A polished sushi restaurant in Osaka’s Grand Front serving farm-raised bluefin tuna and other seafood from Kindai University’s aquaculture program.

Tucked inside an Umeda office building, Udon Bo draws long lines for its handmade Sanuki udon. Owner Ryuichiro Sogo stays true to his Kagawa roots, serving supple, chewy noodles alongside crisp, just-fried tempura. It’s simple, deeply satisfying food that locals return to again and again.

Explore Osaka’s food culture through a photo essay of our Tenmabashi tour, from hand-cut soba and sushi to street food and traditional crafts.

Wanna Manna in Osaka serves all-day Taiwanese breakfast, including soy milk soup, shaobin sandwiches, and Taiwanese rice balls.

In a side street in Nishi-Tenma, Sobakiri Arabonpu serves hand-ground, hand-cut soba that must be eaten within minutes. A family-run shop with a Michelin Bib Gourmand and a devoted local following, it shows how far craftsmanship can go in a city known for fast, casual food.

The Higobashi area in Osaka’s Nishi Ward is an eclectic gastronomic oasis off the beaten path. While many head to the obvious tourist spots of Namba and Umeda to grab a bite, under-the-radar Higobashi is home to a diverse mix of eateries that showcase Osaka’s lesser-known flavors. While often seen as high end, the area has plenty of budget-friendly lunch spots and artisan sweets nearby. Also notable are the number of owner-run shops with a staff of one – think running the register with the left hand and rolling out dough with the right! Read on for our selection of some of the best offerings in this quaint neighborhood.

The bustling Umeda district is the unofficial downtown of Osaka, and new visitors to the city might be surprised to find that much of it is underground, in the form of “Osaka Station City,” the nickname for the one-square-mile subterranean metropolis that connects to all major trains in the area. One could spend a whole day here without seeing sunlight! But avoiding the rays isn’t the charm of this spot – it’s the food scene. Here are some of our picks for the best places to eat in Osaka Station City.

Eastern Osaka's Joto shotengai, or commercial district, is a sleepy shopping arcade frozen in a bygone era. Walking down its twisting alleyways of faded storefronts leads to a colorful candy shop whose stacks of sugary treats conceal a hidden cafe called Hakusendo. Built to look space-age futuristic in 1970 to coincide with the Osaka World Fair, this kissaten (a term for similar Western-influenced Japanese coffee and tea shop of the 20th century) is now considered a retro masterpiece. This one-of-a-kind treasure has caught the eye of Japanese TV programs, local newspapers and influencers alike – attracting visitors to what would otherwise be an off-the-radar location.

Let me first say that Japan hit me very hard when I first arrived because I did not speak the language. I was not a pork eater at the time (I grew up on a farm and pigs were my pets, not dinner) but after my first two weeks in Japan all I was eating was basically breaded pork chops, because that's the only thing I knew how to order in Japanese. You eat or you starve. And when it gets to that point, it's just being able to order that’s the first barrier.

Osaka may be especially well known for its bright and busy Dotonburi district, but that same vibrancy is easily found all over the city, both in the people and urban scenery. It’s the same when it comes to the city’s nightlife, with no shortage of local eateries and street vendors to experience – places that are similarly appealing to photograph as well as step inside – whether it be a sit-down restaurant, a standing bar, or simply a spot to grab a quick snack when on the go. There is something special about wandering Osaka at night and seeing it come to life, including hidden gems that may have been easily overlooked in the daylight. Locations that are made all the more memorable by the people who own and frequent them, as the general stereotype of Osaka natives being friendly and open invariably rings true, meaning eating spots are as convivial as they are colorful. It’s a combination that makes each and every night out in Osaka a fun and varied one.

Editor’s Note: Award-winning author and journalist La Carmina writes about travel, culture and food (especially in Japan) for Travel + Leisure, The New York Times, National Geographic, CNN, Time Magazine, Eater, Fodor's, Observer, Business Insider, Sunday Times, AFAR, and others. She runs the leading Japan alt culture/travel/fashion La Carmina Blog and won "Best Blog of the Year" from Auxiliary Magazine. We asked her to share her perfect day of eating in Osaka and the spots she’d hit for bites and drinks from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Culinary Backstreets co-founder Ansel Mullins visited Osaka this past summer as part of a research trip for our newest food tours. Japan’s second-largest city is well known for its vibrant food scene, and delivers a powerful punch of personality, too. Here, Ansel shares some of his favorite food memories – from takoyaki to really excellent corn – and a bit of what we can expect from our new coverage in Osaka. In a fairly formal and reserved country, Osaka feels funky and laidback. That is reflected in the endless options for a quick delicious bite, but it’s the people, Osakans, who set the stage, and they are boisterous welcoming hosts. Belly up to a standing bar or settle into a tiny izakaya and you can expect to be engaged. For me, that always elevates the culinary experience to a higher level.