Slightly off the beaten path from Osaka's Shinsaibashi is a quiet business district. I decided to stop by here during a work trip. It was a small and cozy little bar, but very lively. You serve yourself drinks, even beer straight from the fridge. They had a variety of Minoh beers which were delicious. I couldn't resist having a beer before my meal arrived. They also had a selection of wines recommended by the sommelier. The avocado namul was refreshing and had a nice sesame oil flavor that paired well with the beer. The soup-less tantanmen had a hint of Sichuan pepper which added a nice kick. The garlic-free pan-fried dumplings were juicy and flavorful, perfect with beer. As always, dumplings and beer make a great combination. Thank you for the meal.

Located a 5-minute walk from Nishi-Ohashi, this is one of three small shops lined up behind the Orix Theater. Specializing in gyoza and beer, this izakaya mainly serves Asian food. Customers help themselves to beer and drinks from the fridge and settle the bill later. They offer a unique selection of craft beers and mysterious sours. The gyoza here are vegetable-based and cater to health-conscious individuals. The creative gyoza options are also enjoyable. The Khao Man Gai is decent as well. The shop is small, so it's not ideal for lingering, but it's perfect for a quick toast after a live show. Thank you for the meal.

I visited this restaurant based on the high ratings. The owner handles everything alone, from serving to cooking to billing, which might be a bit overwhelming. As a first-timer, I was unsure of what to do and ended up just standing there. There were many unique dumpling options, but they were just delicious, not exceptional. I regretted ordering white wine in a wine glass; I should have stuck to beer. This place might cater more to younger crowds. Older customers might prefer a quieter, more peaceful dining experience.

Third stop for dumplings. When I entered, a customer sitting in front of me kindly offered their seat. It surprised me. The owner runs the place alone, so even though everyone is a bit tipsy, the customers are really considerate towards each other. You can choose from bottled craft beer to soft drinks for drinks, and for food, it's best to order everything at once since it takes a while. The food, well, it's okay I guess? The "drooling chicken" had too much sauce and not enough spiciness, and the chicken itself wasn't as tender as I expected. The plate of three different types of dumplings looked like something out of a manga, with words like "How delicious!" written on it. Haha, maybe this place is just meant to be casual? By the way, the egg yolk on the dumplings was too spicy. The customers here don't keep much of a distance between each other, so it's easy to get caught up in the fun together. Overall, it was a good meal.

This is a blog post about a restaurant review in Osaka and Nara. Title: "Review of Gyoza Specialty Shop '541+ (Koyoi)' in Osaka, New Machi" I went to the gyoza specialty shop '541+ (Koyoi)' with some friends. The shop is known for its gyoza and craft beer, making it a great spot for salarymen after work. It is conveniently located within walking distance from various stations in the area. The shop is small with a casual standing-style setup. The menu offers a variety of gyoza and other dishes, ranging from traditional to creative options. They also have a wide selection of drinks, including craft beers. The self-service system allows customers to grab their drinks from the fridge, with some options available for order. I tried dishes such as Avocado Namul, Yodare Chicken, Szechuan Spicy Dumplings, and more. The food was delicious with a sophisticated flavor profile. The gyoza, in particular, was made fresh in the shop and had a light and enjoyable taste. The concept of the shop is "a gyoza specialty bar for women," with small-sized gyoza that are garlic-free. The owner, who runs the shop alone, manages to provide efficient service despite the workload. The attention to detail in the shop's system and the dedication of the owner are truly admirable. Overall, it was a stress-free and enjoyable dining experience at '541+ (Koyoi).' I would love to have a branch of this shop nearby so I can visit more often. It's a place where you can easily drop by for a meal and some drinks.

Osaka Gyoza Specialty Shop 541+ @ Osaka City Nishi Ward Shinmachi Osaka Metro Yotsubashi Station is about a 5-minute walk away. It's the Osaka Gyoza Specialty Shop 541+ (Koyoi). Gyoza, which has now become a national food in Japan, is something that you sometimes just crave. Personally, I love Min Min's gyoza if I'm eating out. It reminds me of the taste of my childhood when I used to go buy them with my grandmother at my grandparents' house in Sakai. While King's gyoza is good too, Min Min's is the most delicious. And then there's the homemade gyoza at home... I have a special feeling for gyoza, so I was grateful when a drinking buddy invited me to a unique gyoza restaurant. "I found a place where you can eat unusual gyoza!" From Exit 23 of Honmachi Station, head straight towards Yotsubashi Station, and the restaurant is located just before the Orix Theater. Huh? Vinici? The exterior looks quite surreal, but don't worry... Inside, there are scattered movable table seats. The capacity is up to 12-3 people at a time. It's not spacious, but it has a cozy and homey atmosphere. Now, for the drinks... Oh!! A lineup of craft beers! At night, the owner runs the shop alone. To serve the dishes as quickly as possible, the drinks are self-service. Draft beer (Heartland) 450 yen (excluding tax) The owner pours the draft beer instead of it being self-service. It's a Heartland beer after all! And it's filled generously for 450 yen, which is surprising! Cheers. In addition to the menu on the table, there are also recommendations written on the blackboard. Avocado Namul 450 yen (excluding tax) Avocado diced and mixed with sesame oil and salt. The ripe and creamy avocado. It tastes similar to something I remember... Oh, right, it's like the now rare raw liver! This was incredibly delicious and a great first choice. Drooling Chicken 680 yen (excluding tax) The name "Drooling Chicken" comes from the fact that the deliciousness makes you drool uncontrollably. In Chinese, it's written as "mouth-watering chicken." It's common to pour a thick and spicy sauce over steamed chicken, but this one is soaked in a sauce made from black vinegar from Jiangsu Province in China, along with chili oil, cashew nuts, sesame, and more. The tender thigh meat, the spicy kick of chili oil, and the rich flavor of black vinegar. It's a bit different and surprisingly delicious. Minoh Beer (Stout) 680 yen A local beer brewed in Minoh, known for its waterfall and monkeys. It has won numerous awards at international beer competitions and has become a representative brewery not only in Osaka and Kansai but also in Japan. It has a unique nutty aroma, a smooth chocolate-like sweetness, a rich flavor, and a crisp finish. As expected, it has won gold medals at competitions such as the World Beer Award and World Beer Cup. Pan-fried Gyoza (without garlic) 300 yen (excluding tax) Let's start with the normal gyoza. The filling is a combination of 100% domestic pork, cabbage. The juicy meat bursts in your mouth, spreading the sweetness of the cabbage. The crispy wings, followed by the chewy skin. The bouncy texture of the filling is delightful... It turns out there are glass noodles in it! The gyoza can be enjoyed with the homemade rich sauce based on soy sauce, straight or diluted with vinegar, or drizzled with chili oil. It also goes well with Sichuan pepper salt, black pepper in vinegar, and more. Minoh Beer (Monkey IPA) 880 yen Another round of Minoh Beer! The label with the monkey is cute. It uses five types of American hops, giving it a fruity aroma and a refreshing bitterness that is easy to drink. Sichuan Spicy Water Gyoza 450 yen (excluding tax) Me and my companion ===========

The restaurant is located about a 3-4 minute walk north from Exit 2 of Yotsubashi Station on the Yotsubashi Subway Line. Inside, there are 5 counter seats, 3 tables for 2, and 1 table for 3. I started with a bottle of Hitachino Nest White Ale and some garlic fried dumplings. The dumplings come in a serving of 6, with a choice of homemade sweet sauce, Sichuan pepper salt, or vinegar & black pepper for dipping. The crispy dumpling skin is filled with a mixture of minced meat, vegetables, and garlic that pairs well with the beer. I also tried the Hitachino Yuzu Lager Regular. I added some green onion miso fried dumplings, which have a light filling of tofu and glass noodles topped with a sweet and savory green onion miso sauce. For a finish, I had the soupless tantanmen noodles with minced meat, green onions, and sesame. The thin straight noodles are mixed with a spicy and numbing sauce that complements the dish well. They have a variety of dumpling options that I would like to try with different beers next time. Thank you for the meal.

Located just south of the 26th exit of Honmachi Station on the Osaka Metro Yotsubashi Line, this gyoza bar opened in 2013. You can easily spot it by the red sign and gyoza lantern. The compact interior has a standing-drinking atmosphere, although there are chairs available. Lunch is only available on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, offering various types of tantanmen with or without soup. We tried the most popular dishes, the soup-less tantanmen and the boiled gyoza. The tantanmen, topped with plenty of sesame seeds and meat, was delicious after mixing it thoroughly. The slightly spicy and chewy noodles were just right. The boiled gyoza was also as good as expected. It seems like the gyoza bar would be promising for dinner as well.

I went to the restaurant with some former work colleagues, but it was empty when we arrived before lunchtime. I tried the soupless tantanmen, which was said to be delicious, but I found it to be lacking in flavor and spice. The noodles could use some improvement, and overall it was not very rich or spicy.

For the second day of the Osaka business trip, the meeting started in the afternoon around Honmachi area and smoothly ended in the evening. After that, we headed to the favorite restaurant of the other party to deepen our friendship. The place was this restaurant. We sat at a table and the drinks were self-service. The first drink was my favorite Heartland beer for a toast. For snacks, we left it to the other party's choice. First, we got the appetizer assortment - Chinese-style potato salad, zasai (pickled mustard greens), petit tomato namul, smoked cheese, and Chinese ham. They were all delicious, especially the potato salad was excellent with a nice texture from the zasai. I will try to make it at home. Next, the main attraction - grilled dumplings! They had moon-view dumplings, cheddar cheese dumplings, and green onion salt dumplings. You can enjoy them with different grilling methods and original sauces instead of the usual dumpling sauce. I particularly liked the moon-view dumplings! I will try to make them at home too. Then, we had the boiled dumplings - Sichuan-style, ginger and green onion sauce, and normal boiled dumplings. You can enjoy them with different flavors of soup, but the ginger green onion sauce was my favorite by far! It was exquisite! Dumplings and craft beer go well together! I wish there was a restaurant like this nearby!

This is a small bar in Shinmachi, Osaka. I had steamed and fried dumplings as well as dan dan noodles. I enjoyed them with various craft beers. The dumplings can be eaten with different sauces. I especially liked the sesame sauce, it had a nice nutty flavor. The craft beers were mainly from Minoh Beer, and there were some unique ones I had never seen before. They were like wine-like beers. I asked for the dan dan noodles to be less spicy, and they were delicious with a wonderful sesame aroma. It's a very tasty bar.

I visited the bar around 6 pm on a weekday. It was located about a 5-10 minute walk from Shinsaibashi. The atmosphere was lively and fun. They had a terrace, but it seemed like they didn't use it in the winter because it was too cold. It seemed like there was only one person working, and drinks were self-service. They had a few types of local Minoh beers, which I think is typical for Osaka. I ordered a variety of dishes, but the ones I thought were delicious were the Szechuan spicy dumplings, soup-less tantan noodles, and pan-fried dumplings. The Szechuan spicy dumplings were quite spicy, making my tongue tingle. The soup-less tantan noodles were soft and the sesame-flavored meat miso was delicious. The pan-fried dumplings came with about three types of sauces, and the best one was the Szechuan pepper sauce. The numbing sensation of the Szechuan pepper was enjoyable. The dumplings were delicious on their own too. Thank you for the meal.

I visited the Osaka dumpling specialty store "541+" that was featured in a magazine and caught my attention. They have a wide variety of dumplings, making it hard to decide what to order. The dishes I tried included garlic gyoza, egg yolk gyoza, Sichuan spicy dumplings, cold tofu, and small-sized fresh dumplings that were easy to eat and disappeared quickly. It's a casual and easy-to-stop-by restaurant.

Tokyo Gyoza Communication Editor-in-Chief Tsukada here. Continuing the Osaka business trip series from the previous times, this time I stopped by "541+" near Honmachi Station before a meeting. It is pronounced as "Koyoi". It is a gyoza bar style restaurant located right next to the Orix Theater. They do not have lunch service every day, and during that week, they were only open for 2 days. Luckily, it was a lunch service day when I visited. Despite being a gyoza bar, I thought there would be a variety of gyoza for lunch, but during lunchtime, they were mainly promoting their tantanmen noodles. I was relieved to see that they still offered gyoza as sets with the tantanmen noodles for an additional 200 yen. I entered the restaurant feeling relieved. At night, they offer a wide variety of gyoza menu options as a gyoza bar. The gyoza seemed to have thin skin and be on the smaller side based on the photos. The interior of the restaurant was quite small and cozy. I sat at the counter in the back and placed my order. After some contemplation, I decided not to go for the set menu and instead chose the lunchtime limited "Chao's Tantanmen". I couldn't resist the word "limited". Even though I had never been there at night... About 5 minutes after ordering, the "Chao's Tantanmen" was served. It came with water gyoza as a topping for the tantanmen noodles. This was the "Chao's Tantanmen". In addition to the water gyoza, there were noodles underneath. The noodles were thin but had a chewy texture due to the high water content. The contrasting textures of the noodles and gyoza skin allowed for a nice comparison. I chose the "normal" level of spiciness, so the numbing and spicy flavors were quite mild. Breaking the homemade sesame paste ball in the center and mixing it into the soup created a rich sesame flavor, which seemed to be the highlight. The gyoza were small with thin skin and a filling similar to a wonton. The skin was softer than a wonton, with a smooth and pleasant texture. The filling was a simple mix of pork and cabbage, and since it had been soaked in the soup, the original taste of the gyoza was hard to discern, but it seemed to be made without garlic. Since it was included in the tantanmen, I enjoyed it by first having it with the soup and then puncturing the skin to let the soup seep in, creating a harmonious dining experience. The gyoza were small and simple, making them seem versatile for different variations. It made sense that at the gyoza bar at night, you could enjoy various gyoza options that pair well with alcohol. Next time, I would like to come during the evening to truly test the gyoza skills of "541+".

The owner was working alone, which made ordering a bit difficult, but the atmosphere was great and the cost performance was excellent. The unique dumplings were all delicious. They had bottled beers that I had never seen before (maybe local beers?), and you could choose and pour them yourself for a fun tasting experience. We ate a lot and drank for less than 6000 yen for two people. It was amazing. Just be aware that if you make a reservation through Tabelog, you can't pay with a credit card.

The spicy dumplings were incredibly delicious! It seems like it's run by one person, but the self-service drink station and relaxed atmosphere were nice. I couldn't stop myself from eating too many dumplings.

I went to GO TO EAT and tried three types of dumplings: green onion salt, cheddar cheese, and egg. There are also various other types available. The taste is light and the dumplings are small in size. I recommend the smoked platter with bacon.

I was looking for a way to pass the time and found a standing bar in Shinmachi, Osaka. I ordered gyoza without garlic, gyoza to dip in egg yolk, and drooling chicken. It cost just over 1000 yen, which is cheap. They had a good selection of craft beers, although a bit pricey at around 800 yen per bottle. I tried a Minoh beer that I had never seen before, so the price might have a premium attached to it. The gyoza had a gentle flavor that paired well with the craft beer. It was a luxurious way to pass the time.

After a long time, I had some dumplings. The avocado marinade was also amazing.

I've visited many times. The dumplings are amazing, but today I'm not drinking, so I had the soupless tantan noodles. They are incredibly delicious.

There are many types of dumplings! But the most delicious one is the basic soy sauce. There are also quite a few types of beer. The soup-less tantanmen is exquisite.