Osaka Ohsho Chinese Restaurant

If you’ve visited the San-A shopping center in Chatan or in Ginowan next to Round 1 (the sign is yellow with red triangles), you may have seen Osaka Ohsho, a clean, well-lit Chinese restaurant chain that’s been around for more than 40 years.

The friendly staff will immediately greet you, place a pitcher of ice water on the table, and possibly hand you an English menu, to help with ordering, though the pictures in the Japanese menu will generally suffice. Like many places in Japan, the server will wait until you’ve pressed the electronic doorbell on the table to come and take your order.

If you like to order appetizers, the gyoza here are a must try. They’re made fresh daily, “using 100 percent domestic vegetables and meat” (as per the menu), then boiled and pan fried on one side for added texture and crunch. Eat them plain, or dip them in one of three different sauces: soy sauce with vinegar, spicy flavored oil, or my favorite, the tangy miso sauce. With so much attention to detail and quality, it’s no wonder the “yakigyoza” are Osaka Ohsho’s signature item, and I dare say that they’re probably the best gyoza I’ve tasted, on or off Okinawa. While many sets include a plateful of these tasty dumplings, they also come in a 1 portion order of 6 pieces (¥210) or a 2 portion order of 12 pieces (¥420). If you’re not a gyoza fan, other starters include various dim sum (¥190–¥340), plus shrimp tempura (¥590), fried chicken pieces (¥300–¥460), and fried spring rolls (¥430).

For entrées, the chili shrimp (¥690) and fried garlic chicken (¥640) are smothered in a sweet and sour sauce similar to General Tso’s, good choices if you want more classic Chinese takeout flavors. You can add different sets to these dishes to include gyoza, egg drop soup, and/or fried rice (¥300–¥370). Smaller sized “Ladies Sets” include combinations of gyoza, fried rice, and ramen soup or different “don” rice dishes (¥660–¥690). If you like tofu, the Mabo-don is pretty tasty; it features a bowl of dark, subtly-flavored miso gravy and cubed tofu over white rice, plus gyoza and choice of soup (¥540–¥690), depending on the set you get.

Endless trips to the drink bar can be added to your ticket (¥130 with meal or ¥250 without), as well as beer (¥280–¥480), awamori, or grapefruit or lemon Chuhou–a Japanese liquor with soda (¥290). A filling lunch for two will usually come out to just under ¥2,000, making this establishment one you might want to add to your list of restaurants to try, whether dining in or for takeout.

Hours: 11:00 am — 11:00 pm every day

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