Secret Osaka Food Tour By Pro Chef: A5 Wagyu, No Tourist Traps

Highly recommended. All the restaurants were close by-(not a lot of walking) Delicious food paired very well by Keigoh with a Japanese drinks in each venue. Each restaurant was quite different and uniquely Japanese, from the stand-up food bar to the dessert tea establishment in a private home- oh so yummy roasted green tea with 3 homemade fudges -Mmmm so delectable. And several small restaurants in between. Multiple dishes of meat, cooked / raw seafood & vegetables all prepared beautifully including how to cook descriptions given by Keigoh when asked. There was a lot of food all up. At the end my husband said- “I want to do it again “ 😋

Keigoh is an excellent guide providing his personal choices of places to sample Japanese cuisine and recommendations. We loved all of the restaurants but my favorite was the tea house. Very cozy and artisy feeling.

Absolutely #1 tour! Don’t miss this, don’t choose another food tour! Our guide Keigo showed us places and food we’ve never would have found by ourselves in Osaka Lots of fun!

I have done about 10 food tasting tours in Asia in the last 2 years and this was the best by far. The choice and variety of both the venues and the dishes / drink is exceptional. The host Keigo is the star of the show, explaining each dish and also recomending a drink at each place. Also he does not rush to move you to each place and it is a very enjoyable and relaxing experience. In my opinion the final place, a tea house in a 100+ year old wooden building is something very special ( and you would never find it yourself!!) Make sure you are hungry before you go because there is a lot of food!!!

Hands down the best food tour I've ever been on. And it's true that chefs know all the best places to eat. Keigoh brought our small group to small izakayas and a tea shop away from the usual touristy haunts. The food was truly amazing and the small size of the group made it a fun, cozy experience. Thank you Keigoh San for sharing your favourite neighborhood izakayas and places with us!

I’ve been on many excellent food tours around the world and this was one of the best. This small group tour takes you to four small out-of-the way neighborhood restaurants in an area not frequented by tourists. Osaka is a foodie city and this tour did not disappoint. The food was delicious including sashimi, wagu beef and various izakaya dishes. The tour guide was super friendly and knowledgeable. I highly recommend this tour.

We were looking for a truly local, off the beaten path experience of the Osaka food scene. Keigoh delivered with four locations that all felt like neighborhood favorites. We would have been extremely lucky to find even one of the spots on our own; there’s no way we could have found all four without Keigoh. Food & drink were delicious and covered many different flavors and styles. You’ll have the option to buy more food at the locations but the tour includes PLENTY - we were stuffed! Keigoh himself was awesome to hang out with, and as a former chef a great guide to all the local dishes. Do yourself a favor & skip the tours with thousands of reviews in Dontonburi & book with Keigoh instead if you want a night of great local food and great company!

Fantastic experience! This food tour showed us an authentic side of Osaka, with tiny local restaurants tucked away in quiet residential streets. We tasted many different dishes and drinks, including a delicious rice tea we had never tried before. Our guide was friendly, spoke good English, and clearly loved sharing his culture. The final surprise was the perfect ending — totally worth it. We absolutely loved this tour!

My family and I (5 people) had such a wonderful experience on this food tour! Keigoh took us to 4 amazing local spots that we would have never been able to find on our own and chose delicious dishes for us to try. Come hungry as there is a lot of food! We truly appreciate Keigoh’s expertise and would recommend this to anyone visiting Osaka!

This was an amazing food experience with unique dishes that were absolutely delicious. We were able to observe some the chefs making the dishes which was truly a treat.

We had a wonderful time exploring the quieter part of Osaka with our guide Keigoh. He shared great knowledge of the local area and food. We tried tuna head, apparently a rare find, which was the star of our tour. We laughed, met locals and even learned some Japanese along the way.

We had a great time with our guide, Keigo. He was so warm and personable and had a great sense of humour. He took us to a bunch of great places we would not have found on our own and the food and drinks were top tier. A real highlight of our trip. Thanks again, Keigo.

Excellent experience!! It was very nice

🌟 Absolute 20 out of 10! Kaigo is the best guide in Osaka!If you are coming to Osaka, you need to book a tour with Kaigo. He truly knows his craft inside and out. From the moment the tour starts, he treats you like family and makes you feel incredibly welcome. The food we had was absolutely amazing—he took us to the best spots and gave us a real taste of the city. Beyond the incredible food, his energy and vibe were excellent from start to finish. It was a solid 20 out of 10 experience. I will recommend him as much as possible to everyone I know, and I will definitely keep booking him for my future trips! Don't hesitate, just book him!

Very good, high quality local options. The guide was friendly and took us to some places we would have never otherwise visited.

Our guide Keigo was fantastic and so was the food and drinks. No tourist traps, just great local gems you would never find yourself. Money well spent.

amazing food, company, found places we would have never found. Felt like a local because we were with a local. fluent in japanese and english. Just amazing experience with a kind and wonderful person!!

I highly recommend doing this tour with Keigo! We tried amazing things and his recommendations are fantastic! One of my favorite activities!

Though our tour guide Keigo was good, the choice of restaurants for food tasting were horrible. After the 1st restaurant it was downhill with choices from low to below average including one smoking ghetto type restaurant. I had to walk out as the smoke was overwhelming. Definitely no value for money spent. Will not try again !

If you’re looking for an opportunity to: get away from notoriously busy, touristy parts of Osaka, experience Japanese food and drink culture from a unique perspective, enjoy some amazing food, and do it all in a smaller, more intimate group setting, then this food tour is for you. Keigo-san was such a joy to meet! The passion he has from his work as a chef, and his enthusiasm to share it with you, is very apparent and refreshing. From the moment we met him, Keigo-san worked hard to ensure we had a great time and tried new things. He asked many questions of ourselves throughout the evening as well, in an effort to get to know us. He provided a very welcoming atmosphere! Of course you can’t forget the food and drinks. Keigo-san guides you through a variety of personal and local favorites, in a variety of settings that ranged from modern, to more traditional and elegant, to unique. Trust me when I say you won’t leave with an empty stomach! If I could give Kengo-san more than five stars I would. Such a wonderful person and lots to offer—whether you’re visiting Japan for the very first time, or coming back for more!

We had a wonderful experience with Keigo! Definitely recommend it. We love to go on food tours to discover new dishes to try and get to know the culture a bit more. Keigo delivered on everything. We went to some great places and tried some new foods prepared properly, not tourist traps. We would have never entered such restaurants. Were ALL dishes on our liking, of course not. We are picky europeans :), BUT we did try them and some were winners. Here are 3 highlights, i'll leave the rest as a surprise to not spoil everything. 1. I bet you never ever eaten meat from the tuna's head, right? Keigo told us that it used to be the fisherman's take (similar with the chef's cut). It's more fatty, similar with fatty tuna (otoro). And it's a rare dish as less than 1% of the restaurants get access to this kind of meat. And it was delicious if you're into these kind of meats. 2. An amazing tartar sauce served with an equally great tempura tuna. While I believe tuna should be eaten raw to not lose its flavor (and it's blasphemy to do it otherwise :)), this dish delivered next level. 3. Tepaniaki style wagyu beef, prepared in front of us. A really awesome piece of meat. And this comes a day after we went to a high end kobe beef experience... in Kobe. The wagyu served here was AMAZING. Also, did I mention that we went to a 100+ year old building, very retro style for dessert? I already shared more than I should have. I'll leave you to discover the rest. All this food and more dishes than we could have eaten, are accompaniated by Keigo's attentive guidance and explanations. We discussed about food, shared interests and convinced him to go to France (spoiler alert: we're not french). Totally recommend this experience with Keigo. If you're looking to avoid tourist traps and get into authentic flavors and experiences, Keigo's your guy! Happy tasting ❤️

Excellent food tour with an expert chef curator! We loved the variety and quality of everything we had!

This was one of the best tours and experiences I have ever been on. Kaygo took us to 4 small, off the beaten track places which all specialised in different types of Japanese cuisine. As a pescatarian and vegetarian, we were hugely impressed and grateful for Kaygo’s help as he ensured that we could still sample special dishes. We had a magical time and can’t recommend it highly enough.

Highly recommend Keigoh to take you on a food journey of osaka. I’ve done this trip multiple times and will keep continuing and recommending to friends and family.

Keigoh was a fabulous guide, he took us to some lovely places we never would have found on our own and explained exactly what we were eating and how it was prepared. We enjoyed every single thing we tried snd Keigoh’s thoughtful and friendly style made it all the more enjoyable. We particularly appreciated him tweaking the tour part way through so we could try a great example of something we’d eaten previously and enjoyed. We also loved the follow up email he sent detailing all the places we’d visited along with recommendations for things we’d talked about throughout the evening. We’ve both done food tours in various different parts of the world and wouldn’t hesitate to put this up there with the best of them. I’d highly recommend any friends or family coming to Japan to make sure they come to Osaka to do this tour - it’s been a definite highlight of our trip. Thank you

The tour was amazing. My wife and I were looking for food that was more hole-in-the-wall, less tourist conventional, but still oishi, and Keigoh delivered with flying colors. His restaurant choices exemplified his mission, hidden gems. Each restaurant had at least one creative dish that we could not experience elsewhere, and two of our spots were places that you would miss, even if you were a local. The last spot we went to was a submarine themed speak easy. If you’re like me, and you love talking about flavors, and how they’re created, and the dish composition, Keigoh has you covered. He shares an amazing love and care of food, I mean after all, he was a former chef! This was one of numerous tours I’ve done all across Japan, and this was easily the most special and unique tour I’ve been on. I hope that anyone coming by Osaka has a chance to meet Keigoh and go on his lovely food tour!

We had a great experience with Keigoh! He brought us to 3 different izakayas that we would have never found on our own. We’ve been on many food tours and still tried so many new foods on this tour. We went to spots where locals go nowhere in an area we would not have discovered without this tour including some hidden spots. It was such an amazing, unique experience for 4 hours, and plenty of time at each venue without feeling rushed! We had lots of delicious food and drinks, and had a great time hanging out with Keigoh! We are so glad we went on this tour! I highly recommend to anyone visiting Osaka who wants to try something off the beaten path.

If you're looking for an authentic taste of Osaka, this is it. The experience was fantastic from start to finish. Our guide took us into backstreets and local haunts that were completely off the beaten path; I definitely wouldn't have found these places by myself. I also really appreciated the variety of the tastings. I ended up eating (and loving!) dishes and drinks I would usually be too nervous to order on my own. It felt like being shown around by a local friend who really knows their food. Highly recommend!

My wife and I had a great time on this tour with Keigoh san. We tried over a dozen delicious dishes at various izakaya restaurants and even went to a bar that we would never have found ourselves. The main reason we chose this tour was because of Keigoh's experience as a chef and we did not want to go to the same type of places all tourists go to. This checked all our boxes. Keigoh took us to restaurants off the beaten path and we got to try dishes we would not be able to order on our own. During the entire time, we got to talk with Keigoh about his experiences and ask him for tips for our trip. Keigoh gave us personalized recommendations based on our hotel location and even acted as our photographer, snapping photos of us and immediately sharing them that same night. Thank you, Keigoh, for a wonderful evening. We hope to return and do it again.

Our guide Keigoh was amazing! He provided an in depth insight into the local food culture and, broadly speaking, the japanese culture. He also taught us how to order food and drinks in japanese, which also proved to be highly useful. Furthermore, the four locations were unique for their food as well as their atmosphere. The local establishments were by no means touristy: we would have never found these spots without our trusty and friendly guide. Also, we felt that the tour’s pace was well adapted to our group and we didn’t feel rushed between each location. We highly recommend this tour : it was certainly one of the best nights of our trip! KANPAI!

I recently joined the culinary tour.. The tour felt calm, personal, and very thoughtfully paced. From the first moment, there was a relaxed and comfortable atmosphere that made it easy to connect and fully enjoy the experience. The guide led me to a quieter, more traditional side of Japan, far from the crowds and noise of the big city. Instead of touristy spots, we visited small, local places that felt genuine and authentic. Through these everyday locations and the food itself, I gained a deeper understanding of Japanese culture and daily life in a very natural and approachable way. What made this tour stand out was the personal attention and care throughout the experience. Everything felt well-balanced, easygoing, and carefully chosen, making the tour both meaningful and enjoyable. If you’re looking for an authentic, relaxed, and personal way to experience Japan through its food and culture, I highly recommend this tour. It’s an experience that stays with you long after it ends. I would also like to personally thank you for allowing me to experience Japan in a slightly different and truly special way.

This was a great experience. We got to visit wonderful local restaurants and bars, learn more about the culture, and see/taste a side of Osaka we wouldn't have discovered alone. Highly recommend taking this tour.

Keigoh was an excellent guide. We went to places I never would have even noticed by myself, let alone fine to. There are some true gems on this tour. The food was amazing! Keigoh will order for you and you can make adjustments as needed. We were a small group, but everyone was easy to talk to so it didn't matter. I highly recommend this tour if you want something more authentic Osaka with a local, Japanese guide.

Excellent Tour - Our tour guide was extremely knowledgeable of the area!! He showed us places we would have never found on our own and gave us a true authentic Osaka experience. I would absolutely recommend this tour

We really enjoyed our tour, the guide is very nice and very fun. We made some friends and had some amazing local food!

Keigoh was the perfect guide to show us where the locals go in Osaka. We experienced foods and restaurants we would have never found on our own. Couldn’t recommend better company or a better tour in Osaka!

We had a great time on this food tour. It ended up only being my girlfriend and I, and so it felt more like an evening out with a local friend, which was fun. We visited a few different local small restaurants, trying a variety of dishes at each. It was a nice change of pace to be a bit off the tourist circuit and get to experience more local-like places.

Keigo-san was fantastic and took us to many hidden gems this big city. We wanted to avoid the usual tourist spots in Namba/Shinsaibashi and this was perfect. We really enjoyed the garichu, the chicken kushiyaki, and especially the home-style bars in the second half of the tour. Thank you again!!

The perfect small group Osaka food tour!! I loved that this tour was in a different area than a lot of the other options and felt very local and personal. Our small group was able to go to much smaller restaurants and get to know our guide and each other much better. The food was delicious and a great variety! Highly recommend this experience!!

It was a GREAT experience! Great way to try a lot of food and see places that you wouldn't usually visit as a tourist in Osaka.

Keigo showed us the local bars in Osaka where we could taste the local delicacies. It was a nice experience in a different neighborhood of Osaka unlike other foodtours in the busy Shinsekai area.

This food and drink tour was honestly my favorite thing we did in Osaka. Our guide Keigo was very fun, friendly and knowledgeable, and he took us to amazing local spots we never would have found on our own. He had great recommendations for dishes and drinks I had never tried before but ended up loving.

Picked this tour on a whim because I knew I wouldn't get to try all the delights Osaka has to offer and I'm glad I picked Keigoh. I turned out to be the only participant, but in the end it worked out great. It stopped feeling like a food tour after the first few minutes and it felt like we were old friends catching up over food and drinks and sharing many laughs. As I write this review some 5 hours after we finished our tour (it was round about 10pm we finished), I am sat here still feeling full! (Yes I am a night owl) If you want entertaining stories and conversations with lots of laughter and good food/drinks to boot - Keigoh is definitely the one to choose. I would not hesitate to book his tour again and recommend that you do ! I also forgot, he gave me a small and thoughtful gift at the end of the night which was a nice touch. An all round nice guy !

Great food and environment! We enjoyed the food tour and explored local places we never would have been able to experience! Highly recommend

Keigoh was an absolute delight and incredibly easy to talk to. My friend and I truly enjoyed our tour with him and his company. He took us to some hidden gems that we never would have discovered on our own. I highly recommend this tour to anyone looking for a unique and memorable experience!

My first time's solo visit to Osaka and I found Keigoh, he was very friendly and brought me to restaurants with great atmosphere. Places are within the local area but not flooded with tourists. We went to a local sushi and sashimi place with really accomdating chef. Then we headed to a Izakaya in the nearby neighbourhood for some fresh chicken. Food was yummy and outstanding with reasonable price, and wouldn't have found these local places without Keigoh's help and also appreciate his translation for the menu. It was an enjoyable night and a really nice chat with Keigoh. Totally recommend this tour, superb experience.

It was a slow night for Keigo, so just him and I and he led me around like a pro. Lots of great food in the area, fun spots, secret bars, and delicious food! If you’re in the “Castle” area, highly recommend Keigo!!

My boyfriend and I had an amazing time with Keigoh on his Osaka food tour. Keigoh was an amazing host. With his background as a chef, Keigoh offered unique insights into Izakaya restaurants and bars, encouraging us to try the best of what Osaka’s late night culinary scene has to offer. We especially appreciated that his stops were off the beaten path, giving us a more robust culinary experience outside of popular and crowded tourist spots. Beyond the tour itself, Keigoh also shared food recommendations for other local cities we visited during our trip, which we greatly appreciated. We highly recommend Keigoh’s Osaka food tour! Keigoh was a true highlight of our trip to Japan.

It was a great experience, Keigoh really knows the best spots for food and beer! 10/10 authentic Osaka experience, can wholeheartedly recommend this man and his tour