Osaka’s Kitchen

Kuromon Ichiba Market, also known as Osaka’s Kitchen, has been a part of Osaka’s food scene for over 190 years.

The market spans close to 600 meters with 150 shops specializing in the freshest and best quality of fish, meat, vegetables, eggs, and even street food to savor at the market.

The market’s seafood focus resembles the outdoor area of Tokyo’s Tsukiji Market. The Kuromon Ichiba Market caters to restaurant chefs, the local neighborhood, and the food-passionate tourists. Go there for lunch or between meals and be ready to eat all the local and seasonal specialties of Osaka.

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Welcome to the Kuromon Ichiba Market. The market spans close to 600 meters with 150 shops. Take your time to stroll and savor in both sides of the covered arcade. Your eyes will happily feast in all of the fresh products

 

Kuromon Ichiba Market, YouTube Feature

Experience the market through video! Here is my first Foodicles YouTube video. In this episode, I am highlighting Kuromon Ichiba Market with a fresh sea urchin tasting towards the end of the video. Stay tuned each week and subscribe to my channel for more YouTube updates.

 

What to See and Eat

Walking through Kuromon Ichiba Market will certainly overwhelm your senses. You will want to eat everything.

Try out all of your favorites. Mine are uni (sea urchin) and toro (tuna belly). There are also massive crab legs and Osaka classics like takoyaki. If you love beef, there are wagyu shops that grill the meat right in front of you. And, you can taste the country’s seasonal fruits which are plump, perfect, and seem to be injected with massive flavor and sugar.

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Fresh seafood lovers’ paradise. Sea urchins, clams, and oysters. You can buy the seafood to take home or the shop owners can also prepare the seafood to be eaten at the market. If you choose to eat it at the market, you can watch how they prepare the seafood
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Many shops sell similar products with competitive prices. The prices are not cheap because the vendors stand by the freshness and high quality. Some shops will even decrease their prices as the day comes to a close to sell as much as they can
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Tasting the freshest uni! On my YouTube video, you can watch how the sea urchin is cut, rinsed, and plated for this presentation. The taste is even fresher than in any restaurant – it’s as though you are tasting the roe on a boat over the open waters
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The market also sells street food snacks. The baby octopus is a popular little snack on a stick that can be eaten on the spot. Typically, it is a rare sight to see a local eat and walk, but here in the market locals and tourists can enjoy bites at the shops and along the covered arcade
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Toro! Get your dose of Omega-3s at the market. You can buy to take home (or to eat at your hotel) or you can also purchase the cuts of toro to eat at the shop. The shop owner provides little plates and chopsticks and can even slice the block of toro for you
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As the afternoon comes to a close, the prices of the fresh fish also decrease. While the price drop is enticing, the coldness overwhelms fish from its day in the fridge. If you are seeking the best fresh fish experience, go before lunch

 

Kuromon Ichiba Market
2-4-1 Nippombashi
Chuo-ku, Osaka City
Most shops, 8am to 5pm
 
 
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