In the heart of Dotonbori, Osaka, there is a yakiniku (Japanese barbecue) restaurant that uses halal meat. This article introduces Dotonbori Mitsuru Main Store.
About the restaurant
Dotonbori Mitsuru is a long-time favorite yakiniku restaurant in Dotonbori. After its original shop was renovated, it reopened as the Main Store. The appeal here is that you can enjoy a wide range of cuts from the whole cattle the restaurant buys in a relaxed, casual way, even in a private room.
The restaurant occupies the second to fourth floors of a building in Dotonbori 1-chome, and a large cow statue looks down on the street from above the entrance. The renovated interior is clean, with a calm atmosphere. There are about 200 seats across the three floors: counter seats and conveyor-lane seats on the second floor, round and standard tables on the third, and private rooms on the fourth. Whether you want a quick yakiniku meal on your own, a meal with your family or a company party, you can choose the seating to suit the occasion. Private hire for groups is available on the third floor.
Meat that arrives by conveyor lane
What makes this restaurant stand out is the conveyor lane on the second floor. The meat you order travels along the lane on a plate and stops right in front of your seat. It is something you rarely find at a yakiniku restaurant, and watching for the next cut to roll up is part of the fun.
Whole-cow Kuroge Wagyu
As its full Japanese name (meaning “whole-cow Kuroge Wagyu yakiniku”) suggests, the restaurant buys Kuroge Wagyu (Japanese Black) cattle whole. Its biggest draw is the chance to compare rare cuts at reasonable prices. The halal menu also features cuts you can only get when the whole animal is bought, such as shinshin, a tender lean cut from the center of the round (hind leg), and tomosankaku (tri-tip), which tends to be well marbled.
One of its signature dishes is the Halal Beef Whole-Cow Platter. A golden stand shaped like a cow holds small portions of many cuts, so you can taste the difference between them: rich premium kalbi (short rib), lighter lean loin, and sankaku bara, a well-marbled cut from near the ribs that each animal yields only a little of. You can choose between 350 g and 500 g.
The Halal Beef Platter, arranged on bamboo leaves, includes cuts you may know from steakhouses.
- Sirloin: From the loin, along the back. It has a fine texture and plenty of marbling.
- Fillet: Known as “here” in the Kansai region. A lean, tender cut that each animal yields only a small amount of.
- Ichibo (rump cap): From the tip of the rump. It balances the flavor of lean meat with a little fat.
- Kainomi: From the belly side, near the fillet. It is known for its tenderness.
The 500 g version of this platter includes both a sirloin steak and a fillet steak.
Three set courses carry the word “Halal” in their names. The Standard course centers on kalbi and lean loin; the Premium course adds butter-grilled scallops and sirloin steak; and the Omakase (chef’s selection) course includes fillet steak, snow crab and a beef sushi platter served in a wooden tub.
Information for Muslim guests
The “Conditions” section of the listing page shows “Serves Halal Meat” and “Uses Halal Seasoning.”
According to the restaurant’s description, it provides tableware reserved for Muslim guests, and staff can assist in English, Chinese and Korean. Halal Kobe beef is also available if you reserve at least 10 days in advance.
From the meat and seasonings to the tableware and languages spoken, this restaurant is well prepared to welcome Muslim guests, and it is a place where you can sit back and enjoy Kuroge Wagyu yakiniku in Dotonbori. The listing page sets out its halal arrangements in detail, so please read it and decide whether the restaurant meets your own standards.
Prayer spaces nearby
Several prayer spaces listed on Halal Gourmet Japan are close to the restaurant:
- Tsuki no Odori (Dotonbori 1-chome, Chuo-ku)
- Namba City Nankai (Namba, Chuo-ku)
- Halal Kobe Beef Nagomi (Nipponbashi, Chuo-ku)
If you are looking for a mosque, Masjid Istiqlal Osaka is in Nishinari-ku. Please check each listing page for opening hours and conditions of use. Our area-by-area guide to prayer spaces in Kyoto and Osaka covers more places around Dotonbori and Namba.
Restaurant information
- Name: Dotonbori Mitsuru Main Store (listed as “Entire-Cow Store Bought Wagyu Yakiniku Dotombori Mitsuru Main Store”)
- Address: 2F Shibata Building, 1-5-8 Dotonbori, Chuo-ku, Osaka 542-0071, Japan
- Listing page: Dotonbori Mitsuru Main Store
Please check the listing page for opening hours and how to book.
To wrap up
From the Whole-Cow Platter on its golden cow-shaped stand to marbled sirloin, tender fillet steak and a tub of beef sushi, what sets this restaurant apart is how easily you can compare the many cuts that come from buying whole cattle. You can wait at the second-floor counter for your meat to arrive by conveyor lane, or take your time around the grill with family and friends in a private room on the fourth floor. Either way, it makes for a great meal. If you are spending a day in Dotonbori, be sure to add it to your list of places to eat.
This article was written by the Halal Gourmet Japan team. On Halal Gourmet Japan, you can search for halal-friendly restaurants and prayer spaces all over Japan. The service is also available as an app (iOS / Android).
After seeing his Muslim friends struggle to dine out in Japan, he founded Halal Gourmet Japan, a restaurant search service for Muslims, and has been running it for more than a decade since its launch in 2014. He also co-founded Food Diversity Inc. (formerly Halal Media Japan; he has since stepped down), and has deep expertise in halal support for restaurants and Muslim-oriented inbound tourism. Halal Gourmet Japan is one of Japan’s largest halal-friendly restaurant search services, used in more than 140 countries, introducing halal-friendly restaurants and prayer spaces across Japan in multiple languages.
