kinako-anko
On February 8, 2023, I used the national travel support and decided to stay at "OMO7 Osaka by Hoshino Resorts" in my local area by myself~♪ I left my house before 1 pm and got off at Dobutsuen-mae Station on the Osaka Metro Sakaisuji Line, then walked a little next to Shin-Imamiya Station on the JR Osaka Loop Line, arriving at "OMO7 Osaka" in just about 30 minutes. The entrance in front of the hotel's lawn square was closed, so I entered from the entrance on the side of Nankai Main Line Shin-Imamiya Station where "Billiken-san" welcomed me, and took the escalator up to the second floor where there is a spacious "OMO Base" with the front desk, lobby, cafe, dining, and more. Check-in starts at 3 pm, so I had over an hour to spare and had a light lunch at "OMO Cafe & Bar." I ordered the following at the counter: ◆Hofpinski Beer 330ml can for 500 yen ◆Kashimin-yaki for 700 yen There were many table seats in front of the cafe and dining, and I sat at a window seat where I could see the platform of Shin-Imamiya Station beyond the lawn square. "Hofpinski Beer" is a craft beer brewed by "Derailleur Brew Works" in Haginotaniya, Nishinari-ku, just a short distance from here, which started brewing in the spring of 2018. I poured it from the interesting retro label 330ml can into a plastic cup and enjoyed it (^o^)/ It was refreshing with a hoppy kick and a lightness from carbonation and lemon juice, very easy to drink and I liked it. After about 10 minutes, the "Kashimin-yaki" arrived. "Kashimin-yaki" is a soul food okonomiyaki from Kishiwada, famous for its danjiri, made with a slightly tough chicken meat called "kashiwa" and beef fat "mince," hence the name. It's a unique okonomiyaki topped with plenty of bonito flakes on a sauce and mayonnaise base. Here at "OMO Cafe & Bar," there are Osaka-like menu items such as kushikatsu, grilled squid, meat udon, horumon-don, and tako cheese, so tourists can enjoy them, but I recommend heading to the nearby Shinsekai area, just a 5-minute walk away, to experience the real Osaka food. I was able to check in a bit early at 2:40 pm, and once I put my luggage in the room, I immediately relaxed in the large communal bath "Yuya" in a private state on the second floor annex. Bon appétit (●^o^●)