A hidden gem silently sitting on the 2nd floor of a random building around the Shinsaibashi area, Wagyu Idaten is on the top of our list for the best affordable steak experiences in Osaka.
Wagyu Idaten is something you’d miss during your long Namba walk. It’s not prominently visible from the streets. It has a small signage with an arrow leading to a small elevator.
The small elevator transports you into a sophisticated wooden-themed restaurant as if you’re back in the Edo period. A display of a metal warrior suit welcomes you into Idaten.
Like a typical steak house in Japan, chefs prepare, cook, and plate your steak in front of you. On one side of the bar, there is a charcoal grilling area enclosed in glass. You can see the chefs grilling your steak to perfection.
The menu is fairly simple. There’s a bunch of meat to choose from, and you get to choose how it is prepared, cooked, and served. We tried the Wagyu Idaten and roast Wagyu sets, both Japan-graded A5 wagyu.
Roast Wagyu
Roast Wagyu is served in a bento box. Thinly sliced, lightly roasted, rare to medium-rare wagyu and a raw egg are topped on a rice bento. The first step is to taste the steak without anything. Then, break the yolk, spread it, and mix it on top of your wagyu.
The Wagyu Idaten
The Wagyu Idaten is served rare on top of a hefty rice serving. It’s topped with uni and roe, with the egg yolk on the side. Finish up the toppers first, then top the yolk on your wagyu.
In PH, we are not used to restaurants serving rare. We were initially hesitant (primarily because of my sensitive gut), but the chefs smiling in front of us gave a comforting assurance.
The first bite is always the most thrilling. That feeling of having an A5 Wagyu steak melt in your mouth is priceless. You can almost feel the butterflies fluttering in your gut, taking you to steak heaven. This is, by far, the best reasonably-priced steak I ever had in Osaka. It was so good I didn’t want the experience to end.
Wagyu Idaten is not completely affordable. But when you consider that it serves the highest wagyu grade in Japan (A5) and compares it to Matsusaka’s, Idaten’s pricing is considerably reasonable—something you and your wallet can both enjoy.
Indulge a bit and enjoy a bento of A5 rare wagyu on your next visit to Namba!
Find Wagyu Idaten on Google Maps.
