Near Umeda Department Store！ An affordable tonkatsu rice hidden in an underground street

Text & photos by /Viviyu

Umeda is an area full of department stores and bustling malls—great for shopping, eating, and exploring. There’s a Uniqlo in the building where foreigners with passports can get a 5,000 yen discount when spending over a certain amount. On this trip, I also picked up some souvenirs here.

As soon as you exit Umeda Station, you’ll definitely see Hankyu Department Store. There are some desserts to enjoy there, but my goal this time was to eat tonkatsu—fist pumped!

Walking through the shopping street and entering a small alley, you’ll find plenty of delicious food options here—I almost changed my mind and picked another place...

Passing by a shrine, which is also a romantic spot for couples. If you’re visiting as a pair, it’s worth strolling around~

When you see this building, you’ve reached your destination. If it weren’t for my friend doing the research in advance, I wouldn’t have known that such deliciousness is hidden in an underground street.

The peak dining hours may require waiting in line since there aren’t many seats inside. Fortunately, we got lucky and didn’t have to queue this day.

The staff saw that we were foreigners and kindly provided an English menu. The signature dish is, of course, the tonkatsu set meal Up. Portions come in small and large sizes. Given Japan’s price levels, it’s definitely a great value option.

They offer a variety of seasonings to go with the meal. I tried it with shichimi togarashi, and it paired really well.

Tonkatsu Rice $820
Look at this thick, juicy pork cutlet drenched in sauce, glistening with oil—doesn’t it look irresistible~

It also comes with macaroni salad and shredded lettuce to balance the meal and cut through the grease. Personally, I’m not a big fan of macaroni drenched in mayo, but the lettuce was a great companion. The way the pork is cooked here lets you enjoy big bites, and the texture is somewhat similar to beef—it’s quite a unique experience~

The greatest pleasure is pairing it with Japan’s delicious rice—it’s truly a perfect match!! The pork is very tender and juicy, locking in all the flavors, and gets more aromatic the more you chew. For tonkatsu lovers, make sure to go for the larger portion—it’s so much more satisfying.

My friend also ordered a hamburger steak for an extra 200 yen. It was surprisingly good—I had completely forgotten about it until halfway through the meal, and I instantly regretted not ordering one sooner. At 220 yen, the sauce is rich and flavorful. If you visit, be sure to try one.

The whole meal cost less than 1,000 yen, truly cheap and filling, plus you get to enjoy generous portions of meat. It’s such great value. If you’re in Umeda for shopping, come here to eat and experience biting into a big piece of tonkatsu.

Osaka Tonkatsu Osaka Marui Building 3rd Floor Shop
Phone: 06-6453-0552
Address: 1-1-3 Umeda, Kita-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka-fu, Osaka Marui Building 3F, B1F
Access info: About 3 mins on foot from Tanimachi Line Tōbu Umeda Station
Accessible within walking distance from subway, Hanshin, Hankyu Umeda Stations, JR Osaka Station, and JR Kitashinchi Station. Located 209m from Tōbu Umeda Station
Business hours: 11:30 AM – 9:00 PM

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