Gokan is probably the most famous French-style pastry shop in Osaka. They call themselves “Patisserie du Samourai” (the Samurai’s pastry shop). Their store in Kitahama also operates a tea house upstairs where it is possible to enjoy their creations in an elegant environment. The neighborhood also hosts a number of traditional Japanese sweet shops, but Gokan stands out with its ability to blend Western techniques with Japanese ingredients. Not far away, they also have a chocolaterie now called Cacaotier Gokan.
The visit
I went to Gokan an afternoon (summer 2019) for a dessert. The store that I visited in Kitahama was opened in 2005. I had to sign my name on a list waiting for a seat to free for me. It did not take long.
Meantime I had a look around their shop on the ground floor.
Their signature cake is a creamy roll with some red beans.
They have many cakes that are unique to their shop, like a green tea roll.
They also have some dishes for breakfast or lunch.
However I was interested in their cakes. So the waitress brought in a tray with samples of their dessert. It was an amazing view.
I ended up having their signature roll and a sweet soup with red beans. It looked like a nice East meat West platter that I fully enjoyed. Even if I was not that impressed by the roll.
The check
For the two sweets and a drink I spent 1,479 yen (13.65 USD).
I think Gokan is a great place where to have a serious dessert while in Osaka.
Where in Osaka:
2-1-1 Imabashi, Chuo-ku | Arai Bldg.
In Japanese: 大阪市中央区今橋2-1-1 新井ビル.
Website: www.patisserie-gokan.co.jp (in Japanese).
They also operate a store in Hankyu Department Store in Umeda and in Takashimaya in Namba, but the Kitahama store is the place to visit.
Here you can read the review of their chocolate shop.