Shabuwara Namba Grand Kagetsu Review: a great spot for sukiyaki in Namba, Osaka, Japan
While searching for where to eat in Namba, Osaka, I came across
this sukiyaki favorite, Shabuwara.
It even shows up on Google Maps if you search in Korean,
which makes finding Shabuwara Namba Grand Kagetsu pretty easy.
Hours: 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
(Break time: 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.)
You can also check reservation links on Google Maps, including Tabelog and Gurunavi.
The restaurant is on the first floor of the Yoshimoto Namba Grand Kagetsu theater building,
and honestly, the whole first floor is packed with good places to eat.
This is what the storefront looks like.
The English name is written very small,
so if you can’t read Japanese, definitely look closely at the photo before you go.
As soon as you walk in, there’s a group seating area on the right.
Further inside, there’s a long counter wrapped around the kitchen.
There were three of us, and we ended up sitting side by side at the counter.
I also liked that the restroom is inside the restaurant,
but just note that it’s a single unisex bathroom.
Because it’s individual shabu-shabu, each seat has its own burner.
That’s especially nice if everyone in your group wants something different,
since each person can order exactly what they want.
Shabuwara Namba Grand Kagetsu Menu
Here’s a look at the menu at Shabuwara, one of the best places for sukiyaki in Osaka.
It was also available in Korean, which made ordering really easy.
The sukiyaki and shabu-shabu sections are separated,
and there are a lot of options to customize your meal.
You choose pork or beef first,
then pick the cut or type, choose the amount of meat,
and finish by selecting either white rice or multigrain rice.
Next to that, there’s an explanation of the sukiyaki sauce
and a short intro to the raw egg dipping sauce.
This time, here’s the shabu-shabu menu.
Just like the sukiyaki set,
you can choose from a bunch of different options.
For shabu-shabu, you also need to choose the broth and dipping sauce.
If you’re not very familiar with Japanese beef and feel stuck choosing, it’s worth reading the wagyu guide page elsewhere in the menu first.
Once you place your order, they start slicing the meat right in front of you.
Slice, slice.
The dish I picked was from the sukiyaki menu:
Premium domestic beef sirloin, medium size (4,930 yen, about $32)
Just like premium Korean beef is pricey back home,
Japanese beef here definitely isn’t cheap either.
But the quality of the meat absolutely felt worth it.
Once you lift the beef, you’ll find all kinds of vegetables and mushrooms underneath,
plus tofu, baby corn, and plenty of other ingredients.
Each table also has its own heat control,
so you can let everything simmer down at your own pace and cook it just how you like.
That said, the longer the sauce reduces, the saltier it gets,
so it tastes best with the raw egg dipping sauce to mellow it out.
But since I was pregnant, I couldn’t eat the raw egg,
so the flavor got pretty intense and I ended up eating two bowls of rice. Honestly, no regrets.
If you ask for more rice, they’ll give you refills for free!