Oldie but Goodie is a monthly column where we feature noteworthy restaurants, cafes or bars that have been open at least six months and are worth a try.
Established in 1992, Osaka has been around for roughly two-thirds of Shenzhen’s history. For a city where food trends shift with the seasons and restaurants are replaced at alarming rates, that’s an impressive achievement.
Osaka’s secret to success might just be its feel-good fare. The restaurant is an izakaya, a Japanese pub that also serves a wide variety of dishes.
Not everything is amazing – the quality of fish in the large RMB118 sushi platter, for instance, strikes us as average. But decent ingredients in well-thought-out combinations make most of the menu solid, if not downright delicious, choices.
A Kyushu pork bone ramen (RMB40), for instance, is served with a rich white broth and a few slices of meat that nearly melt on the tongue.
An RMB60 beef and mushroom rice comes in a scalding-hot stone pot with a side of peppery, slightly tart sauce. Sprinkled with fresh corn and slivers of green onion, it makes a satisfying stand-alone meal.
Green onion also comes into play with the crispy house omelet (RMB40), the sharp taste cutting through the light, starchy texture and small chunks of squid.
Besides food, prompt, polite service is another way in which Osaka excels. Customers may face a wait during the dinnertime rush, but quick seating and refills make it more bearable.
It’s also a decent place to people-watch, when the mood strikes – from Japanese businessmen to couples out on date nights to chefs working behind a large glass window.
If you’re feeling especially expansive, bottles of sake and more are available for customers’ spending pleasure. This particular gastropub is more a family-friendly restaurant than late-night hangout spot, however – consider yourself warned.
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