Kushikatsu Bon

‘Deep-fried’ and ‘refined’ are not two words that usually go together. But at underground restaurant Kushikatsu Bon in the Kita-Shinchi district, kushikatsu is elevated to new heights with the most exquisite ingredients and impeccable technique. Plus, they won’t stop giving you food until you tell them to stop. How’s that for service?

[Kushikatsu Bon - image © Florentyna Leow]

Kushikatsu, or deep-fried battered skewers, is quintessential Osakan working-class food. It’s cheap, cheerful, and hearty - typical of its birthplace, Shinsekai. But 1 Michelin-starred Bon transforms kushikatsu into a refined, rarefied version of itself. It’s kushikatsu, but not as you know it. It would be like if a fish and chips shop received a Michelin star.

[Kushikatsu Bon - image © Florentyna Leow]

So what makes this place worth a star? For one, the average kushikatsu restaurant will not have a sommelier on staff - there’s plenty of wine to be had here for an upmarket meal. Frying technique and exquisite batter play an important role here. The ingredients are all top-class: your average kushikatsu restaurant is not going to be frying local free-range chicken, wagyu beef, caviar, Jamon Iberico, or sea urchin in their skewers.

[Kushikatsu Bon - image © Florentyna Leow]

There are also more complicated preparations like a ‘seafood special’ of fish, shrimp, and scallop-cheese paste wrapped in perilla leaves and tofu skin. They might seem a bit fussy but they taste pretty sublime. Even the oil is considered: frying the skewers in a mix of lard and cottonseed oil adds an extra layer of flavour.

Bon serves you skewers on an omakase basis, and they’ll keep placing freshly fried ones in front of you until you ask them to stop. It’s not unusual for a single meal to last for 20 to 30 skewers - which doesn’t sound like a lot until you start eating them! There’s an English menu here, and lunch is much better value for money. Make a reservation if you can.

For more Osaka kushikatsu choices, see our Best Kushikatsu in Osaka page.

English name:
Kushikatsu Bon

Japanese name:
串かつ凡

English address:
B1 Dojima Merry Center bldg., 1-3-16 Dojima, Kita-ku, Osaka-shi, 530-0003

Japanese address:
〒530-0003 大阪市北区堂島1-3-16 堂島メリーセンタービルB1

Opening hours:
6pm-12:30am

Price:

Non-smoking section:
Completely Non-Smoking

Reservations:
Possible

Nearest Transport:
Subway: 1-minute walk from exit C-92 of Nishi-Umeda Station on the Osaka Metro Yotsubashi Line.
Train: 3-minute walk from exit 11-21 of Kitashinchi Station on the JR Tozai Line.

Telephone:
+81-6-6344-0400

Website:Official website (Japanese)

Customer Reviews:
Read customer reviews of Kushikatsu Bon on TripAdvisor.

Near To Here:
Kushikatsu Bon is located in Osaka’s Kita and Umeda district. See our complete list of things to do in the Kita and Umeda district, including places to eat, nightlife and places to stay.

Best Osaka Restaurants
See our list of the best Osaka restaurants for even more ideas about great places to eat in Osaka.

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