Best Yakiniku Around Tsuruhashi! 10 Popular Yakiniku Restaurants Discover Oishii Japan -SAVOR JAPAN -Japanese Restaurant Guide-

Update-date: Jun 05 2020

Author: SAVOR JAPAN

Best Yakiniku Around Tsuruhashi! 10 Popular Yakiniku Restaurants

Known as Japan's biggest Koreatown, Tsuruhashi is also popular as a hotspot for delicious eateries. It is particularly famous for yakiniku (grilled meat), with plenty of yakiniku restaurants scattered around the area. This article introduces 10 recommended yakiniku restaurants. Take a look, and if you get hungry, choose one to try!

See full listings of Yakiniku restaurants found in and around Osaka.

1. Maigyu

Maigyu allows you to enjoy yakiniku of premium Wagyu (a type of high-quality beef) at a reasonable price. Its bright atmosphere is perfect for a meal with friends, colleagues, or family. The most popular menu items are [Wagyu Galbi] (rib) and [Wagyu Loin]. Both super tender and low in fat, they are suitable for everyone, from children to the elderly. Their special sauce, which is slightly sweet as preferred by the Japanese, truly brings out the umami (Japanese savory taste) of the meat. For lunch, you'll find reasonably priced set meals like the [Wagyu Set] and the [Teppan Bulgogi Set] (Korean-style grilled dish of thinly sliced meat).

Maigyu

Open: Lunch 11:30 am - 3:00 pm (L.O. 2:30 pm), Dinner 5:00 pm - 11:00 pm (L.O. 10:30 pm)
Closed: None
Average price: [Dinner] 3,000 JPY
Access: From Osaka-Uehonmachi Station, take Sennichimae Street towards Tsuruhashi. At the Obase Town crossing, get on the Tsuruhashi side and the restaurant will be on the north side of the main street.
Address: 1F, Evergreen Uehonmachi, 12-15, Obase-cho, Tennoji-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka (Map)

2. Nappunnamja

Nappunnamja is a restaurant that specializes in samgyeopsal, the Korean version of pork belly yakiniku, which you get to eat while listening to k-pop music in an authentic Korean atmosphere. Grill your 1.5cm thick pork meat and enjoy its incredibly sweet fat and umami. You can make it healthier by wrapping it in Korean lettuce or perilla leaves. If you're not used to grilling the meat on your own, don't worry, the Korean staff will be more than happy to cook it for you right before your eyes! Another recommended item is the [Pork Galbi], marinated in a deliciously sweet and spicy sauce. Super juicy, it goes great with vegetables!

Nappunnamja

Open: [Monday, Tuesday, Thursday - Sunday, National Holidays, Day before National Holidays] Lunch 11:30 am - 3:00 pm (L.O. 2:30 pm), Dinner 5:00 pm - 10:00 pm (L.O. 9:30 pm)
Closed: Wednesday
Average price: [Dinner] 2,000 JPY / [Lunch] 1,400 JPY
Access: 3-minute walk from Tsuruhashi Station
12-minute walk from Momodani Station
Located inside Tsuruhashi Main Street Shopping Arcade
Address: 2-9-9, Tsuruhashi, Ikuno-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka (Map)

3. Kainantei Tsuruhashi Branch

Kainantei Tsuruhashi Branch is gaining popularity thanks to its fresh and moderately fatty yakiniku meat. There are several set meals for lunch, such as the [Wagyu Yakiniku Set A] that combines shio-tan (tongue seasoned with salt) with lean Wagyu meat, the [Wagyu Yaki-Shabu Set], and the [Offal Set]. They all include salad, soup, rice, and dessert, so they're super filling. For dinner, you can order a la carte or try their [Omakase Course] (chef's recommended course), which is perfect for parties. Plus, they have over 100 kinds of carefully selected wine that go well with yakiniku, so pick your favorite for a fantastic meal!

Kainantei Tsuruhashi Branch

Open: [Monday, Tuesday, Thursday - Sunday, National Holidays] 11:30 am - 3:00 pm (L.O. 2:00 pm) 5:00 pm - 10:30 pm (L.O. 9:30 pm)
Closed: Wednesday
*Closed on Tuesday once per month
Average price: 6,001 JPY - 7,000 JPY
Address: 3-15, Obase-cho, Tennoji-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka (Map)
Source: hitosara (Japanese)

4. Ran

Ran is a yakiniku restaurant where you can find premium quality beef and authentic Korean home-cooking. Focusing on Saga beef, but also including other brands of beef like Daikokusen and Miyazaki, they stock their beef every morning, selecting the best cuts always to offer fresh and tasty branded beef. Instead of the direct fire from a gas grill, your meat will be cooked on volcanic rock at a high heat, which allows the far-infrared rays to trap the umami of the meat inside while grilling the surface beautifully. If you order a la carte, try the popular [Premium Shio-tan], [Bone-in Jumbo Galbi], and, if you're into offal, [Daechang]. Alternatively, there are voluminous course meals for parties and banquets, so keep Ran in mind if you're organizing one!

Ran

Open: 11:30 am - 11:00 pm
Closed: None
Address: 5-24, Shimoajihara-cho, Tennoji-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka (Map)
Source: hitosara (Japanese)

5. Tsuruichi

Tsuruichi is a popular restaurant where you can grill your yakiniku on smokeless roasters. If you head here for lunch, you can choose from a variety of set meals like the [Skirt Yakiniku Set] or the [Offal Mix Set]. At night, other than the convenient [Tsuruichi Set] that comes with 3 types of meat, including galbi, and delicacies like buchimgae (Korean pancake) and namul (seasoned vegetables), you'll also find many courses with a 90-minute all-you-can-drink plan! Of course, you can order a la carte, too. The restaurant's signature dishes are the [Chuck], a cut with a good balance of lean meat and fat, the tender [Galbi], and the melt-in-the-mouth [Knuckle] (the lean meat in the central part of the thigh). Make sure to give them a try!

Tsuruichi

Open: 11:00 am - 10:00 pm (L.O. 9:10 pm)
Closed: None
*Except for the beginning and end of the year
Average price: 5,001 JPY - 6,000 JPY
Address: 1-11, Shimoajihara-cho, Tennoji-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka (Map)
Source: hitosara (Japanese)

6. Galbi House

Pick Galbi House if you want to try thickly cut yet super tender meat. As the restaurant's name suggests, galbi is their specialty dish. From the yakiniku menu, the most recommended items are [Thin Bone-in Galbi], [Loin], and [Premium Shio-tan]. The offal menu is quite popular as well, so if that's your thing, you may want to try the [Korikori] (aorta). As for the lunch menu, they give you a chance to enjoy amazing meat at a great value with set meals like the [Pork Belly Set] and the [Yakiniku Set]. In addition, this place is also famous for their variety of delicious kimchi and cold noodle dishes, so go ahead and order them with your yakiniku!

Galbi House

Open: 11:00 am - 10:00 pm
Closed: Thursday
Address: 4-4-8, Momodani, Ikuno-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka (Map)
Source: hitosara (Japanese)

7. Manmasa

Another popular yakiniku restaurant is [Manmasa], where your meat is rubbed in a special sauce. On your shichirin (portable clay cooking stove), you can grill your meat, which you can order either a la carte or as a set. Anything you choose will not come with a dipping sauce, as the meat will have already been rubbed in their original sauce. First-timers should definitely try the [Omakase Course] (chef's choice course). It comprises of dishes like [Parboiled Tripe] and crunchy [Windpipe], as well as yakiniku items like [Shio-tan], [Rib & Offal Assortment], and more. If you want to eat yakiniku to your heart's content, Manmasa is undoubtedly the place for you!

Manmasa

Open: 5:30 pm - 11:00 pm (L.O. 10:00 pm)
Closed: Monday
Average price: 5,001 JPY - 6,000 JPY
Address: 3-3-2, Momodani, Ikuno-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka (Map)
Source: hitosara (Japanese)

8. Kotobuki

In the nice and clean interior of Kotobuki, you can have nabe (hot pot) with premium Wagyu. The [Daechang Nabe] consists of Wagyu, offal, Chinese chives, bean sprouts, and other vegetables all cooked together. Its addictive, deliciously spicy flavor makes it the signature dish of the restaurant. This unique flavor is the result of a secret soup made by boiling konbu (kelp), skipjack tuna, and other ingredients for around 5 hours, combined with a special gochujang (Korean red chili paste). After your nabe, you can enjoy fried rice made with the remaining dashi (broth). [Daechang Nabe] is a classic dish at Korean BBQ restaurants that allows you to savor delicious meat in an alternative way, so why not give it a try?

Kotobuki

Open: 5:00 pm - 12:00 am (L.O. 11:30 pm)
Closed: Wednesday (open if it's a national holiday)
Average price: 4,001 JPY - 4,500 JPY
Address: 2-3-14, Ueshio, Chuo-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka (Map)
Source: hitosara (Japanese)

9. Tsuruhashi Horumon Honpo Eki-mae Branch

What allows you to enjoy yakiniku for a reasonable cost at Tsuruhashi Hormone Eki-mae Branch is that they buy their cattle whole. Other than classic lean meats like high-quality [Wagyu Skirt] and [Premium Galbi], they also serve healthy [Samgyeopsal] accompanied by plenty of vegetables. Moreover, one of the perks of buying the whole cow is that they can offer over 20 types of offal! There's also an A5-rank Wagyu course meal with an all-you-can-drink plan, which is ideal for banquets. They make lots of Korean dishes, so visit if you're a fan of Korean cuisine!

Tsuruhashi Horumon Honpo Eki-mae Branch

Open: [Monday - Friday] 5:00 pm - 11:00 pm (L.O. 10:30 pm)
[Saturday, Sunday, National Holidays] 12:00 pm - 3:00 pm (L.O. 2:30 pm), 4:00 pm - 11:00 pm (L.O. 10:30 pm)
Closed: Wednesday (open if it's a national holiday)
Address: 2-3, Shimoajihara-cho, Tennoji-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka (Map)
Source: hitosara (Japanese)

10. Karara Uehonmachi

Slightly different from the usual Korean BBQ restaurant, Karara Uehonmachi is renowned for its [Karara Special Amakara Nabe], whose sweetness and spiciness are incredibly well balanced, as well as for its [Teppanyaki] (ingredients grilled on an iron griddle) of several meats that are served with simple and refreshing seasonings like salt and a mixture of wasabi and soy sauce. Karara Uehonmachi's menu contains lots of rare cuts, as well as luxurious cuts such as premium [Loin], [Top Blade], and [Megane] (meat surrounding the pelvic bone) of Kuroge Wagyu that has been raised for over 30 months. If you're a meat lover, this place is unmissable!

Karara Uehonmachi

Open: 5:30 pm - 11:30 pm (last admission at 10:30 pm)
Closed: Sunday
Average price: [Dinner] 6,000 JPY - 7,999 JPY
Address: 101, TSC Bldg., 13-5, Obase-cho, Tennoji-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka (Map)
Source: hitosara (Japanese)

Disclaimer: All information is accurate at time of publication.