Kushikatsu Shiruhisa Ohatsu Tenjin 串かつ 知留久 お初天神店 (Osaka, JAPAN) ★★★★☆

I have secretly prepared a surprise for little nugget tonight. He’s been asking when we’ll be having kushikatsu on this trip, and I’ve kept my plans close to the chest all this time.

Founded in 1946, Kushikatsu Shiruhisa Ohatsu Tenjin (串かつ 知留久 お初天神店) is a high-end, historic deep-fried skewer restaurant in Osaka. It’s famously credited with creating the omakase-style dining approach for kushikatsu meals, and inventing the multi-compartment sauce plate that’s now standard across Japan.

This branch of Kushikatsu Shiruhisa is located inside K’s Square Building (ケイズスクエアビル) in East Umeda (東梅田). Not the easiest place to get to unless you know Osaka well enough.

We just came back from Kyoto in late afternoon and once we emerged from Osaka station, we started making our way to Kushikatsu Shiruhisa. While some of us wanted to hang around Hep five before dinner, mom wasn’t walking very well with her bad knee, so I called a Uber to get us there .

Eating Kushikatsu without sitting at the counter table will be uncivilized. So, once we got into the restaurant, I immediately signaled for the bar. 

Luckily, there was one lady who spoke reasonably good English and she guided us throughout the night. 👍🏻👍🏻

Dinner officially got started and we were presented with their signature multi-compartment sauce plate topped with a small bucket of chilled vegetables. For a restaurant best known for introducing omakase to the Kushikatsu world, we didn’t hesitate to give it a try. Of course, we also got some skewers from the a la carte menu to satisfy everyone’s craving.

Beef sirloin — Very very tender. It worked especially well with the special beef sauce that tasted like a little like American BBQ sauce.

Shiitake mushroom — Always a crowd pleaser. Very very juicy, and perfect with the lighter batter.

Minced fish with shiso leaf and mustard — Beautifully decorated and tasted even better than it looked.

Shrimp — Another a crowd pleaser. Flaky on the outside, yet springy and firm inside. It was a good sign when nobody wanted to share the skewer.  😂😂

Zucchini — Best enjoyed with salt. This was a little on the hard side.

Salmon with salmon roes, mayo — The salmon roe, mayo, mustard seeds, and crispy seaweed all came together for a great mix of flavors and textures. Super good.

Tilefish — Best enjoyed with salt. This came with incredible sweetness and the crispy scales just perfect.

Eggplant — Stuffed with minced fish (That's what my notes said)? I didn’t dare to ask, but the texture and flavor were really interesting once the two came together.

A huge thank-you to our new friend, who was incredibly helpful all night — she served and explained the dishes while standing right between the chef and me. Thankfully, she spoke just enough English for us to communicate without any issues.

When we were about to leave, we noticed this section of the dining area with regular tables. It reminded me a lot of a German beer hall or a traditional German restaurant. But who would want to sit here if the bar tables are open. 

I could tell some of us were still a little hungry, but the scorching heat in Kyoto had really worn us out. In the end, everyone just wanted to head back to the hotel, relax, and chill. Except for me, I have got plans for a nice bowl of chicken paitan ramen (鶏ガラパイタン).

Food Rating: 7.1/10

Price: ￥￥￥￥

Address: 1/F, K's Square Building, 2-8-15 Sonezaki, Kita-ku, Osaka 530-0057, Japan

Closest Metro Station: Higashi-Umeda

Tel: +81 (0)6 6312-2703

Website: https://www.shiruhisa.com/

Opening Hours: 11:30am - 2:00pm, 5:00pm - 10:00pm (Thu - Tue)