Hariju Curry Shop

There’s a restaurant called Hairiju in Osaka’s Namba area, known as a high-end sukiyaki specialty shop. True to its upscale reputation, a proper meal there easily costs over ¥10,000 per person. But what if the leftover trimmings from that premium sukiyaki could offer us commoners a chance to enjoy high-grade Wagyu beef at a more affordable price? Well, they’ve thought of that too.

This shop, Hariju Curry Shop, has a signature menu item with the slightly unusual name “Beef One.” Curious to try it, I visited the shop one afternoon. So, what was this Beef One menu item like? I’ll tell you all about it next, so please keep reading…

The atmosphere is like an old-fashioned Western-style restaurant… That’s the kind of place Hariju Curry Shop is.

Hariju Curry Shop is located just north of Namba Station on the Osaka Metro Midosuji Line, a short walk north along Midosuji Boulevard after exiting the station. Thanks to its prime location along Midosuji, even at the slightly awkward time I visited around 3:30 PM, customers were trickling in.

The shop was founded in 1958, meaning it boasts nearly 70 years of history as a curry shop. Because of this, the building itself feels quite old. However, it has a refined atmosphere reminiscent of a stylish Western-style restaurant from the past, and above all, it feels very clean. A quick visual count revealed 38 seats, all at tables. The seating area is relatively spacious and comfortable, making it a very pleasant place to be. If you’re looking for a retro Showa-era diner, this shop is a must-visit.

Its true identity is “gyudon with egg sauce”… but how was the actual taste of Hariju Curry Shop’s signature dish, Beef One?

So, let me introduce the Beef One (price: ¥1,210 including tax) I ordered that day at Hariju Curry Shop. About 5 minutes after ordering, the Beef One arrived before me looking like this…

As you can see, the true nature of Beef One is “gyudon with egg sauce.” It’s essentially a ‘tanindon’ (a bowl of rice topped with various ingredients). Named “Beef One” for two reasons: it’s served in a beef bowl, and Hariju’s beef is said to be the best. You can really feel that Osaka flair in the naming here.

Anyway, let’s get to the tasting… Hidden within the wobbly, soft-boiled egg sauce is a substantial amount of beef. These are the premium sukiyaki beef trimmings from Hariju‘s main store, so you can imagine the quality. It’s incredibly tender, and with each bite, a hint of sweet fat oozes out… pure bliss.

And the broth used for this egg-topped dish apparently comes from a sukiyaki-style sauce made by simmering beef tendon for 6 hours. With that kind of preparation, it’s no wonder you get more than enough umami from the premium beef. While the bowl itself is a bit on the small side, they definitely don’t skimp on the beef, so you really feel like you’re eating high-end beef. Unfortunately, the price has gone over 1000 yen (apparently the shop used to really push hard to “absolutely not cross the 1000 yen line!”… inflation really sucks), but I think it’s well worth it.

Other Menu Items at Hariju Curry Shop (Prices include tax)

• Minced Meat Cutlet: ¥1,210
• Beef Cutlet Curry: ¥1,540
• Haisi Rice: ¥1,540
• Corned Beef Bowl (70g meat): ¥1,760
• Sukiyaki Bowl: ¥1,980
• Yakiniku Set Meal: ¥2,200
• Mixed Set Meal: ¥1,760

Curry and Hayashi Rice sauce are available for takeout… Access to Hari-Jū Curry Shop is a short walk from the nearest station, Osaka Metro Midosuji Line Namba Station.

At Hariju Curry Shop, we also offer takeout of curry and Hayashi Rice sauce…

This curry and hayashi rice are also popular menu items at Hariju Curry Shop, and it’s great to be able to enjoy that flavor at home. The meat is sold at Hariju, so you can just buy it there and take it home… I think it’s perfect for when you feel like having a slightly luxurious curry at home… The price is reasonable too, so why not grab some on your way home?

Now, here are the shop details…