As the traditional noren curtains slide over my shoulders and I step onto the padded floors of Harijyu, a small restaurant hidden in bustling Dōtonbori in Osaka – Japan's food-obsessed city – it strikes me that I have no idea what to do next. I look to the maître d', who hands me a pair of leather slippers before leading us to a private room with a low-set table stacked with unfamiliar vegetables. For years, I've prided myself on an ability to navigate restaurant scenes around the world with an air of confidence, but here, in a small restaurant in Japan, I've been rumbled.
I look to the maître d', who hands me a pair of leather slippers before leading us to a private room with a low table
It's a curious experience that captures the wonderful social discombobulation that Japan promises. Established more than 100 years, a traditional dish prepared in a (Japanese hot pot) with thinly sliced beef and noodles, dipped in egg.
