Matsuba Sohonten

Packed with people who seemed like locals - we were glad to have an Osaka native with us. Don't check your cholesterol after eating here. Smoking is allowed. Fortunately we were close enough to an exit that it didn't overly impact our experience. Card payments accepted.

I come here every time I come back to Osaka. There are mixed reviews but this place is typical Osaka style Kushikatsu place. Most of local, less expensive places are similar to here. If you are not used to it or don't like it, you may not like this place. You pick up whatever you want to taste from boxes and enjoy them with drinks (I always get bottled beer). It's not easy to pick what you want because they are all brown and look similar but they can explain what they are. They can warm up them, if you ask. They calculate your bill by skewers as there are several types that have different prices. My personal favorites are, Chicken, beef, Tuna and green pepper. Oyster is pretty good in winter.

I enjoyed this local experience. A quick and easy casual place for good for a get together and chatting. Tho, I wouldn’t go expecting much from the taste and variety ... (they were out of a lot of ingredients when I went on the Saturday evening so watch out !) You can either order or pick from the tray in front of the counter !!

I really like the atmosphere at this place - it’s packed with locals, it’s stacked with skewers, it’s flowing with beers - this is how all standing bars should feel like! The food is average kinda good; if you eat Kushikatsu enough number of times, you might find yourself liking every different stall you go to, bcos they really taste 90% alike. What I find unique about this place as well is that you can “order” the skewer of your choice and they will refry (or heat up) the skewer from the tray in front of you. Alternatively, you can simply take your pick from the tray in front of you! I notice that the locals were just picking from the tray, especially whenever the staff tops them up with fresh ones.

Taste of the food was mediocre, but the place was filled with many locals. Best item I felt was the chicken skewer which had curry powder seasoning. Fried items were left to cool so some fried skewers were cold and not crispy.

A fun kushikatsu (deep-fried skewered meat, vegetables, etc.) standing restaurant loved by the locals in Osaka, located inside Shinumeda Shokudogai. The place was filled with locals having beer at 2pm on a Monday. It is not the best kushikatsu I have had as it is quite oily but it is reasonably priced with one stick ranging from 100 to 160 yen and a drink from 350 to 700 yen. Try to stand by the kitchen so that you can see all the frying in action. However be aware that the service is not so good because they are busy running the kitchen and serving. This place is more for experiencing the Osaka culture than the taste of the food. I recommend the Pork, Quail Egg, Camembert Cheese, Kisu (Whiting fish) and Onion. Don't forget, no double dipping on the sauce!! *English menu available

Really like this place and its convenient and atmospheric location next to Umeda Station. It's a standing kushikatsu bar, so you can knock out two Osaka classic experiences in one. No seats, not much space. The "young chicken" drumsticks are great, everything else is good - freshly made and better than the other chain kushikatsu shops. The price is right for a quick snack.

This place is really fun where you can experience Osaka local life.

日曜日の15:00ごろ いってみました。。 カウンターに入れるところがあり カウンターへ案内されました。。 ドリンクはカウンターにつくなり メニュー見るまも無く いきなりすぐ聞かれます。。 串揚げは カウンターに揚がって置いてあるものは 揚げなおして提供される システムです。。 無造作に揚げたてが出てくる時は 何が揚がったよと案内あり。。 あとはメニューのものは 言えば揚げてくれます。。 キャベツのおかわりは自由で ソースは置いてあるタイプ。。 衣が厚めなので カリッと感は少ないです。。 衣が暑い分 お腹にたまります。。 ただお値段はリーズナブルな分 気軽に立ち寄る立ち飲み串揚げ な感じですね。。 わりとおひとり様来店も多く 店内はどちらかと言えば静かです。。 タバコが吸えるんですが 灰皿はなく 下に肺を落として 踏みつけて消すという 今どきびっくりな 喫煙スタイルです。。

I would have given it a 4, but I'll explain why I didn't soon. Was hungry and searching for food in this area one year ago. I saw lotsa salarymen n local folks here - a sure sign of cheap n good food! I went in .. got a place (no seats .. standing only for all) close to the wall; at the end of the Long Counter. No English menu - but they have Chinese & Korean menu. I absolutely didn't know how to order, so I looked at how my neighbour ordered. The foods were all fried stuff, so I ordered the usual suspects: fish, prawns etc. All tasted really really good!! Now, here's the bad part: more crowds started to come in. The wait staff (a 35-40 yo looking Japanese chap) rudely asked me to move one seat and get myself right to the wall. I was shocked at his behaviour. Of cos, I was quite mad but I was adamant his rude behaviour would not spoil my meal. What I enjoyed most about the meal is the people-watching! I really love watching local folks unwind at the end of the day. The meal was fun & delicious, the experience spoilt by 20% by the rude wait staff. Will I be back? Maybe. But if I'm to go back again, I would be make sure I give a piece of my mind for his rude behaviour - if he is still working there that is #lol #wink