Macauda

Chef and owner Akihiro Hamaguchi strikes a chord in Puglian and Sicilian fares in Macauda, Osaka’s quintessential Southern Italian spot. The cozy, concrete-slabbed space snugged in the back alley of Honmachi-dori has been a go-to for locals for its affordable lunch (no-frills course of salad, pasta of the day and bread) that won’t cost a king’s ransom. In the evening, Hamaguchi is back in the kitchen making the next batch of handmade noodles; his menu is anchored in different pasta varieties meant to hold different sauces. Unlike the classic northern Italian forms, the dough is made with only flour and water. But if his artisanal pasta is what put him on the map, then his mastery of seafood is what propelled him into stardom. Mackerel meuniere caponata and paccheri with yellowfin tuna exemplify his brilliant use of local fish. In true southern Italian flavors, other dishes incorporate plenty of fresh tomatoes, too — the classic red-sauced Italian dishes that immediately come to mind when thinking about Italian dining. While seafood is his wheelhouse, he’s equally adept at preparing meat-centric dishes. It’s almost a shame to overlook the lamb cotoletta during dinner time, the chickpea fritters called panelle or tuna tartare.