Fukutaro Namba Dining Maison

I am no okonomiyaki expert and in fact this is the first time i have ever tried it. It was so good !
The restaurant itself is pretty small but it can fit about 10 people. It took a while for the chef to cook the okonomiyaki but you can tell that the chef coked it with love and passion.
The okonomiyaki is filled with all sorts of ingredients and every bite is so delicious.
Highly recommended !

We stopped by here for an early dinner and there was a couple waiting here before the restaurant even opened, but we were able to get in on the first round. We came here to try the okonomiyaki and yakisoba. We also got the avocado tofu which is essentially avocado blended into soybeans to make tofu. It was served with a refreshing ponzu sauce and was a great way to start the meal. The okonomiyaki takes a while to make since the cabbage has to cook down and the chef continues to pour batter on it during the process. We tried the Viking okonomiyaki which essentially consists of an assortment of seafood (scallop, squid and shrimp). It is served with a Japanese worcestershire sauce and Japanese mayonnaise (both sweeter than their western counterparts) on top. The okonomiyaki was good, but unfortunately not as good as the yakisoba. I think in the future, we would just get the regular pork okonomiyaki since the seafood is a little lost in the okonomiyaki. We tried the pork yakisoba (stir fried noodles) which was really good but then again I love yakisoba. The noodles are stir fried in a Japanese worcestershire sauce which adds a bit of sweetness and tartness. In front of you is a heated griddle that keeps the food warm when the chef brings you the yakisoba and okonomiyaki. The place gave off a local joint sort of vibe which was cool. We elected to come here for okonomiyaki since we had read that the locals frequent this place over nearby Mizuno.
They also offer negiyaki (a green onion based version with the green onions replacing the cabbage), however we had previously tried negiyaki in Gottsui in Southern California and prefer the original cabbage version to the green onion based negiyaki.

With Okinomiyaki listed as one of Osaka’s must eat, my husband and I knew immediately what we were having as our first meal in the city.
We came to Fukutarou due to its raved review. We were disappointed to learn that the location was closed (explanation written in Japanese so we are still unsure of the exact reason). But there was a suggestion written underneath recommending us to go to their sister location nearby.
We walked about 10 minutes and found its second location on the top floor of takashimaya. It was the eatery that had a line of people waiting. Thank goodness I read other tips and reviews — as others had mentioned — no host to be found, you have to be patient — write your name, take a seat against the wall. Eventually one of the servers will come by to confirm your party number and you wait some more.
We came during early hrs of dinner so the wait wasn’t too bad (30 mins). My husband opted for the 9 treasures okinomiyaki and I opted for the lady’s special (a lot of Japanese restaurants offer a special set menu exclusive to females for an awesome discounted price!). My special included avocado tofu, octopus sashimi salad, and grilled fish in addition to the choice of either a choice of combo Okinomiyaki or combo Osaka special okinomiyaki (instead of cabbage, it is made with leeks) — I opted for their Osaka special even though I’m not the biggest fan of leeks.
It was a treat to watch the head chef prepare our Okinomiyaki. All the ingredients piled up, overstuffed the eggy goodness — yet stayed in its perfect round shape. My husband and I couldn’t stop laughing at how we struggled to prepare our own Manjayaki just nights before.
Appetizers — my personal favorite was the avocado tofu — creamy and smooth. It has a slight firmness to it which reminded me more of a jello. The octopus salad was fresh with a bit tang. The grilled fish was meaty. All perfect starters!
Our Okinomiyaki — The strips of fatty bacon gave it so much flavors! Every bite was loaded with mouthful of fillings — shrimp? Mussels? Scallop? Chicken? Arg so good! I did wish I went with the original Okinomiyaki since I do prefer cabbage to begin with and also found myself enjoying the sweeter glaze. Nevertheless, my local Osaka special was also a winning choice without a doubt.
Highly recommend coming to Fukutarou If you are searching for the best Okinomiyaki in the town!