Our visit to Takashimaya Mall was propelled by a distinct flutter of nostalgia and hunger pangs. My mom was a huge fan of Isetan's food hall in Shinjuku. I was 8 years old when she first took me to the said store. I was dead set on visiting Isetan Shinjuku again, but time constraint forbid us do so. No biggie, though. Takashimaya's depachika {food hall} is just as exciting!
Depachika is the term they use to describe the basement food halls of Japan's department stores such as Takashimaya. It's a portmanteau of two words: depato, meaning department store, and chika which translates to basement.
It's a food lover's paradise. Even if you're not {why?!}, you'll sure morph into one by the time you're done perusing their extensive selections. I'm guessing, there's enough food to feed an entire city for a week at the very least!
I wish that there's a technology that can make the computer expel the aroma of the photo that you're browsing so that you can cry the way I did from extreme joy. You don't have to ask the concierge where the exact area of the escalator is that will lead you down to the basement. Take a good whiff as soon as you enter the mall, and then follow that scent.
I'm kidding. That's extreme. You will, however, notice the aroma even before you hit the basement, and it...is...good!
Never go in there when you're about to faint from hunger. You'll definitely buy more than what your wallet allows you to; and then you're going to force your kids to eat everything because God hate kids who waste food.
The photos I took is just one-fourth of what they have in there; maybe one-sixth. They have different types of croquette, pickled everything, bento boxes, slabs of matsusaka beef, breads, and pastries.
You'll also find varieties of salad and yakitori. They not only offer Japanese cuisine. Western dishes are also part of this huge food hall.
Unagi!!! There are unagi rolls, sandwiches, and rice toppings. You can also buy the vacuum-packed version as pasalubong.
Kushikatsus {deep-fried skewered meat and vegetables} are plentiful. Racks of onigiris {rice ball} and sandwiches are in abundance as well. There's a cheaper version of both at Lawson. They're just as good.
Unlike the usual food court that we're used to, depachika's are devoid of tables and seats. The food are all to-gos. If you want to save a little on restaurants, this is where you should go. If you want to save more, swing by an hour before the mall's closing time. Some of the stalls go on sale.
Takashimaya Osaka
Address: 5-1-5 Nanba, Chuo Ward, Osaka,
Osaka Prefecture
542-8510, Japan
Phone:+81 6-6631-1101
Website: www.takashimaya.co.jp
Onward and Upward!
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