On our first night in Osaka, we decided to lean right into tradition and head to a 100-year-old sukiyaki restaurant in the city center.
Harijyu is right on Dotonbori Street, but unlike the street food we enjoyed there the next night (more on that tomorrow!), food at Harijyu is enjoyed in a reclining position in a private room.
We started things off with an appetizer plate consisting of a few pieces of sushi, Japanese omelette, battered and fried fish, fava beans, and marinated scallop. It’s the sort of plate we would get accustomed to over the next few days (especially me, as I’ve become the garbage disposal for whatever pieces my brother doesn’t love. Score!)
Next, we moved on to the main event: the beef. Our attendant cooked the first few slices for us, frying the deliciously marbled, thin-sliced pieces of beef in sesame oil before adding a touch of sweet soy sauce to the pan.
A pile of veggies and tofu were on-hand for us to add at our discretion.
Once all of the assorted bits and pieces were added, we were free to remove them as we desired, first dipping them into a bowl of beaten raw egg before placing them on our own rice bowl and enjoying.
The meal was super rich and flavorful – the perfect initiation for what awaited us over the next few days. And enjoying it in a private room was a great choice for our first jet-lag-fueled night.
We even considered turning this little corner into a nap room (or a shame corner) before gathering our wits and heading back to our AirBnB for a much-needed night of rest.
Harijyu – 1 Chome-9-１７ Dotonbori, Chuo Ward, Osaka