https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dST8NNcVGnI

one of the biggest, is the idea of “all-you-can-eat” anything. Japanese people generally look at it as a point of convince; the comfort of knowing what youre getting within a specific time limit for a specific price.

americans, however, view it is a legitimate challenge. As if out countries honor is being threatened by a weaker country when we are the only back to back world war champs.

ive already forgotten the name of the restaurant since we probably wont be going again. it wasn’t a bad restaurant but there are plenty of other places in osaka and this place had nothing extremely special wanting us to come back. it too us three tries trying to dine here with each time being full so we ended up making a reservation this time around. why make a restaurant reservation at an inconspicuous Italian terrace in the under belly of umeda?

the challenge of all you can wat nama ham (think prosciutto) for 500yen.

entering the restaurant right at 5pm for out reservation we were sitting at a very nice couples table with pretty comfy seats compared to the wooden boards i sit on all day it work. To my direct right was a giant aquarium that I could have easily swam laps in. it seemed to be clean and filled with dozens of fish if not a 100.

all blissfully ignorant of the ability to stuff their gullets with fresh nama ham for 60 minutes. what a shit life.

we had a look at the menu outside before heading in which differed a bit from the actual menu in the restaurant. the wife was disappointed but were both not fairly picky. off the bat we ordered the all you can eat ham festival and two drinks that looked appealing. soon the waiter brought an extra plate for the ham and out drinks. we then ordered two main dishes, a pizza and a pasta dish.

with the wife in charge of getting the ham i told her to just swap the plates. confused by my american gusto, i told her this wasn’t a fucking game and to take the plate with and mountain of prosciutto and replace it with the empty one we were given. you married an american god dammit. we soon found out that $5 all you can eat raw ham tastes like $5 all you can eat raw ham. with olive oil if you choose to end your life faster. by the end we probably had had demolished half of what was on the buffet plate.

the drinks arrived and can only be described as watered-down disappointment. they were light and refreshing, a nice contrast to the heavy Italian food but not what we were expecting. 700yen for some water and lime slices in a mason jar packed with ice like cooler of chuhi going to biwako, was a let down.

next up were the main dishes. or what i saw, main dishes for ants. the size of what we ordered varied greatly in size from what was on the picture. my quatrofromage (which I think is french for “white person”) was the size of a 4-inch cast iron skillet it was cooked in. the wifes pasta being put on a plate from a private elementary school’s cupboard. we agreed both dishes tasted good and were still enjoying our raw ham challenge that was joined by a real salad challenge as well to balance out.

we still wanted more. we ordered a set of what i can only think of being called as little things cooked on toothpicks. once again, these must have been appetizers for ants. there was a garlic butter roasted eringi which was awesome. camembert wrapped in nori, bacon wrapped quail eggs, and 4 other sticks of stuff that could have been easily fed to the fish next to me.

we went for one last round of ham and salad and asked for the bill. got hit with a sudden 1000yen table charge, quickly got the f out, then played beatmania at a nearby arcade.

2 out 5 salt. great food but the price, portion size, sudden table charge, and animal cruelty towards those fish not being able to partake in the mounds of prosciutto detracted points.

随分前から気になっていたこの店。梅田は茶屋町にある生ハム食べ放題をうたってるイタリアン。旦那も私も大の生ハム好きなので、予約して行ってみることに。夜の5時に予約してるのにも関わらず、10分前には着いた。フライング。それぐらい期待してたのですよ。店内からは今流行りのサチモスが流れてきてて、居酒屋かよとツッコミたかった私。イタリアンやから洒落たHouseとかが良かったな。5時になり、店内に入った時の感想。昭和の香りがする、ちょっとイケてなさが残るインテリアだなぁと。席は安っぽ〜い感じを醸し出す水槽の隣。早速楽しみにしてた生ハム食べ放題とパスタとピザ、ノンアルカクテルを頼む。なんとサラダが食べ放題という事でテンションがちょっと上がったのですが、結論から言ってテーブルチャージが500円ついてたのですよ。レシート見るまで知りませんでした。そりゃサラダ食べ放題付くわな。ノンアルカクテルも見た目は良いが、味が薄い！あかん！頼んだパスタやピザも値段の割に量が少ない。追加で頼んだ、アラカルトも盛り付けがいかんせん気に食わず、私の中で満足度だだ下がり。唯一生ハム食べ放題だけ合格点。店員さんは感じよかったんだけどなー全体的にイマイチ。一回行けば良いかなと。しかしサチモス、売れたよなー（笑）どうも、辛口スウィーティーでした。

 you’re greeted outside by a portrait of what appears to be a family (mom, father, and son) standing outside of the shop proud of a gyoza dynasty they’ve built.

inside you’re greeted with a shop that can seat at max around 20 people, 25 with disregard to personal space. in one corner an older couple that was obviously from the area with the expected lonely salary men sitting at the counter area. one lone older lady (probably the one from the portrait) ran the whole ship.

the walls are plastered with various adverts for beer, local festivals, the japanese national rugby team, and laminated A4 sheets describing their philosophy on gyoza and how they use ingredients sourced from japan.

in the middle of the back wall was a huge faded poster of the beatles abby road album cover being shined on by a single light, because why they fuck not? the beatles probably loved gyoza.

how was the gyoza at a gyoza shop? unsurprisingly, pretty dynamite. everything else was also great.

being the fat bastard that i am I ordered curry rice with deep fried gyoza (the dish isnt as uncommon as it sounds) and convinced my wife to get the fried rice gyoza combo.

when my dish arrived i was surprised, the picture just looked normal fuck all curry you buy at gyoumu super for 97yen but instead i was greet with spinach kima curry and rice topped with 6 deep fried gyoza.

the wife’s fried rice was also nice and more of a seafood style with bits of shrimp also added in with the standard pork chunks.

next, due to having no self-control, we order the boiled gyoza which came with some chinese mustard.

guess what? also fantastic.

with at least three oshos in walking distance, this place is a nice break from redundant gyoza and you know youre helping a family business with always melts my cold heart.

4/5 salt. minus one salt because fuck the beatles.

この前鶴橋にある鶴餃子へお邪魔してきました。なんでも旦那の生徒さんがおススメしてくれていたみたいで、餃子好きの旦那はずっとこの店に行きたかったそうです。店に入るとすぐに''変なタバコの匂いがする”としきりに言う旦那。すんません、こんな人なんです。悪気ないんです。こじんまりとした店の中、ローカル感がプンプン。旦那も私も大好き、下町感。おじさん、おばさんしか来なさそうな雰囲気醸し出してますが、横にはお昼中のOLおひとり様もいましたよ。味はと言うと、大満足です。私はチャーハンセットを頼みましたが、旦那が食べてたほうれん草キーマカレー餃子乗せ(雑な説明)が気に入ったので、次はそちらをいただきたいです。ビートルズのポスター別にいいやんと思ったイギリス大好きスウィーティーでした。