Kushikatsu Daruma - Kitashinchi — Restaurant in Osaka

Kushikatsu (fried meat on a stick!) and kushiage in general is known to be famous in Osaka. We tried Daruma, a well-known chain with locations across Osaka, after doing some research to find a place that was more authentic and not too pricey.

Close to our hotel, we showed up around 7pm and had to wait for about 20mins to be seated. They have an online QR code ordering system but also have English menus should you require.

We really enjoyed the food and quick orders here! We thought we'd spoil ourselves with some of their more expensive kushiage, like their Iberico pork, A4 wagyu and Kobe beef. Of the 3, we'd recommend the A4 wagyu while skipping the other 2.

You're better off going after their more typical and lower priced options... The classic kushikatsu (fried beef stick) was okay but it was their pork belly that we tipped our hats off to.

At 139 yen per stick, both are at the lowest cost tier and something we could eat time and time again. Their renkon (lotus root) was also a standout.

Overall, I'd say more of their lower to mid-priced options are great. Batter is crispy but not too heavy and the filling is cooked just right. Their kushiage sauce is a great way to cut through the grease. If you want to try something a little fancier, get the A4 wagyu too.

Highly recommend Daruma if you're looking for a more authentic...

I went to this restaurant on a Friday night. It was very crowded and we had to wait about 20 minutes. The locals obviously like it - kushikatsu is a food unique to the Kansai area like okonomomiyaki, however, I thought the coating was a little too thick. I was fortunate enough for someone to let me enjoy homemade kushikatsu and the difference was great. The home made version had a light dusting of "panko" (breadcrumbs), whereas the commercial version practically had a pretty thick coating of batter or flour before being covered with panko. The ingredients were fresh though. Service was very good and polite. And despite taking our orders on an electronic device, they still got our orders wrong. But we were not charged for the wrong items. Price was not cheap but not terribly expensive either. I highly recommend the mentaiko, oyster, salmon,...

Bad music, flat highball, food smells & taste like McDonalds, dote was 100% FAT & 0 beef, cabbage isn’t free, potato was sooo hard, sausage taste cheap, floor is sticky so table is moving forward if I put my arms on the table top… All the staff have been walking around IG coughing as well… Quality hasn’t really gone down & this place has been added to my list of worst places to...