If you have the chance to come to Osaka, one thing you’ll want to try is the famous kushikatsu (fried skewers). We were almost there, in Kyoto, so we decided to try it anyway.

Kushikatsu 串カツ, also known as kushiage 串揚げ, is a Japanese dish of deep-fried skewered meat and vegetables. In Japanese, kushi refers to the skewers used while katsu means a deep-fried cutlet of meat.

Variety of Kushikatsu

Taking the idea of fried snacks to a new level, the delicacy of kushikatsu is a simple concept: bite-size chunks of meat and vegetables battered and deep fried before being dipped into a dark sauce.

At first glance, kushikatsu might easily be mistaken for a variation of tempura. But the two differ in how the batter is made. The batter in tempura, for instance, is made with water, flour and eggs; with kushikatsu, a stronger flour is used, and breadcrumbs are added to the mix.

The Rules When Eating Kushikatsu

No Double Dipping

When eating kushikatsu, you dip it in a sauce, which is usually shared by all customers. So for hygienic reasons, you aren’t supposed to dip kushikatsu that you have put in your mouth into the sauce. This is a rule you have to abide by. This container, with the “Don’t dip twice” mark on it, is the container for the sauce.

You can use cabbage to “spoon” sauce

When you order kushikatsu, in most cases it will also come with cabbage. There are also some restaurants where you will find the cabbage on the table already. This cabbage is not the usual finely cut cabbage, but large, roughly cut strips of cabbage. This cabbage plays a role in helping your digestion, and you can also use it “spoon” sauce onto your kushikatsu if you really need more, to get around the “Don’t dip twice” rule. Eating the cabbage by hand is also fine.

Besides kushikatsu, most of these restaurants serve as an izakaya and serve the other Osaka specialty, the takoyaki. It is customary to order a drink or two and enjoy the rowdy, casual atmosphere of the izakaya.

Amazingly small kitchen churned out everything in a jiffy. Depending on the restaurant, you will either have your selection delivered to your table piping hot or you’ll place your order directly to the chef—or even be served the chef’s choice.

This was a random choice while we were in Kyoto, there are many such examples. While you will be able to find restaurants serving this up in all corners of Osaka, it is associated strongly with the slightly shabby but charming area of Shinsekai. Alongside the area’s sumo traditions, there are countless street-side restaurants and standing bars serving fried everything.

Kushikatsu Takoyaki Sechan Kyoto Ekimae
串かつ たこ焼き せいちゃん 京都駅前店
京都府京都市下京区不明門通り七条下る東塩小路町711-8 1F
Tel : 050-5456-1604

Date Visited : Dec 2017