craft burger co.

The other day, I had intended to have lunch at El.Zocalo Burrito, since it had been some time since the last time I visited.

But when I stood in front of the shop, they had their "closed" sign out and it didn't look like anyone was around.

The wind was icy and I wasn't willing to wait a couple of minutes to see if they would eventually open...

Luckily I spotted Craft Burger Co. just around the corner from El.Zocalo Burrito.

The shop isn't too large, and since they had just opened for business it was still quiet and there weren't any customers.

For 880 yen (tax included), you can choose from their 5 different burgers...

I chose their pulled pork which wasn't an actual burger but a nice sized brioche bun filled with tender pulled pork, bbq sauce and cole slaw.

They gave me a triangle paper sleeve for my burger and told me to put the burger inside before eating...

um, please put the burger in the sleeve for me...since my sandwich wasn't an actual burger it wasn't actually sturdy enough for me to one handedly put it into the sleeve.

I ended up nixing the sleeve and just eating the sandwich with a fork.

The meal comes with your choice of a side and I am glad I chose these fried potatoes.

The outside was crisp and had a nice amount of rosemary and salt.

For 120 yen more you can order a drink...so I added a cola.

Of course, as I left, I noticed El.Zocalo Burrito had opened for business...

I still hope to go back to El.Zocalo Burrito one day, but if they aren't ready for business, I know where else I can lunch at.

Craft Burger Co.
1-6-12 Kitahorie
Nishi-ku, Osaka
Phone: 06.6556.6682
Closed Mondays
Hours: 11:30-22:30

foodie saturday

Saturday, after Satoshi's German class, we went to check out Harijyu Curry Shop.

Satoshi had the beef katsu curry...the katsu just as tender as when I had it the week before. Though he said the curry could've been spicier...950 yen

I had their hayashi rice (hashed beef) is a rich demi-glace based "beef stew". It was so good, though their peas were on the hard side...850 yen

Since they get their beef from their meat shop, we definitely recommend the beef dishes!

Since we had time before meeting up with Satoshi's friend for dinner, we went to check out Mondial Kaffee 328.

I was surprised it was right across the street from El.Zocalo Burrito.

In fact, the building that the cafe is in was new too.

Not a very large shop, they did have many chairs to lounge in.

Satoshi had their European blend while I had their matcha latte.

I liked that this latte wasn't overly sweet like some matcha lattes can be.

Dinner was with Satoshi's friend and his wife at a hotel buffet.

The buffet's theme was Australian. There was crocodile, kangaroo, lamb and lamingtons. I loved their chocolate fountain, you could coat just about anything with it at their dessert station.

A great foodie day, filled with lots of walking and lots of talking.

Harijyu Curry Shop
1-9-17 Dotombori
Chuo, Osaka
Phone: 06.6213.4736
Closed Tuesdays
Hours: 11:00-21:00

Mondial Kaffee 328
1-6-16 Kita-horie
Nishi-ku, Osaka
Phone: 06.6585.9955
Hours: 8:30-21:00, call to see if they are open--days off not determined

ANA Crown Plaza Hotel
1-3-1 Dojimahama
Kita-ku, Osaka
Phone: 06.6347.1112

el zocalo.burrito

Last Tuesday, I had an appointment and had to go to the west side of Osaka. I had wanted to eat lunch at a cafe I had read about, but they were closed.

Luckily, El Zocalo.Burrito was open.

I ordered the chili beans fries. This was similar to the nachos we tried previously, except this time around it was spicy. They even placed a bottle of hot sauce on the table when the served it, just in case I wanted to spice it up even more.

(Most times, shops do not offer extra spices or even salt, yup, they are THAT confident of their cooking...)

Anyway, it was filling and perfect for the slight hail we had that day.

el.zocalo burrito

After reading Dayna's comment about El.Zocalo Burrito, I was interested in trying them out.

Then, after reading Tabelog, Japan's Yelp, it seemed that their portions were kinda big.

So, instead of going alone, I dragged Satoshi along.

The shop is located close to the Yotsubashi station and was easy to find.

We ordered a shrimp burrito set to share, this came with the burrito, a soft drink, guacamole and chips...980 yen.

The burrito is filled with rice, veggies and lots of tiny shrimp, delicious.

The chips are fried before serving and are delicious with the guacamole and a little drizzle of salsa.

We also ordered a plate of chili bean nachos to share, this seemed like it was minced chicken, kidney beans, cheese and salsa...600 yen.

Everything wasn't too spicy, and could have been spicier, but we agreed that it was perfect for people trying tex-mex style food for the first time.

It's not an area we frequent, but we'll be back when we're in this area. (Thanks Dayna!)

El.Zocalo Burrito
1-9-6 Kitahorie
Nishi-ku, Osaka
Phone: 06.6533.0337
Closed Mondays
Hours: 11:30-22:00