Osaka's — Restaurant in Boulder

We had a terrific time at Osaka's Friday night in Boulder.

The place was busy, which is always a great sign. But the staff is extremely friendly, the restaurant has a great atmosphere, and the food was delicious.

We were referred to Osaka's by a Japanese friend who knew we were looking for a place that served Okonomiyaki, which is exceedingly rare for some reason. There are no places that I know of that serve it in Denver, and I've looked for over 20 years to find a place that serves it with no luck.

Enter Osaka's to fill the void and fill it well.

Osaka's is located in Boulder in a strip mall on Canyon Boulevard. We had made reservations the day before online and were extremely glad that we did. Despite the business, a table was ready for us the moment we walked in.

The friendly staff sat us quickly, and they explained the call buttons to us while dropping off some menus and taking our drink order. The buttons are an ingenious method of giving you the time you need without having to wait for your waiter to arrive when you are ready to either order or pay your bill. Also, if you need them at any point, you can request them, and they are very quick to respond.

We started off with some regular sushi California rolls as an appetizer. They came out extremely quickly and were very fresh and delicious, but as mentioned, we came for the Okonomiyaki.

For those who aren't aware, Okonomiyaki had been referred to as a sort of Japanese pancake that you can add whatever you want to it, but that really doesn't do it justice. In this case, it is a savory dish with crunchy cabbage as the base mixed with the wheat flour and eggs.

We added steak (Gyutama) as the main protein and yakisoba noodles (which I feel is a must). This is all fried on a flat top grill into a thick pancake.

All Okonomiyaki has a unique brown Okonomiyaki sauce (that is both sweet and savory) and Japanese Kewpie mayonnaise (which is not the same as American mayonnaise), but it's a must. What comes out is nothing short of amazing.

Be sure to add the Katsuobushi (fried fish flakes) to the top, which is by request only. It adds a bit of a crunch but is so fun to watch as the heat makes the little wafer thin flakes wave hello to you (see attached video).

To eat this, you are given a tiny spatula and some chopsticks. Use the spatula like a knife to cut it into bite-sized pieces and eat with the chopsticks.

We were one of only a few people in the restaurant who ordered Okonomiyaki that day, and so we had the privilege of meeting Koji, the owner who wanted to know what we thought of it. Honestly, as fantastic as the food was, meeting Koji was even better. He is so kind, clearly loves his restaurant, and making his patrons happy with great service and food.

We heard his story of how he opened his restaurant after working at Motorola for 50 years in both the United States and Japan. But his dream was to open a restaurant, and he has had it open for 8 years now. He wanted to bring Okonomiyaki and ramen to Boulder as they are some of his favorite foods to make. Ramen, he says, has become extremely popular, but most people don't know about Okonomiyaki here, though it is extremely popular in Japan. So he wanted to know how it was that we decided to try the Okonomiyaki and if we had ever had it before. I admitted to him that I found out about it by watching the anime "Ranma 1/2" and had always wanted to try it. I had only made it at home once from a friend's recipe, but it was so good. He laughed but was happy we came and tried one of his favorite dishes and was genuinely glad that we enjoyed it so much.

So do yourself a favor: go to Osaka's; have the Okonomiyaki; and request to meet Koji and tell him how much you enjoy it. It will make his day and your...

Wow! What an experience! First and foremost before I talk about the food…I noticed a gentleman coming from behind the bar/counter and he was going up to tables and asking about their meals and experience to make sure everything was to their satisfaction. He was greeting people at the entrance, clearing tables, and just doing it all. As I finished my meal the same person came up to me and asked how I enjoyed my meal. It was the owner, Koji! An owner who takes the time to check in on his guests is something I’ve only experienced two other times in my 35 years and that sets Osaka’s apart from every other restaurant, no matter the cuisine. He was very personable, friendly, and you could tell he cared about every aspect of his business and his patron’s experience. We had a great conversation as he explained the meal I just ate and where it came from. He explained that my dish was a traditional family style Japanese dish which I have never seen while at other Japanese restaurants. He told me the story of how he came to settle in Boulder to open his restaurant and how the dish I ate became a mainstay of their menu. He, his wife, and daughters run the restaurant and you can feel the family atmosphere in your dining experience. Everyone was very responsive to my needs and the food was amazing! I had the fried pork gyoza and the Butatama (Pork Belly) Okonomiyaki along with the house hot saki. Again, the food was amazing! The flavors and quality were awesome and I felt like I was eating a home cooked meal which is a huge plus as I was on the road for work. I can’t thank Koji and his family enough for wonderful food and wonderful service. When I’m back in Boulder I will absolutely come back!!! I wish nothing but the best for Osaka’s and everyone there and I hope they are in Boulder for...

In 2018 my husband and I took a trip of a life time and visited Japan for a month, visiting Tokyo, Sendai, And Kyoto, with day trips all across the island. We threw ourselves into the sights, sounds, and the food like the gluttons we are. We had both wanted to visit Japan before we even met and we finally pulled the trigger. A day doesn’t go by where I don’t think about the trip.

Since returning we’ve been starved for the exquisite flavors of Japan. Last year we moved to Colorado and we were recently guided to Osaka’s and it was like being teleported back to Japan. From the okonomiyaki, to the ramen, to the sushi, all of it took us back to our favorite places on our trip.

On our first visit I tried the the kaisen (seafood) okonomiyaki, which was rich and flavorful, spiced and cooked perfectly. The husband tied the modan (pork belly) version. Both of the dishes took us back to a little place we tried in Kyoto. We were so impressed we decided to try a sushi plate, the cuts were thick, and it was like butter, like the sushi house we tried in Sendai. Our most recent visit we went for ramen, and we both tried Osaka’s signature bowl. The pork broth is stunning, creamy, and full of flavor. And my word, the cashu literally falls apart it’s so tender. We’ve been desperate to find ramen that compares to our time in Japan and Osaka’s has filled that that little hole we’ve been missing.

The owner stopped by our table and we shared our story and he shared his with us, and it was just delightful. The staff is so friendly, and we tried using what little Japanese we knew from our trip to show how much we had appreciated the food and service. This is our new favorite place to visit, we’ll be back, hell I’ve been there three times in the last...