Kushikatsu — breaded and deep-fried skewers of meat, seafood, and vegetables, cooked to order — is Osaka's other defining street food alongside takoyaki. The dish originated in Shinsekai in the 1920s and the neighbourhood remains the best place to eat it. The format is simple: sit at the counter of a kushikatsu bar, order skewers by type, and eat them straight from the oil dipped in the shared dark sauce pot.
The iron rule of Osaka kushikatsu is no double-dipping: once a skewer has been dipped in the communal sauce, it cannot go back in. The rule is enforced with elaborate signage and occasional actual reproach from the cook. Classic skewers include lotus root, shrimp, beef, quail egg, and asparagus wrapped in bacon. The batter is thinner and lighter than typical Japanese breadcrumbing. The best bars are the unpretentious standing counters along Jankoken-dori in Shinsekai.