48 Hours exploring OSAKA 🇯🇵 Street Food + Hidden Gems

Hey it's Phoebe and today I'm in Osaka. So we've got 48 hours to explore this vibrant city. We're going to be checking out some of the best hidden gems. It's reminding me of Singapore's Gardens by the Bay. Trying delicious local food. This is my favorite Japanese street food. Oh my god that just melts in your mouth. And visiting a few of Osaka's unmissable spots. The very best views of Osaka Castle. Let's go. It is a mid-morning start after a late arrival last night. I flew into Osaka's Kansai International Airport. Caught the Haruka Express train to the city center and then checked into my hotel. I'll show you that a little later. I got a great night's sleep there. But I've woken up on my first full day here in Osaka and I'm hungry. So let's go eat. Market. For food? It's very expensive. Oh where should I eat? Go this way? Our first stop is here at the Kuromon Ichiba Market and it is the kitchen of Osaka. Perfect place to try some great seafood. I think it's a soy drink. It's delicious. It tastes like soy milk. Okay you have to come to this stall. The people are lovely. I'm starting off strong with some tuna and sashimi this morning. I have been craving this like you would not believe. Oh my god. That just melts in your mouth. That is absolutely perfect. I've also got some uni, some sea urchin. I love this stuff. It's so tasty. Oh my god. So traders first began to pop up here around the 19th century but the actual market wasn't established until 1902. Now it's home to over 150 stalls selling some of the best seafood in Osaka. I'm using public transport to get around here in Osaka. It's super easy to navigate and Google Maps is helping me find my way. But I've got a hot tip for you. Get one of these. This is a one day pass. It cost me 620 Japanese yen for a weekend. That's good value. I'm at one of Osaka's most iconic landmarks and I've never been here before. But I've heard about a sneaky spot that's meant to have the very best views. Let's go see if they were right and if it's worth it. If you come up to the very rooftop of the landmark square, you will get the very best views of Osaka Castle. And I'm beating the heat. I'm not mixing it with all the tourists. I didn't have to pay the entry fee and I get this delicious berry soda on top of it. That's a win baby. I have stumbled upon the ultimate hidden gem here in Osaka. It's called the Namba Parks Garden and it is a nine floor garden set on top of what I believe is a train station or maybe just a big shopping complex. I'm not quite sure, but it is beautiful. It's reminding me of Singapore's Gardens by the Bay a little bit. So I have got an ice long black, but you could stock up on all kinds of goodies, either from the Takashimaya or maybe from the Ichiban market we were just at. And you can come here and have the ultimate picnic. I am the only person up here, let alone the only tourist. And this is a side of Osaka I have never seen before. This is awesome. I'm in a place called Mizuno. Now this place is famous for one thing and one thing only, okonomiyaki. And if you come to Osaka, you have to have okonomiyaki. It was a wait to get in here. So I'm hoping it's worth it. I've had traditional okonomiyaki before. So today I ordered something a little different. This one is made with no flour, only Japanese yams. I've got the squid version. It's been cooked to perfection in front of me, golden grilled on the outside, slathered in a sweet soy kind of sauce and then topped with a fat whack of mayo. And you guys, I am ready to eat. Yum, that looks so good. Now this cooks perfectly. The squid is so chewy and delicious and flavoursome, but not at all too rich. This is amazing. There are a couple of things that make this place really interesting. They've been on the Michelin Guide every year since 2016. You do have to join quite a long queue outside, but I think it's worth the wait. It's very well priced. They have servings that are appropriate for one person, but you do need to order before you come in. And apparently once you're in here, you can't order anything else. So make sure you order enough and you get your order right. While I'm in Osaka, I'm staying here at the Wilina Hotel Shinsaibashi Nagomi. Now there's a lot I like about it. Let's go inside and I'll show you around. The hotel has a really cute little entryway that turns into tatami mat floors. So you do have to take your shoes off and put them in these little cubby holes when you first enter. But don't worry, they give you slippers so you can walk around without needing to be barefoot. This is my room. I'm staying in 208. It's a really good size for a Japanese hotel. If you've been to Japan, you know the rooms are typically really small. This one's a twin with two beds in it. The beds are low to the ground and super cozy. Just ignore my mess. We've got a big TV, tea and coffee making, a little fridge, a place where I can do my work. You can hang your clothes up over here to the left. And in here is the little bathroom, standard Japanese style. It's like a little capsule kind of a thing. Now the best thing about this hotel is of course the location. It is such a close walk to everything, which just makes all the difference. I really like it here. I'll have a link below for you in the video description, but I recommend it and I would stay here again. The sun has set, which means it's time to come here to Dotonbori and try some delicious street food. This is my favourite Japanese street food and pretty much the entire reason I came back to Osaka. This is takoyaki. You join the queue, pay an order through the vending machine and wait for these to come out. They are perfectly prepared, savoury balls. They are made from wheat batter that is stuffed full of chopped octopus and topped with sweet takoyaki sauce, mayonnaise and shaved bonito flakes. And you guys, they look amazing. Now I've just gotten six and this was 580 yen, which is an absolute bargain. They're going to be way too hot for me to eat. They're off the grill. I don't even care. I'm about to burn my mouth for this. Hot, hot. So good. They're perfectly savoury. The creaminess of the mayonnaise, the sweetness of the takoyaki sauce, the chewy chunks of octopus, the saltiness of the bonito flakes. That is perfection. Good morning, you guys. It is another beautiful day here in Osaka, but I really need a coffee and I've heard about a really great place. It's a short walk from my hotel. We're at Lilo Coffee Roasters. It looks so cute. Let's go inside and check it out. This place is so cute inside. It's not even funny. So the inside of the shop itself is really small and sweet but gorgeous. They sell coffee beans. They've got some little cookies in the cake cabinet over there and a short and sweet coffee menu. I've got myself a delicious iced cold brew, a dark roast with the almond milk. Yes, please. And it's important to note this place is cash only, so make sure you have cash. I really need this. Let's try it. That is excellent. I don't have the palate to tell you what I'm tasting, but part of me thinks it tastes a little bit like dark chocolate, maybe. I don't know. That is so good. If you like good coffee, come here. I haven't made it very far. I walked out from Lilo Coffee and I found this place next door, Elk Pancake. They're doing these strawberry matcha pancakes. I just have to try them. Let's come inside and see if we can get a seat. If you know me, you know I love pancakes. These are Japanese souffle pancakes. They wobble. I don't know how they do it. I think they've filled them full of extra whipped business that makes them all light and fluffy and then I think they cook them on the grill sort of with a steamer sort of a thing. I've got the strawberry matcha ones. I live for pancakes. I live for strawberry anything, and I love matcha, so I feel like this is a recipe for success for me. Oh my God, they're so soft. Ice cream, cooling, and whatever this mystery liquid is. Let's just get it all on there. Oh my God, that is so good. Oh my God, the strawberry flavor is amazing. I have to be honest, I can't taste much matcha. It doesn't matter. That is so good. They're so light and fluffy. It's like pancake flavored air, which doesn't sound advertising, but trust me, it's really good. All right, I'm going to eat a minute alone with these. In the 1980s, the neighborhood that we're in now became known as Americamura or American Town, and it became a bit of a hip spot for the young people to meet up, and today it is so cool. So just walking around these streets, there's all these vintage stores. Everything's really young and vibrant and hip and trendy. Loads of great places to eat, really cool boutiques to browse. It's just such a great neighborhood to explore on foot for an hour or two. By this place, there's a huge line outside. I've walked past now, and there's no line. So I am at Genroku Sushi Dotonbori. It's impossible to miss. It has a giant face of man out the front. I didn't know what to expect when I walked inside, but it seems it's some kind of a sushi train. I love sushi. So I'm starting off with some tuna belly. If you don't know, when you're in Japan and you dip your sushi, you dip it fish side down. Oh no, it's come off. Just pretend you didn't see that. Pretend I did something really cool. Let's try it. Yum. This one's fatty tuna. It's a little tuna bonanza up here. I'm not risking that upside down fish again. Oh my word. That one just melts in your mouth like butter. All right, let's try some salmon belly. It's excellent. The thing is, it's really well priced. So it's standard sushi train rules. Different colored plates have different prices, going from 143 yen to 385 yen. That's incredible value if you ask me. So far though, I got to tell you, the pick of the bunch is that that tuna belly. The bluefin tuna belly. I'm gonna have to have me another one of those. Dotonbori is absolutely a must visit. But if you come just one or two streets back from that main street, you're going to find this gorgeous little temple called Hozenji. I think I'm saying that right. And it is so lovely in here. It's so peaceful and calm and serene. And there are all these beautiful little alleyways you can explore as well. And there's so many cool restaurants in there. And I just feel like that is where you're going to get some more authentic food. So be brave, just go into these restaurants, find a menu that you like and go in and give it a try. All food in Japan is good food. You really can't lose anyway. Speaking of which, shall we go and try some more food? Yes. I'm going to apologize in advance because this is really selfish. And maybe it's bad vlog content, but it's great life content for me. I went to the same takoyaki place and got takoyaki again. I was really craving it. I was trying to find a yakitori place, but this is what I truly felt like in life. So I'm going to have it. I had to get away from the madness of Dotonbori. It's driving me crazy tonight. There's so many people. It was just so crowded and noisy. And I just wanted to be somewhere peaceful. So Dotonbori is that way. I walked right down to the other end over here, closer to my hotel. And it's lovely. There's some great seats here along the river. I'm watching all the boats go past. There's all these lanterns. I have so much space. There's a cool breeze and six juicy takoyaki. Oh, I feel it going down my body. Hey, I need to give you a special shout out to Universal Studios. I didn't go to Universal Studios, obviously. I went last time and I loved it. And if you're unsure if you should go or not, I 10 out of 10 recommend it. I've been to Disney Sea and Disneyland in Tokyo. They were great. I've also been to Universal Studios here in Osaka. I much prefer Universal Studios. That's just me. I prefer the characters. I like a more heart-pumping ride. Just everything about it. The food, everything. I absolutely loved Universal Studios. So definitely add that to your itinerary. I just didn't want to repeat it in this episode and have you feel bored. But 10 out of 10 recommend it. I absolutely loved it. And I'll have a link below for you so you can book your tickets and make sure you get the express pass because, yeah, that just makes all the difference. All right, guys. And with that, that brings our time here in Osaka and this episode to a close. I really hope you've enjoyed it. Now, if you don't already, be sure to subscribe right now so you never miss a single episode and say hello in the comments below. I hope you have a great weekend ahead and I will see you with a brand new episode next week. You know I love you.