beans in sesame paste is super fragrant. The fava bean is just in season. The egg custard is lovely. The tai sushi is delicious.

Uni with tofu and tofu skin is heavenly, in the thick mild soy sauce based dressing.

The Sakura shrimp rice is so fragrant! The scent is wafting in the room even after the lid is closed :3 (新潟県佐渡市屋島の🍚と）I didn’t leave a single grain in the bowl.

Fruit is perfectly ripe. It’s rare these days when the tasting menus are not ended with a heavy dessert based on cream...