Last Updated on February 7, 2026 by Home in the World
Osaka is renowned for being the foodie capital of Japan, and, in a country whose cuisine is widely regarded as one of the best in the world, not to mention Japanese expertise in crafting quirky and aesthetic food, that is a prestigious title indeed.
It can be overwhelming to decide what to try amidst the veritable cornucopia of options on offer, which range from authentic Osaka street food to Instagrammable desserts – and usually cost very little. I barely scratched the surface, but here is my list of some recommended sweet and savoury foods to try as fun snacks in Osaka.
You might also like to download my free quick guide to Osaka, which concisely summarises everything you need to know before you go.
Takoyaki
One of Osaka’s signature dishes, as it is said to have originated there. It translates to fried octopus but actually refers to balls of wheat-flour batter filled with pieces of octopus drizzled with takoyaki sauce (similar to Worcestershire sauce), kewpie mayo, katsuobushi flakes (flakes of dried, smoked bonito tuna) and aonori powdered seaweed.
What surprised me most about these tasty balls (apart from how PIPING hot they were) was their texture. For some reason I expected them to be harder and drier than they were, but they were super mushy and gooey, almost as if they had melted cheese inside. You’ll find takoyaki stands everywhere in Osaka, so there’s definitely no excuse not to try them!
Okonomiyaki
Another signature dish originating in Osaka (and Hiroshima, but the Hiroshima style is a bit different). These savoury pancakes are to die for and are a must-try. They are made from wheat-flour batter and cooked on a teppan, with all manner of ingredients added, the most common being cabbage, ginger, kewpie mayo and meat or seafood.
The Osaka style mixes everything together, whereas the Hiroshima style follows a more layered approach. I can only comment on the former, as I never tried the latter.
Like the takoyaki, there are okonomiyaki stands everywhere around the city. My local one made some absolutely delicious specimens, and it was great to be able to stand and watch the whole preparation process. I preferred to have mine without any kind of meat, so its ingredients consisted of the batter, cabbage, puffed rice, egg, green onion and ginger.
Considering these pancakes are the size of your head, are extremely filling, and only cost about USD 3.00, they sure make for a scrumptious and low-cost dinner! Alternatively, you can even try making your own.
Yakisoba
This classic stir-fry noodle dish is not native to Osaka, but, if you’re in Japan, it’s definitely worth sampling. Similarly widely available at street-food stalls, they’re usually made with pork but I requested a vegetarian version, and the vendor was happy to oblige.
This consisted of the yakisoba noodles stir-fried with yakisoba sauce (usually a zesty mix of Worcestershire, soy and oyster sauces), cabbage, ginger, puffed rice, bean sprouts and green onions, topped with a large fried egg. At ¥400 (~USD 3.00) for a tray, it was yet another great-value feed.
Onigiri
These ubiquitous rice balls wrapped in nori seaweed (shaped more like triangles) are everyone’s go-to snack in Japan. They’re not unique to Osaka, and can be found in every konbini (convenience store) or supermarket fridge. I’m sure they’re available in vending machines too but I personally didn’t see that.
They cost barely a dollar or two and come with all kinds of fillings, from seafood, to mustard seeds, to fermented soy beans, to pickled plum, so you can easily create your own smorgasbord of them and enjoy a flavoursome meal for very little cost!
I tried a seaweed-filled onigiri from a Family Mart convenience store. I loved the way the packaging had each corner of the triangle numbered to tell you the order in which to open it. Being a soft rice ball, you would typically just bite straight into it, but I had mine as a takeaway and decided to ‘deconstruct’ it to see exactly what it consisted of.
The crispy outer layer of nori seaweed gives way to soft, sticky Japanese rice, before you reach the zingy centre, which, in my case, was the seaweed. A really light, fresh snack similar to sushi – you definitely need to give them a try when in Japan!
10-Yen pancake
This quirky snack has been quite the hit on social media, so of course I had to join the masses and try it. Shaped like a giant 10 yen coin (but costing ¥ 500, or around USD 3.00), I wasn’t expecting too much, instead assuming it would be one of those aesthetically pleasing but not necessarily tastebud-tantalising experiences that often end up being the case with Insta-viral foods.
Wow, I was wrong. Lining up at the narrow stall in Dotonbori, I put my cash in a machine next to the serving window, pressed a button that said CHEESE and within a few seconds, the lady at the window presented me with a big, warm, embossed circle of sweet-and-savoury goodness. Forget tiny chocolate coins, if you’re going to dig your teeth into any money-inspired snack, I highly recommend this semi-crispy pancake generously filled with super stretchy melted cheese. And they make a cute photo too.
Candied strawberries
Strawberries are a big thing in Japan. The country prides itself on its superior cultivation of these fruit, producing huge, juicy, ruby-red specimens boasting exceptional sweetness and subtle acidity. I walked past many stalls in both Osaka and Kyoto selling all kinds of strawberry-based treats and beverages – always with a long queue in front of them.
The Japanese cannot get enough of this luxury fruit. Indeed, they even have a dedicated day celebrating them: 15 January is Strawberry Day or ‘Ichigo-no-hi’, chosen because of the linguistic ties between the words for ‘one one five’ (‘ii, ichi, go‘) sound like ‘good strawberry’ in Japanese.
Among the most popular strawberry treats are the iconic candied strawberries on a stick, usually served on a strip of bright red paper. You can also get skewers of fresh strawberries, but I’m sure you’ll agree the candied version is more enticing, so I headed to a stand aptly named Strawberry Mania to give them a try.
It might seem obvious but I’d just like to make mention here that they are pretty hard, so if you’re worried about your teeth, just be aware! I initially struggled to bite them off the stick, concerned that I was going to crack a tooth, and actually ended up pulling them off with my hands (also not that easy, given their hardness and stickiness) and popping them into my mouth.
Once you crunch through the super sweet, brittle candied outer shell, you’re rewarded with the soft, luscious contrast of the fresh strawberries underneath. A really nice mixture of textures, and a sugary street-food snack I’m glad to have tried!
Strawberry mochi (ichigo daifuku)
Continuing the strawberry theme, another cute treat I tried from Strawberry Mania was the ichigo daifuku, essentially a mochi with sweet filling (a.k.a. a daifuku) that has then been half-slit open to wedge a whole fresh strawberry in.
Not only do they look aesthetically pleasing, but they are also utterly delicious! I tried the strawberry, chocolate and matcha flavours and honestly couldn’t pick a favourite because they were all so good.
The soft but chewy outer mochi skin gives way to a luscious molten centre of your chosen flavor, with the crowning glory being the fresh strawberry on top. Do you eat the strawberry first or bite into the mocha first? Decisions, decisions..
Osaka ichigo cheesecake tart (mini strawberry cheesecakes)
Did I mention Japan has a thing for strawberries? I promise this is the last strawberry treat I mention (and I apologise if you’re not a strawberry fan) but another ichigo treat I tried, admittedly because I was attracted to the gorgeous giftbox, was the Osaka Ichigo Cheesecake Tart, made using local strawberries.
These individually packaged mini tarts really do taste exactly like a full-blown strawberry cheesecake, just in miniature format. They were a little indulgence I picked up at the Shinkansen station, but I have no regrets – plus I now also have a lovely red giftbox that I can repurpose as a storage container.
Fruit mochis
I mentioned the strawberry daifuku earlier, and if you’re into mochi like I am, then another place I was happy to discover was the Kajitsu No Hana confectionery shop in Shinsaibashi. Admittedly, what first attracted me was their stunning window displays and shop fit-out. It looked like a high-end fashion boutique or jewellery store – except the jewels in this case were exquisite fruit-centred mochis.
We got a box of the mixed mochis (filled with pineapple, kiwi fruit and, you guessed it, strawberry). The fruits were so fresh and complemented the subtly sweet mocha encasing so well. As with so many Japanese confectionery shops, the packaging was like a work of art in itself. Nothing ever seems to just be given to you in basic paper bags or cardboard boxes.
The staff member serving us even asked us which pattern we would like on our box. It almost becomes stressful because they package things so beautifully, I feel bad opening them!
All of the staff were very friendly and spoke good English. Indeed, when we complimented them on the delicious mochis at the end, they gave us 3 more of their pretty sticker labels with delicate ribbonwork as little mementos. A simple but lovely and totally unexpected gesture.
Egg tarts
These are admittedly not Japanese but are still wildly popular across Asia, having originated in Macau after in turn being inspired by their Portuguese counterparts. While queuing up for my ¥10 pancake, I was seduced by the heavenly aroma wafting over from Lord Stow’s Bakery next-door. Named after Englishman Andrew Stow, who founded his first egg-tart bakery in Macau in 1989, this stall in Osaka’s Dotonbori district is the brand’s only outlet in Japan, and is hence quite the institution.
There are several different varieties to choose from, and, over the multiple occasions that I bought from there, I tried the original egg tart, the chocolate tart and the crème brûlée – neatly packaged in a cute cardboard box, complete with ice pack to keep them cool as takeaway items. The flaky pastry shell provides the perfect receptacle for the delectable, luscious, pudding-like centres. Though they’re not authentically Japanese, they are still a big hit in the country, so well worth a try.
Baby Castella (Japanese sponge) cakes
Castella (or kasutera) cakes were introduced to Japan by Portuguese merchants in the 16th century, but have since become naturalised as a popular Japanese dessert. The light, fluffy sponge is to die for.
But if you’re too full to take on a whole cake or even a slice, fear not, because you can also sample them in literal bite-size chunks! I discovered this myself while walking around Osaka’s hip America-mura neighbourhood, a stone’s throw from the Shinsaibashi shopping district.
I noticed a throng of people outside one particular establishment, then caught a whiff of the tantalising aroma and understood why they were there. That establishment happened to be Ikki dessert café, which specialises in these kasutera.
They sell them as little balls of goodness, which you can get in takeaway bags of 20, 40 or 80 pieces. Choose your fillings – custard, matcha, chocolate or cheese – and prepare to be delighted by amazing flavours and gorgeous, creamy textures.
I got a 20-piece mix of custard, matcha and chocolate and my only regret is that I didn’t buy the bag of 80! Also of note was the friendly staff member who served us and packaged the cakes up so beautifully (only for us to open it and devour its contents a few seconds later).
Chiffon cake
Another treat I saw A LOT of as I walked around Osaka’s food stalls and shops was the ring-shaped chiffon cake. It seemed to be extremely popular and admittedly looked amazing, so in the end I caved and decided to buy some after circling an appealing-looking stand in the Takashimaya department store. Holy wow, it was like eating a cloud. A light, airy, vanilla-y sweet cloud baked to Japanese perfection.
These cakes are hugely popular not only in Japan, but also China and Korea, among other Asian countries, and I can definitely see why. They of course go perfectly with ice cream or topped with the aforementioned deluxe strawberries, but I have to say even the plain, prepackaged department-store version was incredible!
Gelato
It might not be your traditional Japanese dessert but if you find yourself craving creamy gelato goodness, I recommend heading to Bar & Gelateria Raffinato on B1 basement level of Grand Front Osaka in Umeda. There is a decent selection of flavours, with labels and basic allergen information available in English, plus the staff are also very friendly and it is not too hard to communicate with them even if there is a slight language barrier.
Choose from a mix of fruity or chocolatey offerings (minimum 2 scoops) and sit either in the (admittedly very small) indoor section or – my preferred option – the outdoor deck by the water. You’re semi underground but there’s also an open section above your head, so you can enjoy fresh air while sitting by a zen-like pond and enjoying a luscious gelato, which is apparently made using a traditional Italian gelato machine.
I have tried the raspberry, fig, passionfruit, vanilla and chocolate and really liked them. Perfect for cooling off if you happen to be in Osaka on a warm, summery day.
Final thoughts on foods to try in Osaka
There are truly so many foods to try in Osaka; I barely scratched the surface of this Japanese foodie haven.
One other thing that is worth mentioning here is that, unlike what you may be used to in your home country, eating and drinking on the go is not really the done thing in Japan. It is unlikely anyone will pull you up on it if you do do it, but just be aware that it is not really the ‘etiquette’ in general (I did see the odd Japanese person do it though).
If you buy any snacks like the ones I have written about here, I suggest doing one of the following: 1) stand and eat it outside the shop you bought it at, 2) take it back to your hotel and eat it there if feasible, or 3) sit in a public place like a park and eat it there.
And when it comes to your rubbish, don’t expect to find a bin (or trash can if you’re American) easily. Japan is a very clean country yet there are very few bins around (this is largely due to the 1995 sarin gas attack on the Tokyo Metro, after which many bins were removed to prevent potential threats).
Most locals literally carry their rubbish around with them until they find a bin or take it home, so I recommend having a small rubbish bag with you if you can. Alternatively, you may be able to find bins at the shop where you bought the snack, or at a konbini.
Hopefully this post has given you a starting point with a few fun ideas. I’ll definitely be looking to add more when I next visit. Do you have any go-to foods in Osaka? Let me know in the comments!
** This post, like everything else on this website, has been written entirely by me. No ChatGPT or any other AI tool has been used. It takes longer to create, but I value 100% human-generated content and I hope you do too! **
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For more Osaka travel inspiration, check out my posts on what to see and do there for first-timers and my most recommended day trips, as well as a guest post by local experts on the best sukiyaki restaurants in Osaka.
You might also like to download my free one-page Osaka city guide to help you plan your trip. Or consider having a look at some of these tours:
Ready to book your flights to Osaka? I recommend using Skyscanner or Trip.com to find and compare the best fares.
Looking for somewhere to stay on your trip to Osaka? Check out my comprehensive review of the Fraser Residence Nankai Osaka! Or find another property suiting your needs by searching below:
For more Asia travel content, feel free to check out my posts from Cambodia, China, Taiwan and South Korea, as well as my older travel memories (more narrative style than blog style) from Hong Kong, Macau, Malaysia and Singapore.
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What a delectable scrumptious review. Everything sounds delicious but those egg tarts and chiffon cake seem just that extra heavenly
Wonderful review!
Thank you! So many fun, tasty things to try. Can’t wait to get back and explore more!