Osaka Ohsho located at SM Megamall Mega Fashion Hall in Mandaluyong City is one of the newest international franchise restaurants that landed Manila which offers what they dub as "The World’s No. 1 Gyoza." Most of the food bloggers in Manila which I follow have already written their opinion about Osaka Ohsho, even Kris Aquino raved about the goodness of Osaka Ohsho on her T.V. program. I deem that most of them believed that indeed, Osaka Ohsho is the King of Gyoza.
Osaka Ohsho’s humble beginnings can be traced back in Japan during the year 1969. Fast forward to 2014, Osaka Ohsho boasts of 300+ stores worldwide including the one here in the Philippines, all thanks to the same group that brought Wee Nam Kee here in our country. Its signature gyoza is the main highlight of Osaka Ohsho’s menu, the very same reason of its popularity.
Osaka Ohsho prided itself in serving gyoza with main focus on freshness and high quality ingredients. Each gyoza is made in house by high skilled trained chefs.
There are three variants of gyoza at Osaka Ohsho; Original, Cheese, and Nori. Each can be purchased by 6pcs and 12pcs per serving while 3pcs serving can be had if diners avail of certain set meals. Frozen gyoza can also be availed for those who want some for take home. These three gyoza variants are said to be best enjoyed with three different kind of sauces; Osaka Osho Original Sauce, Miso Sauce, and Chili Oil.
Original Gyoza (Php175/6pcs, Php350/12pcs) is the basic of all gyoza which is recommended to those who wants to keep it simple and straightforward. The Cheese Gyoza (Php190/6pcs, Php380/12pcs) on the other hand has a thin layer of cheese incorporated to the filling making it creamier than usual. The Nori Gyoza (Php190/6pcs, Php380/12pcs), my favorite among the variants features seaweed strips added on the filling which is responsible for making this particular variant more flavorful compare to the other two flavors.
Aside from the gyoza variants, Osaka Ohsho features combination of Japanese-Chinese dishes on its menu. Some of the dishes are included in set meals which are perfect for those who want to try a little bit of everything, while others can also be ordered ala carte. I have tried few of their dishes during the times I visited Osaka Ohsho and these are the ones which I ended up liking.
Tonpeiyaki with Pork and Cheese (Php275) – an omelet packed with minced pork and cheese drizzled with what I would like to believe as Japanese mayo and special sweet sauce topped with grated cheese. I always love Japanese’s take on egg dishes and this one is no exception. It was fluffy and the fact that they did not scrimp on the filling is notable.
Ebi Chili (Php375) – think of sweet and sour pork and replace the pork with plump shrimps and you’ll have Osaka Osho’s Ebi Chili. Considering that I am not big on spicy dishes, this one just hit the right spot for me. The spice level was not overpowering while the lingering taste was that of the shrimp and the hint of sweetness.
Sliced Pork with Ginger Sauce (Php270) – do not be deceived by its unappetizing look because truth be told, this dish may remind you of bacon. I would say that this is one of the reasons why I am looking forward to another visit at Osaka Ohsho. This dish just took my breath away, and that statement can be taken literally and figuratively for some. I am not going to lie that the pork slices were really fatty but the ginger sauce did a great job in cutting through the fatty flavor.
Special Fuwatoro Tenshin Han (Php 310) – I didn’t even touch this during my first visit but my friend ordered it on my second visit and talked me into trying it out. Good thing I gave in because although the appearance doesn’t say much, the fluffiness of the egg alone makes it well worth trying. Aside from the goodness of the egg, what made this special was the Koshihikari rice, a short-grained rice variety milled in Japan. The special miso sauce also helped in making this dish all the more delectable.
I also got to try some of Osaka Ohsho’s set meals. First one was the Beef Sukiyaki Set (Php375) since I love sukiyaki and its photo on the menu I found really enticing. This particular set includes 3 pieces original gyoza, miso soup, fruit plate, steamed koshihikari rice, and small serving of beef sukiyaki.
Sad to say, the beef sukiyaki I was served didn’t look appetizing as I hoped it to be. Good thing though that the flavor made up for the rather unappetizing appearance of the dish. I thought this beef sukiyaki leans on the sweet side of the spectrum. I had my friend try it and he didn’t like it as much since it was too sweet for his liking. But it worked for me, hence, I wouldn’t mind having this again.
The Black Vinegar Chicken Set (Php360) features the same set components found on the previous set; 3 pieces original gyoza, miso soup, fruit plate, steamed koshihikari rice, plus a small serving of the Black Vinegar Chicken.
I am one of those few who appreciate black vinegar so it was easy for me to take a great liking to Osaka Ohsho’s Black Vinegar Chicken. The combination of the crisp chicken as well as the sauce was just perfect. It is a good thing that availing set meals entitle diners to a rice-all-you-can feast.
Another set that I got to try was the Salmon Teriyaki Set (Php550) which basically comprised of the same items on the two previous sets I have mentioned and a serving of salmon teriyaki. One cannot go wrong with salmon and the known goodness of teriyaki sauce is always a sure winner, so needless to say, this ended up as one of my favorite.
Osaka Ohsho’s dessert menu is somewhat limited and the only one that left an impression to me was the Banana Tempura with Homemade Japanese Ice Cream (Php330). This essentially comprised of fried banana coated with crisp batter just like the well-loved shrimp tempura and homemade ice cream in three flavors. I remember enjoying the matcha and black sesame ice cream, the other flavor was forgettable.
Variety of drinks are also offered at Osaka Ohsho but the one I have tried was their Matcha Smoothie (Php125) which most of my friends found too sweet for their taste, for me it was just okay, not the matcha in-your-face kind of stuff I would normally die for. House tea is given without charge.
I have not been to many places that serve good gyoza for I know there are a lot, hence, I could not decide if Osaka Ohsho deserves the tags “King of Gyoza” and “The World’s No. 1 Gyoza.” But if I take into consideration only the places which I have tried, then I must give it to Osaka Ohsho. Their specialty in executing well-made gyoza is definitely noteworthy, but what I appreciate more is the fact that although it’s the gyoza that they are specializing in, all other dishes on the menu are equally well-thought out and well worth the visit, even more than once.
Osaka Ohsho
3rd floor, SM Mega Fashion Hall,
SM Megamall, Mandaluyong City
Contact Nos.: +63 2 631 7074 / +63 917 828 5011
Facebook: /OsakaOhshoPH
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