Kushikatsu Daruma - Shinsekai Main Shop

A trip to Osaka's Shinsekai district is incomplete without a pilgrimage to Kushikatsu Daruma Shinsekai Sohonten (串かつだるま 新世界総本店), the legendary birthplace of Kushikatsu (deep-fried skewers). The establishment, marked by the iconic, grinning Daruma figure, is a living monument to Osaka’s working-class gastronomy. ​After a brief wait that only intensified the anticipation, I was seated and immediately noticed the quintessential setup: a communal dipping sauce pot and a heap of complementary cabbage. Embracing the strict "No Double Dipping!" rule (Nidozuke Kinshi!), I eagerly awaited the famous skewers. ​Having tried kushikatsu at other establishments in Osaka, Daruma’s version truly stood apart because of its distinctive batter. Unlike the generally thicker, coarser coatings I'd encountered elsewhere, Daruma’s was surprisingly thin, light, and exceptionally crispy—almost reminiscent of high-end tempura. This delicate, golden crust did not overpower the ingredients; instead, it acted as a perfect vessel, allowing the inherent flavors of the meat, seafood, and vegetables inside to shine through. The combination of the satisfying crunch and the fresh filling was an instant validation of its "original" status. ​I also savored the Doteyaki (どて焼き), a classic Osaka delicacy. This dish of beef sinew and konjac simmered in a sweet, savory miso-based sauce offered a delightful contrast to the crispy skewers. The melt-in-your-mouth tenderness of the sinew and the deep, rich umami of the sauce made it the ultimate comfort food and a perfect companion to a cold drink. ​Beyond the exquisite food, the friendly and attentive service truly enhanced the experience. The staff, despite the constant hustle and bustle, remained cheerful and welcoming. They were particularly helpful, guiding newcomers on the proper way to enjoy the skewers and the dipping sauce. Their genuine warmth made it clear that they were not just serving food, but sharing a cherished piece of Osaka's culinary culture and hospitality. ​The meal at Kushikatsu Daruma Shinsekai Sohonten was a high point of my culinary adventure in Japan. For anyone seeking to taste the authentic, proud history of Osaka street food, this establishment, with its exceptional food and wonderful staff, is an absolute must-visit.

The shop was surprisingly small. We visited around 3pm on a weekday in late July and there was no queue at all. We started with a set to try everything, then ordered a few extras of the ones we liked. My favourites were the prawn, rice cake and asparagus. The braised pork in the set was delicious. The meat kushikatsu was just okay. Overall, the kushikatsu was perfectly fried, crispy, piping hot, and not greasy at all. Service could have been a little friendlier, as we did not feel very welcome when seated. I have not tried other kushiage shops to compare, but the skewers here felt a bit small for the price.

Overall, a pleasant experience. The staff were friendly and welcoming, which made for a comfortable dining atmosphere. The kushiage was good, though not exceptional. Since all the skewers were fried together and brought to the table at once, they didn’t arrive piping hot, and I found the coating could’ve been crispier. While they looked appealing, the taste felt slightly artificial. One downside was that we had to pay extra for cabbage and dipping sauce, which are often complimentary at other kushiage spots. Still, a decent place if you're in the area, especially for the service.

Great local experience for fried and braised foods at the shinsekai area. This is the original store and the staff was welcoming to foreigners. Tiny counter only space which added to the charm. Definitely worth a visit for a local experience if your party isn't too big.

Owner and staff were super friendly! Very small shop but we were lucky and didn’t have to queue to get in. There are English and mandarin menus but they only offer different set meals on those menus so you won’t be able to order individual items like the locals (although I’m sure one could easily use Google lens to order from the Japanese menu). They were very kind and allowed my husband and I to share set menu A (this came with a beef tendon dish although you have to pay extra for the cabbage and special sauce).. on hindsight I think it was meant to be for 1 - it was quite a lot though! All the items were perfectly fried and didn’t feel too greasy! We really enjoyed the cheese, pickled tuna, asparagus and shrimp..the beef tendon dish was also excellent. Their service was also superb - we left a bag of shopping hanging on the hook behind and they kept it for us till we returned to get it!! Thank you so much and we look forward to returning on our next trip!

Very nice food and friendly staff. The fried food is the best one I’ve ever had. The staff was super nice and even gave us a bag of ice to cool down once seeing us sweating all over the face.

I don't like fried food, but here the food was very good. And the chef can speak Korean and he was kind, so we could enjoy fully.

We stumbled upon this place by chance, drawn in by the long line outside the small restaurant. Inside, it has that slightly worn-down, old-school vibe you often find in Japanese eateries — not the cleanest, but it adds to the character. The food was solid overall. We ordered a set menu with several dishes, and while some were better than others, the experience as a whole was definitely positive. Also, shoutout to them for serving the first truly large beer we’ve had in Japan. 😄

Osaka is a foodie haven. Dotonbori is the place to go to try a lot of the staples, like kushikatsu. The fried meat and vegetables paired so well with cold beer in the hot summer. This was the first time I tried kushikatsu, and I really enjoyed my time here. Kushikatsu Daruma is iconic and a staple to try kushikatsu in Osaka. The ambience is very lively and service is great as expected. I do recommend seating at the counter for fast service.

Daruma is a must-visit in Osaka. The food is exceptional and truly captures the local flavors. Highly recommend for anyone looking to experience authentic Osaka cuisine!

Kushikatsu Daruma was recommended by a famous blogger in Taiwan who visited Osaka dozens of times. The dining experience was really interesting and memorable. After ordering, the food would be served by a mini train. However, we were disappointed with their reluctant service and greasy fried food with low quality ingredients. The dipping sauce was also not in good hygiene since it was shared by all the customers even though there was a sign to ask customers not to double dip their skews.

This place is so tiny and cramp, but totally worth the wait in what type of food they serve. I've never heard of this type of food before. Kushikatsu? What is it? All I can say is that it's unique to Kyoto, and it's deep fried goods that you dip into black liquid gold (some type of soy sauce). And while that may sound like, oh you just got tempura, let me tell you, it isn't the same type of batter, nor is it hot dog batter, it's something special to either this shop or the type of food. Hard to explain, you got to try it for yourself. Tips: Don't double dip! Order off the combo and share, it gives you a good variety of stuff to try. The line is outside across the street and they will call you in once seats are available. Smoking is allowed in here.

We wanted to try something fun here and a friend told me about kushikatsu, which is fried stuff on a stick. This place was near the entrance of Shinsekai by the restaurant with the octopus structure. The kushikatsu place is the one with an angry man with two sticks of fried food. When you sit down you are instructed to use your hand to pick up the cabbage and other foods and dip them once in the communal sauce. It was a very interesting experience and everything was so tasty! We got Combo Dobutsuenmae (Combo C) which came with classic kushikatsu (beef), shrimp, asparagus, quail egg, rice cake, pork cutlet, chicken meatball, fish sausage with cheese, sausage, karaage (deep-fried chicken), cheese, sweet potato, octopus, lotus root, and beef filet.

Tried this out because kushikatsu is an Osaka specialty. We also wanted to check out the 80s feeling shinsekai area, and thua met both of our goals by going to the kushikatsu restaurant in shinsekai. There was a little line, but moved fairly quickly, even at noontime. We were seated at the counter and shared 15 pieces of fried things on a stick. There is an English menu, as well as instructions on how to eat here- no double dipping(sauce is shared and not renewed between diners) and I'd you didn't get enough sauce the first time, you can use the cabbage available to dip into the sauce to spread it on your fried stick. The 15 pieces combo came with a variety of things, ranging from a large oyster to pork (our favorite) to a cheese (strange but delicious) to a few veggies. A fun experience, even as someone who doesn't really eat a lot of fried foods.

Wow this place is the Bomb! Best Kushikatsu I've ever eaten. This very famous chain is known for their deep fried skewers. Get almost anything you like veggies, pork chicken, cheese, mochi, ect. They are the BEST! What makes them so good is the crispy fried batter and the dipping sauce. THE RULES. FOLLOW THEM AT ALL TIMES! Rule #1 NO DOUBLE DIPPING! They place whatever you have ordered on a tray in front of you as they come out of the frier. This is the clean tray. Pick up your skewer and dip it into the sauce then put it on your plate or your mouth, not back on the clean tray. If you plan to split or share a skewer, be sure to dip it first then put it on your plate, not on your dirty plate first then into the sauce. The sauce is a community sauce it gets used all day. I had a few veggies, lotus root, okra, shiitake mushrooms, quail egg, and pork. So good! My aunty almost broke the rule when she wanted to split one with me, she was going to set it down on her plate to break off a piece, i had to push her hand up off of her plate before she made contact! Phew.. its almost like Seinfield and the soup nazi! LOL but totally warranted and understandable. If you look at the mascot for the restaurant, its the chef who has a very angry expression, and it's because he's mad at all the customers for double dipping! LOL.. The sauce is truly delicious which is why people double dip.. so don't be shy on dipping your skewer all the way in and submerging it completely, because you can't go in for more sauce after you've set it down or taken a bite! This place is really popular and famous, especially this location because its the original shop. (i hope I'm writing on the correct location) and I'm told there are always long lines to get in. Luckily there was no line today because it was raining. Hurray!

Kushikatsu Daruma was one of our favorite places in Japan. It is a small restaurant with diner counter seating. Their specialty is fried food, so you might not want to come in wearing your favorite outfit because you will smell like delicious fried food when you leave! We had several servings of everything they had, but our favorite may have been the fried pork and fried lotus root. The cooks who work here are incredibly friendly and funny. It was not a problem that neither we did not speak English -- they used their phones to translate words and we did the same. I felt like I was having dinner with friends. We were laughing at jokes the entire time. You should really go if you love having laughing while drinking sake and having fried food. They made us love Osaka. We are looking forward to coming back someday!

First, theres some rules you have to know about eating kushikatsu. The dipping sauce is communal so you MUST NOT double dip! If you didn't get a good dip the first time and realize you need more sauce, what you can do is use the cabbage provided to spoon the sauce onto your kushikatsu. However, I saw on the menu that if you order less than 8(?) skewers per person or don't spend a certain amount of money, they will charge you for the cabbage -- at a cost of ¥300 per person! I thought that was pretty ridiculous. We clearly did not spend the minimum amount so we didn't use the cabbage for fear of being charged...lol. Thankfully they didn't charge us extra when we got the bill. They have a wide selection of kushikatsu ranging from meat items to veggies, and even seafood. They also have sets available so you can try a lot of different things. I tried the classic beef kushikatsu, lotus root, okra, and shitake mushroom. Anyways, kushikatsu was fun to dip and eat. They were golden-brown and crispy, but not overdone. The sauce was salty, slightly sweet and sour, but had a thicker consistency than soy sauce. I'm not exactly sure what was in it but it was good! I probably wouldn't go here for a full meal since it's all deep-fried food but I did enjoy the experience and glad I got to snack on these. Oh, and I only spent around ¥600 here so that was cheap :)

Excellent Kushikatsu Restaurant. Crispy fried Food done to perfection. This is a Osaka specialty food. They have many choices and a English menu. This is a very busy restaurant, but if you go before lunch or dinner the crowds are smaller. They are worth a visit. Don't forget, no double dipping.

Represented by the fierce Japanese chef face logo, Kushikatsu Daruma is one of the most popular kushikatsu joints in Osaka and all of them hailed from this main branch in Shinsekai! If you want an authentic kushikatsu taste, Daruma is a good place to start! Simply put, kushikatsu is fried skewer, but it's not limited to just meat. Literally anything that could be breaded is fair game - anything including mochi or cheese! As equally important to the breading is the dipping sauce, and both elements are essential in determining whether this restaurant's kushikatsu is a deal or a bust. As testified by the large amount of chains around Osaka that often have ridiculous wait, Daruma is successful in delivering a great kushikatsu experience with its great breading and dipping sauce! You can choose to buy your skewer choices a la carte style or choose a pre-selected assortment. Although the assortment does not offer discount from a la carte, it is nonetheless a good option for those (like me) who can't decide and want to try something new! What I really liked about Daruma compared to the other kushikatsu restaurants are the greater assortment choices and the staff who can take care of foreigners like me. You probably don't want to eat just kushikatsu for a meal though, because it's relatively pricy with each piece pricing about 100 yen each. However, especially for a late night snack, I definitely recommend Kushikatsu Daruma as a great start to try kushikatsu! *By the way, the fierce chef's speech bubble says "no double dipping"

Basically an a la carte place where you order different types of meat and they put it on a skewer, bread it, and fry it. An extremely tender selection of meats and with such a wide variety you'll be tempted to get so many. They have waiters that speak English and have an English menu as well! Also, they take card if you're running low on cash.

Located in Shinsekai district off the beaten path. Legit place, will update more with details currently don't have good cell coverage to input the review I'm good at. Follow the procedures set in place about double dipping and cabbage dipping and you'll be all right!

I had a wonderful time at the restaurant. It is small but cozy, and the bar setting made it easy to chat with other customers. I spoke only a little Japanese, but everyone eased me into their conversations, so that what I thought would be a nice afternoon snack, ended up as an unforgettable afternoon full of laughs.

It's a small place, but food is amazing. Waited 30 minutes and it was well worth it. Onions, eggplant, cheese and pork were all top notch. Friendly staff. We bought them a kirin and they enjoyed. Good prices too.

Yummy! My first time trying kushikatsu. I didn't even know it existed until I started doing research for our Japan trip. I am definitely a fan. I think we went a couple hours before the dinner rush and we still had to wait in line outside (about half an hour). They had english menus so we ordered a set of a variety of kushikatsu. The breading is not that thick and the dipping sauce is good. I haven't been able to find many places in the states that make kushikatsu... I am on a search!