串揚げ まつい酒場 at Umeda, Osaka

A casual kushiage bar in Shin-Umeda Shokudogai frying up forty-odd creative skewers.

On the second floor of the Shin-Umeda Shokudogai food alley, Kushi-age Matsui Sakaba is a relaxed deep-fried-skewer bar run by the N Food Factory group. The kitchen prepares around forty varieties of kushiage - from classic sauce-friendly bites to inventive creative skewers - all fried to order and tuned so that even a generous order sits lightly. Beyond the skewers, the menu runs to shareable courses (with all-you-can-drink options) and finishing dishes such as the popular salmon and ikura kamameshi rice pot. The counter welcomes solo drinkers and daytime drinkers from midday on weekends, while the larger seating suits small parties, after-work gatherings and casual celebrations. This is the sort of unpretentious Osaka frying the Go Umeda team adores - hot, crunchy and best paired with a cold first drink. Pull up a stool in the retro food alley and let us show you why kushiage after a day in Umeda feels so right.