Over our four-day, three-night stay at Hotel Hankyu RESPIRE OSAKA in Umeda, we made full use of the restaurant floor on the 8th level, just below the hotel lobby. Our travel plan said "eat here, eat there," but plans never quite survive reality. After a day of sightseeing you want nothing more than to collapse into bed, you still have to eat, and you don't feel like going far to find a good restaurant. That's when you realize you can eat right downstairs, and you end up using it more than you expected.
CHABUTON (Yodobashi Umeda, 8F of Yodobashi Camera Umeda)
Basic tonkotsu ramen
We went to CHABUTON the morning after our Universal Studios day, on the way back to the hotel after a bit of shopping at Hankyu department store.
How It Works: You order from a ticket machine in front of the shop (cash only), then hand the ticket you receive to the kitchen staff. There's a kids' ramen option too, so it's easy to visit with children.
Timing: We went at 1 p.m. on a weekday and the seats were nearly empty. In Japan, it's a good idea to eat early or late to avoid mealtime crowds.
Ramen with spicy sauce added
Kids' ramen with a smaller portion
The Taste: Neither special nor lacking. It's the kind of typical Japanese ramen you can easily find in Korea, though prices are a little lower locally.
The Service: This was the disappointing part. The staff greeted the Japanese guests at the next table loudly and told them when their food was ready, but we heard nothing like that. Our ramen was simply set on the table without a word. I wouldn't go out of my way to eat here.
Gyukatsu Kyoto Katsugyu (Yodobashi Umeda, 8F of Yodobashi Camera Umeda)
Gyukatsu Kyoto Katsugyu, Yodobashi Umeda
Gyukatsu Kyoto Katsugyu started in Kyoto and has expanded across Japan, and it even has branches in Korea (I didn't know that!). I'd noticed a line every time I walked through the 8th-floor restaurant area of Yodobashi Camera. It became our last dinner in Osaka before heading to Kyoto, after I failed to get into the Kobe beef teppanyaki restaurant "Kobe Steak Ishida."
Waiting Time: We arrived at 6:30 p.m. on a weekday. All tables were full and we were second on the waitlist, with a wait of about 20 minutes. By the time we finished eating, a long line had formed, so it's clearly popular.
Domestic Kuroge Wagyu striploin katsu set
What We Ordered: A premium wagyu striploin katsu set, a domestic Kuroge Wagyu striploin katsu set, and a fillet gyukatsu set. Each cut is fried for under 60 seconds, so the outside is crispy while the inside is all beef. You also get a lineup of sauces: wasabi, gyukatsu sauce, curry sauce, egg sauce, and grated daikon sauce. My personal favorite was coating the meat generously in egg sauce, adding grated daikon, and finishing with a small dab of wasabi.
How to Cook It: You grill the meat yourself on a personal grill to your preferred doneness, though if you cook it all the way through, is it still gyukatsu? Do cook it thoroughly for kids, of course. Rice, soup, and cabbage salad come with free refills.
The Staff: Every staff member welcomed our family kindly. They looked after our kids' needs, and when one of the children touched the grill, they brought an ice pack right away, which we really appreciated.
Gyukatsu Kyoto Katsugyu, Yodobashi Umeda
FamilyMart (LINKS Umeda, 1F)
If you're staying at Hotel Hankyu RESPIRE OSAKA, you'll end up here at least once. Maybe it's for the fun of Japanese convenience store food, to grab breakfast before an early Universal Studios open-run, or to pick up a beer and snacks on the way back to the hotel. There's no shortage of reasons.
The selection is wide, though this isn't a special convenience store; it's simply handy for hotel guests. Among the potato chips, I recommend the red cylinder of Chip Star, which is less salty and tasty. I bought about six on the way home.
Floors besides 1F and 8F also have all kinds of stores and products. Instead of taking the hotel elevator straight to the 9th-floor lobby, ride the escalators up one floor at a time and enjoy browsing.
Essential Visitor Info
- 🏨 Hotel: Hotel Hankyu RESPIRE OSAKA, Umeda (we stayed 3 nights / 4 days)
- 🍜 CHABUTON: 8F, Yodobashi Camera Umeda; cash-only ticket machine; kids' ramen available
- 🥩 Gyukatsu Kyoto Katsugyu: 8F, Yodobashi Camera Umeda; about a 20-minute wait at 6:30 p.m. on a weekday; free refills on rice, soup, and cabbage
- 🏪 FamilyMart: LINKS Umeda, 1F
Final Verdict
Having a restaurant floor right below your hotel lobby makes tired-traveler dinners easy. Gyukatsu Kyoto Katsugyu was the clear winner for us, with its perfectly seared beef, friendly staff, and care for our kids. CHABUTON was only average, so I'd skip it. And the FamilyMart on the first floor is exactly the kind of convenient stop that makes a hotel stay easier.
Do you prefer convenient hotel-floor dining or hunting for local favorites? Tell me in the comments!
