Jimbe the Fish さかな @ Osaka

Have you done that before? Walking around with no plans? It was exactly how I felt after an exhausting day and was looking for a place to eat dinner.

It was not as if there was nothing interesting to eat. I was in Osaka and more accurately the couple of blocks around Nipponbashi where most of the tour buses will drop off their passengers. The whole place was full of restaurants that will suit every palate and every budget, from a five-storey takoyaki restaurant to back alleys with standing sushi bars and other good eats; you are spoiled for choice.

After walking around the block for around 20 min taking photos, I settled for Jimbe the Fish, because it was not full of tourists. I was immediately ushered in and seated at the ground floor counter facing the over and next to the cashier. Not the best seat in the house.

Hot towel and a small otoshi (small cube of tofu) later, I settled down for my first cold beer of the day. I was too tired to try to order in Japanese, but thankfully they have an online ordering portal that you can scan the QR code and place your order.

First up, an appetiser. Tiger pufferfish (torafugu) is a highly prized luxury seafood and the highest grade of edible pufferfish (fugu), (in)famous for containing a lethal neurotoxin called tetrodotoxin. People still die from accidental poisoning from eating fugu. Blanched tiger pufferfish skin served with ponzu sauce is a traditional Japanese delicacy known as kawasashi (皮刺し). The skin has a uniquely chewy, gelatinous texture and a very subtle, clean taste. It relies on a tart and savoury citrus-soy sauce (ponzu), mixed with momiji oroshi (red pepper-infused radish) and negi (scallions) for its vibrant flavour.

For those who have been following my posts for the last few weeks would have figured out that I was in Hiroshima this trip, but at this point it had not happened yet. This was a preview of what was to come in a couple of days time. Kakifurai (牡蠣フライ) is a popular deep fried food from Japan; huge, plump Pacific oysters from Hiroshima are battered and the coated with panko crumps before deep-frying in an oil. The tartar sauce was really delicious, but the oil was too hot and the panko was a bit overdone.

Kushikatsu (串カツ) was invented in Osaka in the Shinsekai neighbourhood. The sauce was communal so the two pieces of cabbage were for you to swipe more sauce onto the food if the first dip wasn’t enough. No double dipping please. The assortment included (R-L) lotus root, sweet potato, yellow onion, prawn, kisu fish and squid. Any that has been deep fried is always delicious in Japan.

Finally, a grilled sea bream collar, one of my favourite food in a sakana restaurant because it is usually delicious and inexpensive. There are usually made from leftover fish heads from sashimi and sushi, and depending on the place, can include expensive fish like madai (Japanese sea bream) and limited in availability. But if the fish is good enough for sashimi, the quality wouldn’t be too far off. Simply salted and then grilled in an over, this fish head is full of natural fats from the oily fish, like in this case the Japanese sea bream. It was a generous portion (a whole head) for only ¥979.

A quick and simple dinner for only ¥4,774. Very noisy, very happening, very Osaka.

Jimbe the Fish さかなのじんべえ
6-6, Sennichimae 2-Chōme, Chuo, Osaka, Osaka, Japan
〒542-0074 大阪府大阪市中央区千日前2-6-6
Tel : +81-(06)-6632-8220

Visited Aug 2026