Just one station away from garish, John Wick 4-featured Namba (なんば) is quiet Sakuragawa (桜川) where posh Saiko People OSAKA (最高ピーポー大阪) is located. A minimalist neon sign in an industrial dining room explains nowness as a contemporary eatery.
Saiko People OSAKA in one phrase would be “a contemporary fusion Japanese izakaya with a pan-Asian twist”. On my table was a QR code to check their menu. They took orders orally. Here’s what I had:
Isobemaki (お魚とお漬物とお野菜の磯辺巻き). 1000 yen / $7.70.
Isobemaki is a sashimi roll with nori seaweed. The texture was as delicate and pleasant as the presentation.
Chicken wings (手羽唐揚げ やまつつじ田の黒七味) 500 yen / $3.80.
The chicken wings were seriously crispy. They soaked the right amount of dark soy sauce, which may be calculated. Here I savored engineering.
Deep fried lotus root sandwich (うなぎ,茄子,蓮根 チーズの挟み揚げ) 800 yen / $6.10.
Lotus root (renkon / れんこん) sandwich is a quintessential izakaya food. But this is Saiko People OSAKA. Of course, they deep fry it with eel, eggplant, and cheese. Given the fact that eel in Japan is like lobster for Americans, Saiko People OSAKA’s deep-fried lotus root sandwich sounds as dope (最高) as it should be.
Sweet and sour pork (最高的毛沢東黒酢豚). 1200 yen / $9.20.
Literally translated, “Saiko People OSAKA’s rendition of Mao Zedong-style dark sweet and sour pork”. In other words, it was pineapples and deep-fried pork sauteed in a dark soy sauce that came with cumin seeds, coriander, and mint. It was trailblazing as sweet and sour pork because nothing was sweet except for the pineapples. Didn’t know Mao Zedong was keto-friendly in such a discreet way. Most importantly, the deep-fried pork was the epitome of their engineering. Simply put, it was downright crispy and delicious.
Thai-style fried rice with shrimp (タイで食べたエビチャーハン). 1100 yen / $8.40.
The fried rice came with non-sushi rice which is very exotic in Japan. I already admired it. Coriander and nam pla (fish sauce) brought the dish to perfection.
Baked sweet potato (安納芋のソテー 蜂蜜とブルーチーズ). 700 yen / $5.30.
Japanese traditional yakiimo (焼き芋) baked sweet potato with Saiko People OSAKA’s rendition came with honey and blue cheese. It was saiko (最高: best) for dessert in Autum.
Saiko People OSAKA (最高ピーポー大阪) | Menu | 3 Chome-3-10 Minamihorie, Nishi Ward, Osaka, 〒550-0015, Japan
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