Osaka: Unagi, Don Quijote, Conveyor Sushi
Like the day before, we took it easy and had a late-ish breakfast in the hotel before setting out to shop. With two-thirds of the trip behind us, we realized we would need one extra piece of luggage to pack up the various purchases we had made so far for the trip home. Today, we were also going to purchase additional items as gifts for those at home, which increased the need for luggage.
After breakfast, we spent some time relaxing and starting to pack for our departure the next day. I also researched and found a location for us to have an unagi (freshwater eel) lunch; something we had not done so far. Specifically, we were looking to eat an Unadon meal: Unagi grilled Kabayaki (蒲焼) style, over rice.
Unadon Lunch
We enjoyed a 12:00 PM lunch at DOTONBORI KUROFUNE Higashishinsaibashi (道頓堀黒船 東心斎橋) 🗾 (very close to the hotel). We did not have a reservation, so we ended up waiting in line for about 30 minutes (we ate at around 12:45 PM). We were then seated on tatami mats and served lunch, which included a dessert and miso soup. Until now, we had only ever had Unagi as part of nigiri sushi, so that was a new experience. The flavor and texture were wonderful. You should definitely try this out, unless you cannot get over the mental hurdle of eating eel.
Don Quijote
After lunch, we had plenty of time, so our first stop was to check out every single level of the Don Quijote Dotonbori Midosuji (ドン・キホーテ 道頓堀御堂筋店) 🗾 across the street from the hotel and therefore close to our lunch spot as well. If I remember correctly, there were 7 floors in total, with everything from cosmetics, snacks, and housewares to drugstore items, toys, electronics, small appliances, clothing, sleepwear, and, yes, even “naughty” items and adult films/DVDs. Quite the experience.
Luggage shopping
Exploring all this and buying the various (small) items took up quite some time. What was left was solving the luggage issue. We extensively checked out Shinsaibashi-Suji Shopping Street (心斎橋筋商店街) 🗾, and the area around Dotonbori. There are many places that sell luggage (bags, carry-ons, suitcases). We ultimately found a nice, flexible bag for about US$15 in a side street off Sennichimae St (which itself is off Dotonbori).
Conveyor belt sushi dinner and dessert
For dinner, we had told Richard the prior day that we would like to have some sushi, but nothing pretentious, and he suggested we experience conveyor belt sushi at KURA SUSHI Dotonbori Global Flagship Store (くら寿司 グローバル旗艦店 道頓堀) 🗾.
We walked through Dotonbori again to Kura Sushi. The restaurant is a few floors up. When you arrive, there is no host, but rather a check-in kiosk. You tell them the size of your party, and you get a numbered ticket. At some point, your number is called, and you get assigned a table. Tables are essentially private booths with the conveyor belt on one side.
There was an iPad to order. Any order you put in eventually arrives on the conveyor belt and stops at your table. You take it off and eat. Plates are collected through a slot in the table, and there is also a faucet, utensils, and other items. The quality and variety of sushi were good. Not top-notch, but certainly good enough! When you are done, you pay and leave. Little to no human interaction!
During the sushi dinner, we decided not to order any dessert but instead to find the crêperie we had visited the prior day. We did find it, and again we ate outside the vendor window before returning to the hotel for a good night’s sleep before our departure for Hakone the next morning.