Kitahachi (Kishiwada)

※ Please note that this is the fugu restaurant in Kishiwada, not to be confused with the kappo restaurant in Osaka City. Please confirm before making a reservation. As of 2024, Kitahachi only accepts reservations through referral. Please consult the byFood concierge team for alternative restaurant recommendations. ——— Kiichi Kitahama is Osaka’s octogenarian fugu (pufferfish) expert, and chair of the national society which promotes the famous fish. Is there anyone in the world more qualified to cook up a fine blowfish meal? Probably not. He knows fugu inside and out, down to the very finest sinew, and uses his findings from decades of research to improve every aspect of his dishes. The restaurant which he runs was opened by his father in 1913, and has been a staple of the Osaka dining scene since. Alongside the standard dishes such as blowfish sashimi, expect some unique inventions which belong to Kitahama-san alone. There is likely no greater expert in the world, and nobody better to show you the best of this Japanese specialty. After you’ve finished dining at this 2021 Michelin-starred fugu restaurant, why not head to the attached museum to learn more about the history and culture behind the fish? You’ll leave with a fresh appreciation of fugu, and memories which will last a lifetime.