Ajinoya Honten

Founded in 1965, Ajinoya Honten is an okonomiyaki institution opposite the backstage entrance area of Shochikuza Theatre in Namba. Its second-floor dining room combines a counter and tables, with the griddle central to the experience. It is a place to encounter Osaka's everyday cooking through a freshly prepared meal shared between walks around Minami.

Okonomiyaki combines cabbage, flour-and-dashi batter and meat or seafood, cooked on a griddle and finished with a salty-sweet sauce. Ajinoya also specialises in yakisoba, so sharing both provides a contrast between the cabbage pancake and stir-fried noodles. The house sauce is sold as a culinary souvenir too.

This is Honten at 1-7-16 Namba, not one of the other locations. Walk-ins are seated in arrival order, with an optional TableCheck FastPass costing ¥660 per person. It is non-refundable and gives queue priority, not an immediately available table. Suitcases are not allowed inside, so leave them in a locker before visiting.