Kiji

Decided to try this place because we were in the area and our local business associate hadn’t been before. This shop is in an old historic “food court” with many stand up street food vendors or sit down restaurants. It was a little hard to find but once we did were instructed to wait because every t...able was full. After 10 minutes we were seated and had a great lunch. We each ordered a different item and shared. The beef and green onion was my favorite but everything was delicious. Not fancy but great

Visited November 2024

Okonomiyaki is a famous Osaka dish that I hadn’t had for a while. It was Trip Advisor reviews that led me to this shop. It’s a small, old, dark busy place. Looks like a bit of a hole in the wall. There was a line up when I arrived but I only had to wait about 15 minutes to be seated. The menu is... limited and available in English. I chose the modanyaki which is okonomiyaki cooked with noodles. It was delicious. I had considered ordering the large size but the regular was filling enough. If ordering okonomiyaki there is a variety of fillings but the modanyaki only had one type which was pork. Staff were pleasant and seemed to enjoy their work.

Visited February 2020

Part of the fun is watching the chefs fry the soba or flip the okonomiyaki expertly, while your stomach rumbles and you start salivating in anticipation. My first visit was to the outlet in the Umeda Sky Building, and this time I visited the one located in the Shin-Umeda Shokudogai. They're both rel...atively hard to find, given that Umeda / Osaka stations are a huge labyrinth, but the journey there (and the subsequent wait) is worth it. I find this place relatively inexpensive, and I love the pork and squid okonomiyaki, as well as the shrimp and potato one.

Visited November 2019

This is the 4th time I’ve been to Osaka and tried okonomiyaki many times. Not a great fan but I read about this place and was excited to try. The queue was bearable but the plump waitress was not. She’s rude and I think she has something against foreigner. Shop was cramped and ventilation was poor. ...Food was bland and I’ve tasted better okonomiyaki before. Won’t visit again

Visited November 2019

Food is good here. Ambience is interesting. Line is incredibly long sometimes - shows it is incredibly popular. Order Yaki-Udon; Yaki-Soda; Modan Yaki - in that order. The Modan Yaki is incredibly good. I ate the yaki-soba first, and I thought it was the best tasting food I'd ever experienced u...ntil the Modan Yaki the next trip. It's an okonomiyaki restaurant, so they will customize if requested - which my wife did, but I stuck to their recipe. Apparently they got notice of Michelin guide, and deservedly so. Some recent reviews mentioned cramped poorly ventilated and uncomfortable seating. TRUE, but remember, this place was made to serve the working class of Osaka - and not some dumb tourist looking for a classy joint with classy food (you can easily find one of those things in Osaka too). This is comfort food. This is people food... remember that when you go there, don't expect the lounge at the Conrad. (Conrad is a rock's throw away, if you wish to eat there - and the Conrad has good coffee - Kiji does not not). BEST food I've ever had, to the point I wished I lived there so i can go when I felt like it.

Visited September 2019