Naniwa Ryouri YU — Restaurant in Osaka

I found this restaurant from the Michelin Guide in Osaka, and it has been awarded one Michelin star for two consecutive years. I booked the omakase dinner, which costs 15,000 yen per person.

The restaurant is located on a quiet corner and is very small, with only about 15 seats in total. Upon entering, the female staff helped us store our bags and coats. The restaurant was full of locals with no tourists, mostly middle-aged people, making it a very authentic local experience. We sat at the counter and could watch the two middle-aged Japanese chefs preparing the food, while two or three young and beautiful Japanese girls served as waitstaff.

The tableware here was very beautiful. At the beginning, the waitress brought me six exquisite sake cups, and I could choose one from them. The plates and utensils were also elegant and aesthetically pleasing. Unfortunately, there was a small bug on my girlfriend’s towel, which slightly affected our dining experience.

The sake we were served was called Zaku Okayama Asahi.

First course: Chutoro (medium-fatty tuna). Second course: Grilled eggplant soup with shredded asparagus, a slice of Japanese tofu, and a piece of fish. The fish was firm, possibly seabass or cod. Third course: Squid and flounder sashimi, chewy and sweet. Fourth course: Marinated herring with tofu, surprisingly delicious. The marinated fish was very flavorful with no fishy taste and quite meaty. Fifth course: Tomato with fish. The fish had a firm texture, similar to mushrooms. Sixth course: Creamy figs. The figs were very sweet. Seventh course: Miyazaki beef steak, tender inside and crispy outside with curry flavor, which I really liked. Eighth course: Creamy lobster and scallop soup. The cream was rich, with a long-lasting aftertaste. The lobster was firm and springy. Ninth course: Red tea and white porridge. The porridge had a plum in the center, served with small side dishes like cucumber and pickled radish. The rice grains were large and helped cleanse the palate. The plum was extremely sour, making me wince after just one bite. Final course: A fruit platter with a peach from Nagano and grapes from Nagano (two purple and two green), which we shared. Both were very sweet.

After the meal, the chef personally walked us to the door and said a few words. Overall, the service and the restaurant’s interior were impeccable, but personally, I cared more about the taste, and I didn’t particularly enjoy the flavors here. I chose this restaurant after doing a lot of research and investigation, so I was a bit disappointed with the taste. A couple of dishes stood out, such as the creamy lobster and scallop soup and the Miyazaki beef steak, but the other dishes did not meet my...

Although my wife and I didn't speak Japanese, this was the best dining experience of my trip, and the best dining experience out of any michelin star restaurant I have visited before. I recommend anyone and everyone to go out of their way to eat here. The restaurant is intimate and immaculately clean. We sat at the counter where we watched the chef work diligently to turn out flawless dishes one after another. Each dish was so different from anything I've ever had before, but wonderfully balanced and beautifully presented. I have so much respect and awe for the creativity behind the omakase menu we ate. The only thing I would change if I could, is my ability to speak Japanese. The chef seemed like the nicest guy ever. I wish I could have spoken with him more, as he spoke with some other diners at the counter. He did however thank us for coming at the end of the night, shook my hand, and helped us order a taxi. He had no need to do that for us but did it out of the kindness of his heart. He puts a personal touch on everything he does, and through the 3 hours we dined with him, I felt that I got to create a personal relationship with him through his expression of food.

If you're reading this review, don't miss out. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to have a truly...

Sadly we had a really disappointing experience here. The food itself was okay - half the courses were good although the rest were a bit blander than expected but not bad. However my partner was served food that he is allergic to, despite us sending a list of his specific allergens way in advance when we made the reservation by email and showing the waitress a list of his allergens again (in Japanese and English!) on the day again when we sat down to be served. No attempt was made to apologise or rectify this when we pointed out to the waitress that he was allergic to the dish. He only just noticed in time and would have been sick all night had he eaten the dish. This kind of service is not what is expected for the price point, and the service was generally lacking all night. A shame as we were looking forward...