Located in Dotonbori in Osaka is the Dotonbori Konamon Museum.
Immediately the idea of takoyaki and a museum may make you excited like I was when before I visited the takoyaki museum in Odaiba.
While museum is used in the name of the restaaurant, the Dotonobori Konamon Museum is not a museum, it’s primarily a takoyaki restaurant with a catchy sign of a big red octopus.
The restaurant is different compared to other takoyaki stores which tend to be small stalls with tables or no tables. With Dotonbori Konamon Museum, there are several floors.
The basement floor is where people can learn the “Kukuru” technique of takoyaki and make takoyaki.
The first floor, where you enter is where you can watch employees make takoyaki and watching them rotate it and finish with a secret wine sauce.
The second floor is for those who want to learn the history of Konamon sauce and Konamon takoyaki. For those who are wondering what is “konamon, well wheat flour is “komugiko” and food such as okonomiyaki, takoyaki and yakisoba are known as “Konamon”. And while these foods are found all throughout Japan, “konamon” was popularized in the Kansai area. And a lot of the sauces made for konamon are made in Osaka.
While the third floor is where people can learn on how to make takoyaki souvenirs.
So, it’s different compared to Tokyo’s takoyaki museum, which is more like a food stand that most people find at malls in the US but are all takoyaki and has signs and displays of how they made takoyaki from past to present.
Osaka’s Dotonbori Konamon Museum may not be a museum in the way most people think about it but still, one can learn the history, learn how to make takoyaki and make souvenirs and of course, serving takoyaki. Thus going a bit further than most takoyaki restaurants.
While there is a wait in line, it’s not too long. Afterall, it’s only takoyaki that is served.
But is the taste great? That is always subjective to the person eating takoyaki. I’m quite biased towards Gindaco Takoyaki shops but for the uninitiated, new to takoyaki, I feel the Dotonbori Konamon Museum may be a good first time experience.
But it’s important to also note that the company that owns Dotonbori Konamon Museum, Shirohato Food Corporation, also owns another takoyaki shop a few stores down, known as Kukuru. So, for those who want a more authentic experience, may want to try Kukuru (has an octopus on top). Just know that Kukuru can get very busy!
