Kagairo Kaiseki 日本料理花外楼: Since 1830 in Osaka

Who says you have to order one set of kaiseki for yourself and become too full after that? At least not at Kagairo, an Osaka restaurant that is established since 1830.

It was another unplanned visit just like the Nakano-ya but this hit the jackpot once again. As a restaurant which specializes in Japanese kaiseki, Kagairo played an important role in Japanese history as it was the venue where Osaka Conference was held in 1875 (Meiji 8).

Several key agreements that were set during the Conference laid the foundation for subsequent political reforms including the Meiji Constitution. Hence, this is why I think it has positioned itself as a high-end restaurant that aims to preserve the essence and heritage of traditional Japanese cuisine.

We were greeted by the Okasama, lady owner and ushered to our seats quickly. I'm not sure about the main outlet (in Kitahama) but the atmosphere at this sole branch outlet in Abeno Haruska is definitely more relaxed than the typical cold-pressured kaiseki temples. In addition, Kagairo exercises great flexibility when it comes to ordering as we are not obliged to order one course per person.

Prices range from ¥3500-¥10,000--a very reasonable price range for the excellent quality. We opted for 4 different types; the Osaka bento (¥3500), Daichinomegumi Course (¥4500), Shiki at ¥6500 and the Abeno Course at ¥8000. In fact, it turned out that the lower-priced courses were more impressive, especially the Daichinomegumi Course.

Rather than merely reproducing the kaiseki format, the chef opted instead for a more contemporary and creative take on Japanese cuisine. The platter (see above and top pic) from the Daichinomegumi course alone was a stunning showcase of 15 different items!

Imagined the amount of effort that wwnt into preparing the course! Guests can select the type of rice for some courses. For instance, we get to choose the Oyster Rice and "Ikan Bilis" Rice (scroll below for pictures). Not that I'm picky over Japanese rice which is already so delicious, but rice with some simple seasonings like shoyu or pickles do taste better, doesn't it? Just like why I would choose claypot rice or onigiri (rice balls) over white rice.

Anyway, back to Kagairo. This is probably the next best budget Kaiseki place to go if you have tried Giro-Giro. But in terms of the number of choices (Giro has one and only one fixed menu), atmosphere and service standards, Kagairo ticks all the boxes.