Kuromon Ichiba Market

Kuromon Ichiba is a covered arcade of around 170 stalls that has been trading since the early 19th century. Osaka’s professional kitchens have bought here for generations, which is the reason the city’s nickname is not just marketing.

What it is actually like

Loud, wet underfoot, and working. Fish is broken down in front of you, produce is stacked in crates rather than arranged, and the stalls shout. If you have been to Nishiki market in Kyoto, the comparison is useful: Nishiki is tidier, prettier and more curated. Kuromon is less sanitised and more of a market.

What to eat there

Much of the pleasure is grazing rather than sitting:

• Uni and otoro sliced at the counter and eaten standing
• Grilled scallops and oysters, opened while you wait
• Wagyu skewers, cooked to order
• Fruit — the melon and strawberries are extraordinary, and priced accordingly

When to go

Morning. This is a working market and the energy, the stock and the choice are all best before midday. By late afternoon the good stalls are winding down and you are looking at what did not sell.

It is also the one Osaka food experience that works at breakfast, which makes it a sensible first morning if your evenings are already committed to Dotonbori.

A note on prices

Kuromon is now firmly on the tourist route and priced accordingly — the counter-cut sashimi and wagyu skewers cost more than they would in a suburban market. That is a fair trade for eating it where it is cut, but it is worth knowing before you are surprised at the till.