Kame Sushi is a very popular sushi joint in Osaka. It opened in 1954 and consists of two shops facing one another. For lunch I believe only the main shop is open. They were one of the first restaurants in Osaka combining fresh high-quality sushi with the atmosphere of a bar. It seems to be popular with tourists and locals alike.
The visit
I found myself in front of Kame sushi quite early, I believe around 11.15. And I decided to wait until the opening time at noon. I had read some good reviews and I thought it was an interesting place where to have a good sushi. Very soon, I found myself heading a queue of over two dozen people. It was that popular. You can see the door of the main restaurant above without the typical curtain with the shop’s name that is put up only during opening times.
Above is a view of the second shop that was closed for lunch when I visited.
I was one of the first to be seated and I started to order directly to the sushi chef in front of me. The first 20 minutes were super hectic, with the chefs trying to catch up with all the initial orders. An English menu was available. My first bite was sashimi: tuna, hamachi, and squid (ika): all super-fresh.
Then I started ordering nigiri sushi. My first order had prawns (ebi), khodama, aji, tai. Typically you order two nigiri pieces per type.
More: I had Japanese cockle (torigai) and scallops (hotate). The scallops could be raw or flame-torched, mine was seared. They had so many sushi type to choose from. Torigai is a type of shellfish that is not so common on sushi menus.
Next another special treat: two nigiri with the sweet anago (the Japanese saltwater eel),
To finish up I had two more prawns (they were so tasty) and razor-clam (shako).
You usually end a sushi meal with the Japanese omelet and miso soup. The omelet pieces came with some rice squeezed inside.
The miso soup was good, but it was an occupational hazard… it was boiling hot.
Everything was really fast, my meal did not last longer than 30 minutes. It was not the most comfortable meal as the small restaurant was very crowded. While leaving, people were still queuing.
The check
The check took the form of a pile of chips that were accumulated by the sushi chef that attended my orders. The total cost was around 6,000 yen (55 USD), for 27 pieces of sashimi/sushi plus the omelet and the miso soup.
Was it worth? In terms of quality, certainly they were a tad above the average and I do not mind the check. Everything was fresh and there were many exotic seafood varieties available. However I would not repeat the experience of waiting almost one hour. If you go, try perhaps odd times like in the mid-afternoon.
Where in Osaka:
Sonezaki 2-14-2.
Website: kamesushi.jp.