According to recent stats the top bread-eating cities in Japan are ALL in Kansai. Sakai (＃２) and Osaka City (#4) made the list so it’s safe to say Japanese “pan” is taken very seriously here! Local TV programs tend to focus on great bakeries in Kobe and Kyoto so I wanted to do my own bread feature on great bread and bagels in Osaka! The first place I checked out was…
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Happy Camper Bagel
Bagels are becoming trendy in Japan but when I asked some Osaka friends for a comment they said they weren’t “the kind of people” who would buy something so “fancy” and “high class.” That’s funny because in America they’re considered cheap and casual. Many Japanese also consider Starbucks and McDonalds to be upscale and posh too (as we conversely see ramen or udon in the same light back home!)
While an inexpensive bowl of soba could cost 300 yen in Kansai – so could a single bagel! They also tend to be lighter with a chewy texture (“mochi-mochi” as they say in Japanese.) So is buying one in Osaka worth it? How do they compare to bagels back in the states?
To see for myself I headed over to “Happy Camper Bagel,” the most popular bagel joint in Northern Osaka. With lines out the door I had some pretty high expectations. From the pictures and reviews online they appeared to be made “American style”: dense and big -that was a good sign. Having been in business for 11 years now, I was shocked it was only showing up on my radar now (gonna have to buy some new radar.)
According to info online the long line to get into Happy Camper starts BEFORE they open at 11am. On weekends it’s even worse. One could expect to be waiting an hour or more -and that wouldn’t guarantee a bagel if they’re sold out.” Weekend and weekdays alike, they sell out by noonish. I was going to have to get the timing right if I wanted to try one.
The day I went was lucky: the line was “regular” long -as opposed to “no bagels left” stretch an entire shotengai long. I breathed a sigh of relief as I glanced at the “12 bagel limit per customer” sign “up to 6 bagels per flavor.” This really was a military operation – unavoidable with popularity this raging hot (reminded me of the popular Courage Bagels back in LA.) Whether it was pandemic-related, I don’t know, but they only allowed 2 people at a time to fill their trays with the delicious items. It was also a very small store. As an overgrown American, my shoulders were practically rubbing the 2 opposite walls as I tried to squeeze inside.
Somehow these metal trays with the piles of bagels stacked up felt nostalgic – hadn’t seen anything like this in Osaka before. And it didn’t look like a huge team making them either. The older woman in front of me grumbled “why can’t they make more bagels if they always sell out by noon??” It’s because of their limited staff. As my bread-making mother will tell you: baking isn’t easy -not to mention at an “industrial” level such as this!
As I finally made my way inside the very first thing that hit me was the smell. The aroma alone was “delicious” and I breathed a sign of relief: nothing could taste bad that smelled this good (in theory.) Another thing I noticed was the variety of flavors (with English labels too!) In America there’s sesame, poppy, everything, etc -but here were some more interesting Japanese types. Some that stood out were: sweet bean paste with walnuts, sweet black (tamba) soybean with black sesame, sweet green chestnuts with uji matcha and Okinawa Pork sausage Bagel Dog! That’s a lot of different (and unusual) flavors!
I’ll offer a few comments on the lineup. The tamba black soybeans used are the most premium kind in Japan (vs. Hokkaido) -they’re a delicacy that’s native to the Hyogo region that’s eaten sweet on the New Years holiday. The fact that they use them shows that Happy Camper is committed to using the FINEST ingredients! The Okinawa pork sausage also stood out. While there is sausage-pan at most bakeries in Kansai, I can’t imagine any would bother to use special premium pork imported from Japan’s tropical island!
I was also delighted with the varieties of seeds and spices in the crust. They differ from the Japanese bagels I’ve had before -it’s more “authentic.” The Berry Berry bagels have an oatmeal crust, the fig and hazelnut have toasted nuts, and sweet chestnut bagels have what appears to be a white poppy seed. Very premium indeed!
Now came the fun part: eating them! I decided to go with the Okinawa sausage bagel dog (350 yen), sweet bean paste with walnuts (270 yen) , fig and hazelnut (270 yen) , and plain (200 yen.) In terms of price this is pretty consistent with other bakeries but from the weight of the bagel, quality of ingredients etc I think it’s a great value! And I hadn’t even taken a bite yet!
Start off with the bagel dog. It was still piping hot! For that reason, I wanted to eat it immediately. I took a bite of the crispy outer layer filled with pepper spices, crunchy bits and melted cheese. Then my teeth hit the juicy dog, the flavors combined into a crunchy savory ecstasy! This was made by an artist! You just can’t compare it to the amateurs that make “bagels” elsewhere here. Now I know why the line’s out the door!
The next item was the sweet bean paste -known as anpan (ala Anpanman the children’s cartoon character.) However this was different from your standard type: it was sweet bean inside a bagel (with no hole!) It also had a carmelized crispiness on the bottom using corn grits. I had never tasted anpan like this before -it was another showstopper!
I ate the fig and hazelnut bagel at home and bought cream cheese for the occasion but as I chomped I realized it was delicious on it’s own! It had that signature crispy bottom and the figs and hazelnut combo was “smooch” (makes Italian finger kissing gesture) just to die for!
The plain bagel without all the extras gave me a chance to appreciate the dough, crunch and savory smell. It’s essential to buy at least one when visiting Happy Camper!
And then it was off to my secret weapon which was the…
Hanshin Department Store bread events
Many Osaka natives know the Hanshin Department store “depachika” (basement department store) as a place to get anything and everything from sweet treats to sushi. But what many don’t realize is the ground level floor (1) is where the action is. Every week I look forward to the food events here, with at least half the space devoted to bread. The great thing about the weekly revolving stalls is they feature bakeries from all over Japan (including Kansai.)
You could be eating a donut from Nagano while munching on some toast from Tokyo. I can’t think of another place in Kansai where this is possible! Even when it comes to Osaka (which is gigantic) there are some hard places to get to when buying bread – places on the outskirts like Yao or Takatsuki, etc. At the Hanshin event space it’s possible to conveniently try products from these remote areas. It’s a fantastic way to discover new bakeries without having to shlep around to each one – it’s all under one roof!
And when I say bread, it’s certainly not just sliced bread.There’s bagels, muffins, donuts -really any kind of baked thing you can think of. Everything from fancy to pedestrian. Many Japanese-style items too like anpan, cream pan, curry bread, etc.
The day I visited there was a bakery from Nara that had kabocha pumpkin shaped bread filled with orange cream. Next to these were some “nama chocolate” sandwiches which are a form of melt-in-your mouth ganache (yum!) They had white and chocolate cookies on the outside!
A little down the way was Tenmabashi’s Bonny’s Bake Shop muffins and Age pan from Osaka’s Ibaraki. It never ceases to amaze me the variety and quality of shop that comes here week after week. It truly is the best way to discover something new in the neighborhood. A week or so ago, my favorite bakery from Okinawa “Commons” even made an appearance -I was shocked! So be sure to check their event calendar so you don’t miss out on something unique and delicious!
And it’s not just bread events they also have other themed offerings in the neighboring stalls. (revolving around food) that you can catch as well (once you’re done buying your bread.) Like the bakeries, they feature sellers and stores from all over Japan (including local ones.) Some past themes include a “curry fair,” “seafood fair” -and this week was about fermented food. This includes local miso, soy sauce, and fermented vegetable makers.
It was a real treat to get to meet the artisans including two brothers from Kobe who craft organic soy sauce in big wooden barrels. They showed me the inside of a tub which included a cheese cloth filled with mushed up soy dregs pressed to create the sauce dripping out of a little spout. “Give it a try” he said as a tiny drip fell into my spoon. I was a little skeptical to sip soy it but once I did I was shocked at the natural flavor -it’s what I’ve been missing all this time from the mass produced kind.” I don’t know if it was the wooden barrel or their brotherly love but something tasted different. Many supermarket brands use American beans but the local craftsmen used organic soy grown here with a sweeter delicate taste!
Shotengai Bakeries
One thing you miss at the shopping centers is the local atmosphere! Not to be forgotten are local shopping arcades home to small independently owned bakeries. As long as it’s not a chain, I’ve never been disappointed. I usually take a look at the age-worn signage and do the math: “if they’ve been around for 30 years it must be delicious.”
The two places I visited were Nissin Bakery in the Tenjinbashisuji shopping arcade and Bakery Brunnen (since 1994) in the Tengo Nakazakidori Shopping Street. They didn’t disappoint!
What I love about the Nissin bakery is -a lot of bread these days tries to be fancy or decorate it in some trendy way. Nissin doesn’t do any of that -it’s bread for the working class (read: cheap!). However, that’s not to say they don’t have interesting items. I was intrigued with their mix of standard items with off the beaten path!
These included a spicy chicken burger (340 yen) , croquette bread (180 yen) , roast chicken onion (200 yen), Italian calzone (240 yen) , Okinawa karinto donut (90 yen), Mini an (red bean) donuts (150 yen), and Kinako Pan (140 yen). Funnily enough, next to the last bread (kinako) a cute message said “like we used to eat for school lunch.” I love those little details! The taste for every piece was simple and delicious and for under 1000 yen I was able to fill a bag!
Next I went to Bakery Brunnen in the Tengo Nakazakicho Shotengai. It’s not far from the Tenjinbashisuji arcade -it actually leads right to it. Just cross the street and you’re there. Bakery Brunnen has some even more unusual items that I’d never seen before!
The oatmeal banana bread (250 yen), banana cake (250 yen), and chocolate banana cake (700 yen) jumped out at me when I first stepped inside! Next to those the chocolate bread with the marbled swirls through the slices looked heavenly. And even MORE striking was a clam chowder bread (270 yen) which I ‘ve NEVER seen in a bakery in Japan!
This shop was obviously interested in pushing the envelope! I imagine if I go again there will be a whole new set of items! The moral of the story is DON’T buy the boring mass produced supermarket bread, get out of your comfort zone and get to the shopping arcades to find these small independently owned places, you won’t be disappointed!!
Conclusion
I suspect there’s many more bakeries I’ve missed which is why I look forward to writing Chapter 2 on my continuing journey to introduce you to the greatest bread in Osaka! Until then, check out some of these bakeries to get started. If you can’t decide which to go to the Hanshin event space is your best bet because of the variety. Happy bread hunting!
