I arrived in Osaka, the culinary capital of Japan, with a stomach that was ready to rumble. My first stop was the famous Dotonbori neighborhood, known for its street food. I sampled all the local delicacies: takoyaki, okonomi, and a few too many servings of kushikawa (don't ask).
But the real adventure began when I stumbled upon a tiny ramen shop that served a bowl of noodles so divine, I thought I'd entered a culinary nirvana. The broth was a perfect balance of salty and savory, the noodles were springy and chewy, and the pork slices were so tender, I wept with joy.
After consuming an entire bowl of Tonkatsu, I felt like I was going to explode. But the locals just smiled and said, "No, no, no, you must try the takoyaki!" And so, I did. And then I did it again. And again. And... well, let's just say I had a few too many late-night conversations with the ramen shop owner about the meaning of life.
Read more about Dotonbori's culinary wonders Visit the majestic Umeda Castle