Osaka is said to be a culinary capital. Reading Japanese Cooking: A Simple Art, written by Shizuo Tsuji, founder of the Tsuji Culinary Institute, the British food journalist Michael Booth was amazed to learn that concepts currently in vogue in contemporary Western-style cooking, such as simplicity, letting the ingredients speak for themselves, and seasonal food, had been talked about so vividly in a book introducing Japanese cuisine written back in 1980. As a result of reading Tsuji’s book, Booth became profoundly interested in Japanese food and decided to make a three-month “foodie road trip” across Japan together with his family. He describes his experiences on that tour in a book titled Sushi and Beyond: What the Japanese Know about Cooking. In that book, Booth writes about food in Osaka. He notes that the respected French restaurant critic Francois Simon told him that Osaka was “his favorite food city in the world” and adds that “I have seen it [Osaka] name-checked in several interviews with top European and US chefs as a place they visit for inspiration.” The book goes on to describe how Booth himself relished his visit to the city, going not only to high-class restaurants but also okonomiyaki, kushikatsu, and other eateries frequented by ordinary folk. After reading Booth’s book, I smacked my lips and knew there was only one place to go—Osaka!