Okonomiyaki Mizuno — Restaurant in Osaka

It was an exciting wait at Q-line. You need to invest your time to get into one of Michelin Guide while in Osaka.

However … our journey started with disappointment after disappointment …

First —- By the time it’s our turn of 3pax, we were told that level 1 do not accommodate 3pax dining, only max. 2 pax dining. So they offer us at level 2 instead. Do we have a choice … Yes: to accept the offer at level 3 or leave and dine somewhere else.

Secondly —- Was clarified, there was live cooking like level 1. However, what failed to share, food was prepared in kitchen n serve to the table that has hot plate.

Thirdly —- Big disappointment when we went up to level 2 to see table setting is a great with hot plate however Chef was not readily available to prepare n cook like how the level 1 be.

Can you imagine after Q-ing that long, we were offer something that was not we were expecting … a true disappointment continued

Next —- Food was cooked infront of us for a show as mostly had been done in the kitchen. We ordered 3 dishes (one food per person policy —- which is fine) … the only thing they cooked infront of us is the 1st dish protein before pouring the remaining ingredients ….

And —- Worst part the hot plate was on all the time until the remaining food served. The remaining 2 dishes were presented to us cooked, ready to eat …. And it became non-palatable as they burn … Service was bad.

A very big disappointment indeed, misleading patrons who are looking forward to experience chef preparing n cooking infront of of us (as at level 1)

We were here to dine while experiencing the whole Okinomiyaki Mizuno’s offer. However, they are 2 different experiences …

Last but not least … water was served after we seated … that’s it. They are not even asking if we need other drinks … we need to ask for it … worst experience when we are willing spend more 😵‍💫

Being awarded Michelin Guide since 2016 … I am sure Okanomiyaku Mizuho live up to quality of their food as well as their consistency in their service … were they being awarded based on their level 1 experience only??? And neglected how level 2???? How they process in managing diners expectations???

Was ready to give them 5 stars while we were q-ing however with all the disappointment… it’s down to 1 & 0

Hope you are being honest like ‘one person one food order’ from beginning and patrons will be left with choices much easier… so you are managing patrons expectations much earlier and all the way until end of their dining journey.

I don’t think I will recommend this place for bigger group than 2 pax. Even then, please insist to dine...

This place is madly popular with several Michelin recognitions out front. The queue is long but well managed. A person moves up and down the line, taking orders and informing of the food offerings. We do not speak Japanese, but this did not turn out to be a problem. Service all around was quite cordial.

With great reservations, I must admit that no one among the four of us thought highly of the food. We have all traveled very extensively with food - and real openness to experience - very high among our values. But we simply found the three different dishes we ordered to be quite underwhelming, especially given the wait. We have all waited in even longer lines, but none of us felt we had been disappointed this much very often. Given the multitude of other options in the immediate area, I feel entirely comfortable supporting anyone's decision to give this place a hard pass.

Now let's be fair. First, Michelin probably puts more serious effort into appreciating what makes food special than I do. They say this is a solid place. Second, and more relevant, in my opinion, is that I and my friends don't know how this dish is supposed to taste, even though we have enjoyed it at places outside of Japan . Go ahead and see what's going on here for yourself if you have time to burn and know you'll have a chance to explore plenty of other places in Osaka.

Speaking from our perspectives, our selections we full of different ingredients that seemed to offer no complexity at all to the flavor of the meal and barely even any pleasing texture either. We could just taste the sauce that was poured over the top of each mushy portion on the hot plate in front of us. We will probably try this dish at other places while we are in Japan to sort out the truth about how it's supposed to taste. For now what I can say is I wish we had skipped standing in the Mizuno queue and visited any of the dozens of other eateries we walked past to get there. The food scene in Osaka is...

We are travelers from Argentina who were genuinely excited to experience authentic okonomiyaki in Osaka — a dish deeply rooted in local culture and highly recommended by fellow travelers. We specifically chose Mizuno because of its reputation, Michelin Bib Gourmand mention, and overall acclaim. Unfortunately, our experience was disappointing and left us with a sour impression.

We requested a portion for six people with the idea of tasting a variety of ingredients, not out of bad faith or to take up unnecessary space. However, the treatment we received felt rushed, cold, and even disrespectful. One of the chefs spilled part of the ingredients onto the counter, right in front of our seating area, and simply scraped it back into the grill with no apology or acknowledgment, continuing to cook as if nothing had happened. It wasn’t just unhygienic — it felt dismissive.

There was no effort to make eye contact or engage us, and the overall atmosphere became tense. While we understand cultural differences in service dynamics, it felt more like we were being tolerated than welcomed. If tourists are not truly welcome, or if there's an expectation on how much one must order per person, this should be clearly communicated beforehand. A simple explanation or suggestion at the beginning could have changed everything. Instead, we were left feeling embarrassed and alienated in a place we were looking forward to enjoying.

We don’t deny the culinary value of Mizuno — the food itself was good — but hospitality is also part of the experience, especially for travelers coming from far away hoping to connect with the local culture through food. Sadly, for us, the negative vibe outweighed the flavor.

We hope the restaurant team takes this feedback into account not as a complaint, but as a chance to grow. Small changes in communication and attitude could make a huge difference in how tourists...