I’m finally in Osaka after a quick stop at Kobe, and I figured I should spend the evening exploring the different street foods at Dotonbori. After some Takoyaki and Taiyaki, my friend and I decided to stop by Kushikatsu Daruma for a little sit-down meal. Kushikatsu’s always on my checklist whenever I visit Osaka, so I’m excited to finally experience Daruma again. But is the place still as amazing since I last visited? Let’s find out. How Good is Kushikatsu Daruma Actually?
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🍢 What To Order? 🍢
Now that you’re at the table, how DO you order your Kushikatsu? Well, there’s two main options to go for. If this is your first time here, or would like to just get an assortment of Kushikatsu, have a look at their Special Daruma Combos – all named after Daruma’s various locations.
There’s the base Dotonbori Combo for ¥1,450, featuring a selection of 9 Kushikatsu.
Add Karaage, Cheese, and Sweet Potato and you get their Hozenji Combo for ¥1,850.
Top that with Octopus, Lotus Root, plus their seasonal item, and that’s the Shinsekai Combo for ¥2,250.
Whatever combo you go for, you’ll also get a side dish, either Edamame, Kimchi, or Doteyaki – a local beef tendon, konjac, and miso stew. (Doteyaki’s an extra ¥100)
If you want to skip their combo options, you can also order your Kushikatsu from their standard menu. There’s a lot more options here, and prices range from ¥120 to ¥260.
It’s a lot to go over, but here’s my advice on what to get. Ordering the combo only saves you ¥100-300, so if you don’t like one of the set items, order your meal individually. If you are gonna get those items anyways, go for it and save some money. I prefer to order my Kushikatsu individually, and here’s what I got.
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🥩 Classic Kushikatsu (Beef) (¥130) 🥩
The quintessential Kushikatsu. A skewer of beef coated in batter and breadcrumbs, deep fried. The beef itself is what you’d expect, and the extra fine breadcrumb they use here works really well together. (What can I say? It’s real good.) If you need one recommendation, you can’t go wrong with this.
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🧀 Camembert Cheese (¥180) 🧀
A wedge of Camembert (with the rind), breaded and deep fried until warm and melty. If you’re a fan of baked camembert, add some breadcrumbs and fry it, and you get their Camembert Kushikatsu. Another one of my personal favorites.
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🐟 Capelin (Shishamo) (¥200) 🐟
A skewer of roe-filled capelin. It’s a rich tasting fish, and the roe gives it quite the unique texture. I’ve grown to like Shishamo over the years, and this was the first time I got to try some in Japan. Comes at a higher price point than most, but I’d gladly pay to try it again.
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🐟 Japanese Whiting (Kisu) (¥130) 🐟
Another fish option at a much cheaper price point. The flesh of Kisu is on the firm side, but flakes apart nicely with just a hint of saltiness.
Shishamo likely overtook this for my favorite fish option, but if I was ordering multiples… I’ll probably stick with Kisu.
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🍗 Garlic Chicken Filet (¥130) 🍗
One of the more flavorful items on the menu – a skewer of garlic marinated chicken filet. The garlic and Kushikatsu sauce together create a nice savory profile, so while chicken is probably the least interesting meat selection here, the flavor more than makes up for it.
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🍢 Rice Cake (Mochi) (¥120) 🍢
For something not coated in breadcrumbs, we have their Mochi rice cake. It’s fried as is, so the outer layer forms a puffy crust, while the interior softens and gets gooey. If you haven’t tried mochi before, have a go at it here.
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🥚 Quail Egg (¥120) 🥚
It’s quail eggs. Simple, but it works for me, so I got some. (Nice and cheap, too, for some variety.)
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🍱Combo Dotonbori + Doteyaki (¥1,550) 🍱
My friend’s never been to Kushikatsu Daruma before, so here he is ordering the Dotonbori Combo. You have some whole muscle cuts in the Classic Beef, Shrimp, and Tonkatsu, Chopped meats with Tsukune, Chikuwa, and Sausage, and sides like the Quail Egg, Asparagus, and Mochi. A decent starter pack, I’d say. And you save ¥90, so I’m not gonna blame him for ordering the set instead of picking his favorites individually.
Oh, I didn’t personally try the Doteyaki, but he did say that it’s a nice hearty stew, definitely worth the extra ¥100
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🍱 Eating your Kushikatsu 🍱
If you’ve been to a Kushikatsu place, you’ve heard of the “No Double Dip” rule. There’s usually a sauce container at the table where you can dip your Kushikatsu – but only once. The sauce is shared between the customers throughout the day, so for hygiene and etiquette reasons, you’re only allowed to sauce your skewers once.
Now, take that info and forget about it. Since my last visit, Kushikatsu Daruma (at least in the Dotonbori store) switched to a more standard method of having their sauce in little squeeze bottles, so you can just sauce your skewers as frequently as you want.
From a hygiene perspective, it’s probably the smartest move to do. But it’s a shame that a Kushikatsu tradition was lost in the process.
The cabbage is still available though, so if you’re into that, you’re still good to go. (Forgot to grab a photo of it)
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⭐ VERDICT ⭐
So how good is Kushikatsu Daruma actually? Kushikatsu Daruma is fried food, so of course the food’s great. Jokes aside, despite the simplicity, the Kushikatsu here has a lot going for it. There’s the meat / veggies (variable, but everything I tried was nice), the light texture of their fine breadcrumbs, and their special dipping sauce. All of these components come together into one really pleasant experience. I don’t have Kushikatsu often, but everytime I visit Daruma, I’m left with a desire for more.
Kushikatsu isn’t the ideal place if you’re eating on a budget, though, since (while quite affordable individually,) the skewers get pricey real fast if you’re ordering enough for an actual meal. But if you’re here with friends or family, you’re eating more for the experience anyways, so pricing isn’t too much of a factor. In all, if you want to enjoy some really great Kushikatsu, while also filling your checklist of street foods in Osaka, then stop by for some Kushikatsu Daruma.
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🚗HOW TO GET THERE 🚗
Kushikatsu Daruma is located right at the main Dotonbori Area. From Namba station (Midosuji, Yotsubashi, or Sennichimae Line), head up to Dotonbori street (You should walk past Tsutaya) and it’s a 5 minute straight walk along the road.
ADD LONG PHOTO HERE
Kushikatsu Daruma – Dotonbori Store
🌏 Location: 1-6-8 Dotonbori, Chuo-ku, Osaka
🗺 Map: https://goo.gl/maps/SQg87jppPL3Wq7Ag9
⏰ Opening Hours: 11:30A.M. to 10:30P.M.
💻 Website: http://www.kushikatu-daruma.com/
