Breakfast in the kitchen of Osaka

If you love the idea of eating your way around a city while hearing stories about its culture, a breakfast tour of Kuromon market is for you – there’s a good reason it’s called ‘the kitchen of Osaka’! There are so many stalls, though, that you need a knowledgeable guide to help you; otherwise you’ll never get beyond the ‘I love what I’m eating, but have no idea what it is’ stage.

Everyone loves snacking through the market, stall by stall, and hearing that every single food has a story that ties in with the way of life in Japan. My favourite bit of the trip is when everyone gets to cook their own takoyaki – grilled dumplings stuffed with octopus that are a local speciality. Some people are nervous, others are full of confidence, but everyone walks away with their bellies and hearts filled with the warmth of Osaka. Almost every family in the city owns a takoyaki grill pan, and thanks to this experience clients have a sense of what it feels like to be a local.

This tour goes in depth about the food process. What does food really mean in this city with a slogan of ‘eat until you drop’? What are you really eating, and what role does it serve in the hearts of the locals? How long has this establishment been here, and what has changed – or not changed – over time? And what does it feel like to be your own takoyaki chef?

There’s one last thing to mention. We named it a breakfast tour, but you can also do it for lunch if that makes you happy…