Tottsuan

とっつあん

Popular with local people in the Temma, Tenjinbashi, and Fukushima areas, Tottsuan has been serving up fast, fresh seafood delights for years. Part of the fun of going to one of these restaurants is watching the banter between the staff as they order one another around and keep things moving in the kitchen, which is visible to customers. Another novelty is dining alongside the fish tanks that your food is swimming around in – a reminder of just how fresh it all is. At this no-fuss seafood spot, almost any variety of fish you can imagine is on the detailed hand-written menu. The tuna, tuna belly, salmon, and scallop sashimi are a must to start, and in winter, one of the elaborate seafood nabe (hot pot) dishes is recommended. Basic Japanese is required to get by ordering at this place as there is no English spoken, and especially because you are required to write down your tempura order for the staff on a piece of paper.

• Open: Lunch 11:30am~5pm; Dinner 5pm~11pm
• Price Range: ¥3,000–¥5,000
• Access (different restaurants): JR Temma Stn, 5-min walk; JR Fukushima Stn, 5-min walk, Tenjinbashisuji-6-chome Stn, 2-min walk; Minamimorimachi Stn, 2-min walk
• Tabelog:Tottsuan

Tai no tai

季節の肴とお酒 たいのたい

Fresh sashimi is the name of the game in this comfortable, private space with tatami (straw mats) and horigotatsu seating (traditional Japanese low-to-the-ground tables with a recessed floor). While serving the popular raw favorites like maguro (tuna), otoro (tuna belly), salmon, uni (sea urchin), and hamachi (yellowtail), this restaurant has almost any seafood you can think of, including live-octopus sashimi. Adventurous customers can order their octopus so fresh it’s still squirming on the plate! If that’s not your thing, there are plenty of other options including grilled dishes and hot pots. If you’re not sure exactly what to go for, as for the “Ninki no osusume sakana kousu” – the recommended seafood banquet course (¥5,000 including all-you-can-drink). Friendly staff are more than happy to advise on various types of sake that pair well with the cuisine. Private dining rooms are available for groups of between six and 15 people.

• Open: 5pm til late
• Closed: Sundays (except for special booking)
• Price Range: ¥3,500–¥5,500
• Access: Nippombashi Stn or Nagahoribashi Stn, 7-min walk
• Address: Chuo-ku, Higashi Shinsaibashi 2-3-29, Ripple Prologue 88 bldg, 2F
• Tel: 06-6214-1566
• ameblo.jp/tai-no-tai

Kakigoya Laundry

かき小屋ランドリー
Winter is the season for oysters and Kakigoya Laundry is an oyster lover’s paradise. Large, fresh natural oysters are served with ice and lemon along with your selected beverage from 6pm until late (when the oysters run out!). If you haven’t acquired the natural oyster taste, they also come steamed, grilled, and with a variety of different toppings and sauces such as the delicious, tangy homemade tartar sauce. The fluffy oyster cream croquette is another tasty cooked alternative, as is the oyster nabe (hot pot), and the oyster ahijo where the shellfish are served in sizzling hot oil. Oyster buckets are ¥1,980 or you can go all out and order all-you-can-eat oysters for ¥3,980 per person! Don’t be fooled by the name, there is no laundry on site, but the space used to be a coin laundry that was renovated into this charming counter-and-table restaurant that seats 20.

• Open: 6pm til late
• Closed: Irregular holidays
• Price Range: ¥1,500–¥3,500
• Access: Namba Stn or Nippombashi Stn, 8-min walk
• Address: Chuo-ku, Nippombashi 2-7-25
• Tel: 06-6636-0361
• Gurunavi: Kakigoya Laundry