Kitasushi honten — Restaurant in Osaka

I visited Kitasuhi in Osaka and had a bit of a mixed experience. When I arrived, the waitress — who seemed like a foreign staff member — asked my nationality before even showing me to my seat. That already felt uncomfortable. Her attitude was quite unprofessional and lacked proper service manners. Since I was dining alone, I sat at the counter, but she treated me as if I didn’t know anything about sushi.

She kept insisting that I order a set around 2,500 yen, but it didn’t feel like a genuine recommendation — more like she was nervous I might pick a cheaper option. I actually went there wanting to enjoy premium sushi like otoro, not the basic set for tourists. Honestly, it felt like she assumed that as a foreigner, I wouldn’t understand or appreciate quality sushi. That was really disappointing, and I think the restaurant should reconsider who handles their foreign guests.

That being said — once you take that waitress out of the equation, everything else was excellent. The sushi itself was absolutely delicious: thick, rustic cuts with great texture and freshness. I had beer, highball, and sake, and everything paired perfectly. The chef was attentive and made sure my dishes came out in good timing, checking if I was enjoying the meal. The manager or owner who handled the payment was also very friendly and polite.

So overall, I understand why this restaurant is so popular — the food and main service are top-notch. They just need to train or replace that one foreign waitress who doesn’t represent the restaurant’s quality.

오사카의 Kitasuhi를 방문했는데, 약간 아쉬움이 남는 경험이었어요. 도착하자마자 외국인으로 보이는 웨이트리스가 자리를 안내하기 전에 제 국적부터 묻더군요. 그 순간부터 조금 불쾌했습니다. 서비스 마인드도 부족했고, 혼자라 카운터에 앉았는데 마치 제가 스시를 잘 모르는 사람처럼 대하더군요.

계속해서 2,500엔 정도 하는 세트를 추천했는데, 그건 진짜 추천이라기보다 제가 혹시 더 저렴한 메뉴를 고를까 걱정하는 느낌이었어요. 저는 오도로 같은 고급 스시를 맛보려고 간 거였는데, 외국인이라서 ‘이 정도면 충분하겠지’ 하는 식의 태도였습니다. 솔직히 기분이 나빴고, 이 직원은 꼭 교체하거나 교육이 필요하다고 생각합니다.

하지만 그 웨이트리스를 제외하면 모든 것이 훌륭했습니다. 스시는 두툼하고 투박하게 썰린 게 정말 맛있었고, 맥주·하이볼·니혼슈와의 궁합도 최고였습니다. 쉐프님은 제가 잘 먹고 있는지 계속 살펴보며 음식이 제때 나오도록 신경 써주셨고, 계산할 때 만난 사장님(또는 매니저)도 매우 친절하고 따뜻했습니다.

결론적으로, 이 가게가 왜 이렇게 인기가 많은지 알겠어요. 음식과 서비스의 질은 훌륭합니다. 다만 외국인 손님을 응대하는 알바 한 명만 바꾸면 완벽할 것 같습니다.

大阪のKitasuhiに行きましたが、少し残念な点もありました。到着した時、外国人のような女性スタッフが、席に案内する前に私の国籍を聞いてきました。それだけで少し不快でした。接客態度もあまりよくなく、サービス精神が感じられませんでした。一人だったのでカウンターに座ったのですが、まるで寿司を知らない人のような扱いを受けました。

そのスタッフはずっと2,500円くらいのセットを勧めてきましたが、本当のおすすめというより、「安いメニューを選ばれるのでは」と心配しているようでした。私は大トロなど、もっと上質な寿司を楽しむために来たのに、「外国人だからこのくらいでいいでしょ」という態度に感じました。本当に残念で、そのスタッフは教育し直すか、変えた方が良いと思います。

ただし、そのスタッフを除けばすべてが素晴らしかったです。...

Experience is the word, and value and taste, but experience. It is wonderful. From the floor manager explaining everything in perfectly memorized English, to the exquisitely prepared meal, to the low key atmosphere, and then the surprise when you've eaten much more than you should have and the bill is still reaonable. What a wonderful experience!! Oh and one more thing... on the way out you might get a packet of snacks and a delightfully hand-written thank you note. What a massive surprise Kita Sushi was. We had and loved: tuna sushi tuna, salmon and fatty tuna sashimi friend octopus beef tempura But...

This place was simply amazing. I have tried quite a few sushi places in Osaka and Tokyo and this is currently my #1. My partner and I spent less than SGD$30/pax for high quality sushi. Service was good and English menu was available as well!

I highly recommend the otoro / chutoro, beef nigiri (I believe this was a seasonal item), and the tamago nigiri (this was honestly so good, I usually feel ordering tamago at sushi places is a waste of money but this one was 💯). The only nigiri I ordered that I felt wasn’t that great was the red snapper. Other than that, everything was amazing.

Will be back when...