FUGETSU Tempozan

We had bad experience from one careless waitress in this branch. I think just because we are foreigners. She treated the other Japanese guests with smile but not to us. It’s kind of rude manner (I and my husband felt the same), with her boring face there was no explanation, no response even ‘はい (Yes...)’ when we asked for help or ordered. Taste of okonomiyaki here was nothing special. Go to the other places if you don’t want to have bad memory in Japan.

Visited July 2019

I went to eat lunch at this outlet in the Tempozan Marketplace after visiting the Osaka Kaiyukan Aquarium in June and I was able to try okonomiyaki for the first time. I had the pork and shrimp set with noodles on top and I was totally blownaway by the great taste and texture of the food. My eldest ...son and I split one and there were no prisoners taken that morning. Making the okonomiyaki at out table was a show in itself, as the labor involved is quite lengthy. First, the attendant had to mix up the cabbage in a bowl with some kind of a binding agent and then pour in on to the hot griddle. The cabbage mixture is then fried, lipped over and fried on the other side. The noodles are added, flipped and fried again and then topped with mayo sauce and some teri sauce. Our attendant kept telling me to wait until it was cooked, but I was ready to eat as soon as she dropped the mixture on the griddle. That was quite a wait for lunch, but it was really worth the wait. The food was really good, the price for okonomiyaki is reasonable, and the restaurant was full of diners. I learned one very important fact for non-local diners. In Japan, one has to signal the wait staff when you want something. They do not automatically come around and ask if you are ready to order, or want the tab. Raise your hand and say "sumimasen". They will come and you will be happy. The wait staff is operating on your time, so they do not want to rush you along. I just thought they were trying to ignore me because I was a non-local, but I had it all wrong. This is my third trip to Japan, and the light bulb finally came on. Duh, why did it take so long.

Visited July 2019

So we just had the most delicious meal with great service at Fugetsu in the Tenpozan Marketplace, and we were the only Caucasians in the entire busy restaurant, every table occupied. Here's how it's done (in any restaurant in Japan): When you arrive, give a greeting like "Konichiwa" followed by a sl...ight bow. Then hold up two fingers and say "Ni, kudosai." (Two, please) or "Yon, kudosai" (Four, please) or whatever. The host will probably bow back, smile, and say a few words which you won't understand, but that doesn't matter, because you will smile back, bow slightly again, say "Hai" (Yes) and then follow him to your table. When you get to your table, turn to the host, bow slightly again and say "Arigoto" (Thank You) and sit down. Now you know Japanese restaurant etiquette! Unlike western restaurants, no one will come to your table to take an order until you signal them by catching anyone's attention and saying (loudly) "Sumimasen" - "Excuse Me" (I'm ready to order something!), and then they will know you want something and will happily scurry over to take your order. Not knowing simple Japanese restaurant etiquette will leave you feeling helpless, without service, and blaming the restaurant for treating Non- Asians poorly, which is simply not the case, and is completely untrue and a grave injustice to the nice hardworking people at the restaurant who want nothing more than to please their customers and deliver delicious food and good service. If you think you're being ignored it's because they don't think you know what you want yet, and you don't know how to get it. Now if even if you don't know any more phrases than the few simple ones I've listed, with that good start you can just carry on by pointing at what you want, useihg fingers for numbers, useing sign language, whatever, and that's how it's done. Now that that's out of the way, we noticed that most people were ordering the "Sets" for two, three, or four, which are designated menu items served without substitution at a fixed price, but we chose instead to order a la carte Shrimp and Beef Tendon Okonomiyaki with Scallion and Soft Cooked Egg on top, and Shrimp and Pork Modanyaki, which is Okonomiyaki with Yakisoba Noodles mixed in. The skilled and friendly staff prepare these items at your table on the griddle in the middle of the table, and what really made this dining experience so delightful was the fabulous air conditioning in the restaurant that kept us cool sitting with that hot griddle in the middle of our table on a 90 degree August afternoon. Oh and with a "Sumimasen (Pardon me): Ni (Two) Tsu me tai (Cold) Bi-ru (Beers) Kudosai (Please) we were washing it all down with ice cold Namba Beer. To sum it all up, after a couple of hours at the Aquarium, Head over to Fugetsu for delicious Okonomiyaki, great service, cold beer, and afterwards, take a ride on the Ferris Wheel next door!

Visited August 2018

After morning visit to aquarium, we were hungry. After walking around inside Tempozan market, we settled on this ramen place. The ramen was alright. If you bring babies or kids, they get to choose a toy or gift from a basket (we saw that in the tables around us). Teens don't get any. Haha

Visited November 2016

It was delicious, but we have waited for too long before they took our order. All other customers, who was Asian and came after us where alreday eating before we made the order... Too bad.

Visited November 2016