When in Osaka, you have to make a trip down to Tenjinbashi Shotengai, Japan’s longest shopping street. It's no secret that you can find the freshest and most value-for-money sushi at Harukoma Honten.
The long queue snaking out of the shopfront's entrance is an indicator that your tastebuds are in for a treat. Do not fret at the sight of the long queue though as it moves pretty quickly and there is actually a large seating capacity inside the store. Even during peak hours it is definitely worth the wait!
We were lucky to be seated at the counter table where we could watch the boisterous sushi chefs do their thing, expertly cutting the generous slabs of fish.
Every piece of sushi is a perfect combination of fresh fish on warm rice. Featured above are tamago, unagi, kani, salmon (both raw and aburi), maguro, toro and squid. Everything that we ordered was SO GOOD.
The rich and soft texture of the Toro was so addictive that we ordered more servings of tuna instead of our usually preferred salmon. They were incredibly tasty and melted in the mouth. At Harukoma Honten, do not expect delicately arranged pieces of sushi, but rougher, heartier and thick cuts of raw fish which makes each bite super satisfying.
Torched Scallops Sushi - A must order as you can taste the incredibly sweet freshness of the grilled scallops
Asari Clam Soup - At only 300+yen, the soup is super value for money as it came served in a large bowl with a generous portion of clams. Definitely one of the best clam soups we've had in Japan
Uni Sushi - The highlight of the meal. Look at the rich yellow creamy custardy filling bursting with that umami flavour. One can only wish to have more tummy space to have repeat orders of your favourite sushi.
The experience at this sushi shop also brings such fond memories of Osaka as we enjoyed the meal next to a Japanese elderly couple. They were so adorable and they tried to engage us throughout the meal.
We spoke of the delicious pieces of sushi as they were served, about their memories of the Merlion when they visited Singapore previously and of how much we loved Japan. As a parting gift, the elderly couple gave us origami Japanese cranes (he gave us many small ones and a few large ones) and wished us good luck before we bade farewell to each other.
It was a lovely lovely meal overall at Harukoma and I cannot emphasize enough that it has to be on everyone's To-Eat list when they are in Osaka. If you want to have delicious sushi without any of the fuss, this is the place to go to. Harukoma is the perfect balance of quality and value. It is incredibly affordable, fresh, satisfying and memorable.
Harukoma Honten
Address: 5 Chome-5-2 Tenjinbashi, Kita Ward, Osaka, Osaka Prefecture 530-0041, Japan
Opening Hours: 11.30am - 9.30pm
Osaka, Japan
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