Now there are two dishes that you should definitely check off, when in Osaka. Takoyaki (Japanese snack, made from wheat flour and usually filled with octopus, tempura scraps, pickled ginger and green onion) and okonomiyaki (Japanese savory pancake). The typical dishes of the city and can actually be found just about everywhere. There is a good chance that you will score a good portion in many places, but if you want to be sure that it really tastes good, try these places:

Takoyaki:

• Takoyaki Doraku Wanaka: located in the Dotonbori shopping area and served in four flavors.
• Takoyaki Umaiya: founded in 1953, where they stick to tradition and the twice-baked method. A simpler variant.
• Kogaryu: a well-known place in the nice Amerikamura district, where you can eat takoyaki in Sankaku Park.

Coffee first soon becomes common in Japan tea first. Not that the coffee doesn't taste good, but because those tea houses are really nice and beautiful. This also applies to Wad Omotenashi Café, hidden in the Minami district near Shinsaibashi. As we said: Osaka is a bit overwhelming, but at a tea house like this you will still get your share of peace in the busy city center. This café serves traditional Japanese tea and sweets (order them!) in a handsome setting with a mix of industrial chic and traditional Japanese.

Matcha (also the latte) and Houjicha are recommended and of course the Mochi with sweet soy sauce and the extremely popular Matcha Kakigori.

Would you rather travel with someone who will show you around all the best of Osaka and still need a place to sleep for the night? At OMO7 Osaka by Hoshino Resorts you will sleep wonderfully and if you book a (not too expensive) overnight stay, you will receive so many nice extras. For example, hotel guests can take free guided tours through the city with an OMO Ranger, who knows the neighborhood like the back of his hand. For example, we took part in a tour of the Shinsekai district (where this hotel is located). In an hour we saw the Tsutenkaku tower and the Janjan Yokocho shopping area. Oh, and we knew where we were going to eat that night. If you do this on the first day of your trip, you are guaranteed to have a list of restaurants that you can check off for the rest of your holiday. Tip of flip, so to speak.

The Michelin-starred Nishitenma Nakamura is one of those dinners that will stay with you for a while. Why? On the one hand because the food you are served is a treat to see and taste and on the other hand because it is different. Many traditional Japanese restaurants are unfortunately run by men and it is rare to see a female owner-chef at the helm. And look, things are slightly different with Nishitenma Nakamura. The two female chefs combine Japanese tradition with some Western ingredients, such as foie gras. They serve a hassun – seasonal small bites that start any good kaiseki meal (traditional Japanese multi-course dinner). And it looks quite good to me here.

Reservations are essential and can be made by calling 81-6-7506-8218.

Do you like chicken? Chicken lovers should definitely go to Yakitori Ichimatsu. Yakitori is a Japanese form of skewered chicken meat that you can get off the grill at any food market in Japan. At Yakitori Ichimatsu they do it a little more luxurious, because here you come for an izakaya yakitori experience. During a restaurant visit you eat 18 dishes, twelve to thirteen of which are yakitori items, supplemented with soups and, for example, umami. Everything passes by and few parts of the chicken are spared; for example, you can eat chicken thigh, skin, cartilage, minced meat, chicken wing, fresh liver, gizzard, meat from the neck and nose of the pastor, and even raw chicken. What's that like? The chicken served at Yakitori Ichimatsu comes from pedigree Hinai Jidori chickens (one of the three highest-rated breeds in Japan) and raised in a clean environment for 180 days. The breast is also briefly cooked to kill bacteria.

At the helm is Takeda, who knows how to handle the skewers, charcoal, herbs, doneness, the chargrill process, and the order in which dishes are served. They do this trick so well that they even received a Michelin star for it.

Seen Street Food on Netflix? Then you probably know Izakaya Toyo from the episode about Asia. There are long lines in front of the Netflix-famous Izakaya Toyo's tuna cheeks, which make for good TV. That popularity can mean that you have to wait in line for about an hour.

You then stand in line for one of the pitches, where you can get your own drink from a cooled cooler box. The menu is not extensive, but the tuna with salmon roe and the famous grilled tuna cheeks are must try items. The famous host, Toyo-san, uses a blowtorch to grill the tuna cheeks with his hands: a fun show.

When you’ve been traveling through Japan for a long time, you eventually crave something closer to Western cuisine. And they do that damn well and beautifully in Osaka. At wine bar meets lunch cafe Booopooo (yes, really with three o's), you can enjoy Japanese coffee or wine while they conjure up the tastiest and freshest dishes that stray just a little further from traditional Japanese cuisine, but are no less delicious or fun for it.