Ajihei Sonezaki Osaka: Crab & Pufferfish Menu

Ajihei Sonezaki is about an eight-minute walk from Osaka Metro Higashi-Umeda Station, in the Sonezaki neighborhood. The restaurant specializes in live tiger pufferfish and crab; the fish swimming in its tank inspired the name. The chef selects and prepares the fish to order. Osaka Station and the Kitashinchi area are also convenient starting points. Tables, sunken seating and private rooms make it a place to enjoy dinner with family or friends.

One of the signatures is the live pufferfish sashimi. The tiger pufferfish meat, just taken from the tank, is firm and has a delicate freshness with a hint of sweetness, served with the restaurant’s homemade citrus vinegar, which enhances the refreshing taste of the pufferfish. Seasonal offerings also include pufferfish milt sashimi, which has a richer texture. Another must-try dish is the live pufferfish hot pot, using freshly killed pufferfish meat, where the broth slowly releases the pufferfish’s flavor, making it tender yet chewy; many describe it as something they want to order again after trying. The restaurant emphasizes that almost the entire pufferfish is utilized, with different cooking methods for the skin, meat, and milt, including salt grilling, soy sauce grilling, deep-frying, steamed egg custard, and rice with tea poured over it.