Kushi katsu @ Yamatoya No 5, Shinsekai, Osaka

Located in a part of town which seemed to be stuck in time, Shinsekai is not the new world that its originators had in mind. 

Tsutenkaku Tower, in all of its glory

Yet, despite being stuck in some retro time lapse and known for being a former criminal hotbed, there is a nostalgic charm here. And the food, well, that is something worth talking about.  Being a culinary center of Kansai soul food, Shinsekai offers alot of the grub that Osaka is famous for. From okonomiyaki, noodle dishes and deep fried treats, this place has it all. Speaking of deep fried treats, kushi katsu shops seem to be everywhere! So what is a guy to do? Eat, thats what!

Maybe next time. 

And where should I have kushi katsu? Although many tour websites recommended Daruma, I felt that it was kinda touristy and a bit more expensive that most of the shops around. Making a survey around confirmed my assumption. Most of the people lining up were tourists and the outside menu seems to be a bit more expensive than the shops around. 

Standing room only

So finally after some exploring, I have decided on Yamatoya  No. 5 Goten (やまと屋 5号店). Directly translated as Yamato's shop No 5, this was a kushi katsu shop with little frills and had a standing bar for your to enjoy your meals. For simplicity sake, I will just call this place Yamatoya No 5. There were many dishes in store, but I was in a mood for kushi katsu. And luckily, ordering was just as easy as filling up a piece of paper. 

Pick your poison. 

Once you have made your mind, pencil your order down and pass it to the staff and they will sort it out in no time. Being Japan, there is no other drink to have but the classic highball when pairing with fried foods and I was slowly enjoying my fizzy boozer while waiting for my dinner. I ordered a vast array of fried goodies. From conservative options like prawns and pork, to more bizarre ones like cheese. And the best part was, that every stick was just ¥100! This is some serious bargain eats here. I had a total of 8 sticks of awesomeness. 

Dinner is served!

Do note that there is some etiquette to be adhered to when eating kushi katsu. Firstly, the sauce is a communal dipping spot. As such, you can only dip once! However, a serving of cabbage which is FOC will be provided to you. You then use a leaf of said cabbage like a spoon so you can drizzle extra sauce once you have dipped your skewer. 

Remember, this is meant for sharing. 

Then once you have completed the additional sauce placement, the cabbage is now ready for your consumption. Once you have eaten your tasty golden treat, place the skewer in a skewer holder, which looks similar to a pencil holder you see in an office table. 

Fried cheese. Now I have seen everything. 

Now with the formality out of the way, so how did it taste? Despite being deep fried, the skewers did not feel greasy. The skewers were crunchy and tasty and amplifies the ingredient that they are coating. This is some satisfying soul food here. The only one that made me question my judgment was the fried cheese. It was decadent, indulgent and slightly sinful. Well, I think a few more cabbage leaves will do the trick. The sauce also made it easier to gobble down too, being abit acidic, it cuts into the grease rather easily. 

Front of the shop. 

As mentioned earlier, Shinsekai was never planned to be this retro punk district. In fact, the  neighbourhood was created in 1912 with New York as a model for its southern half and Paris for its northern half. However, due to shortage of resources due to World War 2, the development for the area was left on hold for a very long time. And hence, you will get the feeling as though this area was frozen in time. 

A retro pachinko parlour

But I really liked the atmosphere. It was rugged but inviting and I felt that as though I was in a scene in Blade Runner.  Also, I actually felt quite safe loitering around after dark. People who say this is probably the most dangerous place in Japan, clearly has not loiter in the darker parts of Kabukicho before. Now that was scary. 

One of the entrances into another world. 

If you are ever in Osaka, do yourself a favour and visit this unique time capsule in the middle of the city. With good cheap food and a unique electricity in the air, rest assured I will be here again. If you are interested in trying out Yamatoya 5 Goten, which you should, the address is as follows:

2 Chome-4-16 Ebisuhigashi, Naniwa Ward, Osaka, 556-0002, Japan

Another angle of Tsutenkaku.