01 / ABOUT THE PLACE
About this place
A mound of greens, almost spilling over the pot, is quickly simmered in broth. Honke Kusanabe Enya’s kusa-nabe is an appealing choice if you want vegetables to take centre stage. Diners have described cooking leafy and stem vegetables in the broth, then adding condiments such as shichimi, sesame and yuzu pepper to taste. After the vegetables, the meal moves on to meat and tofu dipped in raw egg and sauce, with Chinese-style noodles to finish. Another diner was struck by the sweetness and texture of the vegetables, and by the flavour the meat and other ingredients brought to the broth. With several stages, from greens to meat to noodles, the pot makes for a meal to linger over together.
Opinions differ on how much kusa-nabe to order: some diners have chosen a portion for one alongside side dishes, while others suggest ordering a smaller pot for the group and adding items such as sashimi. It may be worth deciding based on how hungry you are and how many à la carte dishes you plan to share. Beyond the hot pot, options include sashimi platters, seared bonito and turban-shell sashimi; the individual menu also lists lean bluefin tuna, seared yellowtail sashimi and live clams steamed with sake. Build the meal around the pot, then add a seafood dish or two for variety.
Drinks to accompany dinner include draft and bottled beer, lemon and yuzu highballs, green tea and ginger ale. There are options whether or not everyone in the group drinks alcohol. The restaurant is in Kariya, Sumiyoshi Ward, Osaka, and focuses on dinner service; reservations are available. It’s a setting for a hot-pot meal with a few à la carte dishes, chosen to suit the group.
