Where the gyoza gang meets
With three Bangkok outlets, Osaka Ohsho has a winning way with the popular dumpling snack
ADVERTISED IN its hometown as “the king of gyoza”, Osaka Ohsho is a speciality diner dedicated to the pan-fried dumpling that’s long been popular all over Japan. With more than 300 outlets in Japan, Hong Kong, South Korea and Singapore, the chain restaurant now boasts three Bangkok branches – on Soi Thonglor and Soi Thaniya and at Siam Center.
The first outlet, opened two years ago at Fifty Fifth Plaza on Thonglor 2, remains the largest, with room for 60 diners. Minimalist design, open-space concept, few decor details apart from some bookshelves of Japanese manga and magazines.
The most popular seats are at the counter bar, in full view of the labouring chefs. Watching them work so quietly and efficiently seems to spur the appetite, all that rolling out of platters of dough, filling of the wonton wrappers and simultaneous grilling and steaming of the dumplings in a special machine.
Shinzo Fumino opened the first humble little Osaka Ohsho in 1969, just three items on the menu – gyoza, fried rice and ramen. But the gyoza came from a family recipe, golden brown and crisp on one side and tantalisingly moist everywhere else, so the place was an instant hit. The casual ambience helped a lot, too.
The Bangkok outlets are a joint venture between Japan’s Eat & Co, which owns the brand, and Thai restaurant chain See Fah.
“We take a lot of care at every step, from the ingredients to the cooking, because people are very picky about the food they eat,” says Hidenori Takeyasu, the managing director in Bangkok. “We have to be sure we serve the same high-quality gyoza here as everywhere – the taste must be the same everywhere.
“Thais love gyoza and, given that we’re offering only the best, there’s definitely room for us in the restaurant market here.”
The gyoza filling is a mix of minced
pork shoulder and leg, cabbage, ginger and garlic. The wonton wrappers are no ordinary wheat-based envelopes, either.
The secret to the crispy exterior and tender inside is in the cooking temperature, Takeyasu explains. The chefs keep adjusting it by adding just the right amount of water for steaming. The lid can’t be opened once cooking is underway. They have to listen carefully to the sounds emitted from the grill to know when dinner’s ready.
The filling of the pan-fried gyoza (B90 for six pieces and Bt170 for 12) is flavourful but not overpowering. The dumplings are best enjoyed unseasoned, but you can add soy sauce, vinegar or chilli oil for extra dimension.
Fuwatoro Tenshin Han (Bt160) is a bowl of Japanese rice in a fluffy omelette, resting in soy sauce-based soup. The simple configuration of sauce, rice and egg amounts to a perfect match. You can order a set for Bt200 that comes with four gyoza dumplings.
Osaka Ohsho also serves Japanese versions of a variety of Chinese-style dishes.
Fried Chicken with Egg (Bt160) is golden-brown, batter-fried chicken with an egg, in soup that’s imported from Japan. I found it disappointing, though, since the soup is too salty and the chicken lacks crispiness.
Miso Ramen (Bt240) is Chinese-style egg noodles in miso soup, topped with two chunks of chashu (roasted pork), a boiled egg, corn, bean sprouts and spring onions. The chashu is marinated in a sauce that’s repeatedly refined and boiled over low flame for six hours.
Fried Rice (Bt160) looks simple enough, but the concoction of Japanese rice fried nearly to the point of dryness with chopped chashu, egg, carrot and spring onion is rewarding.
Sliced Pork and Pepper (Bt160) is a sweet-and-sour dish with the crunch of bell peppers, bamboo shoots and onions.
THAT’S A WRAP
>>Osaka Ohsho’s original Thai branch at Fifty Fifth Plaza on Soi Thonglor 2 (Sukhumvit 55) is open daily from 11 to 10. Call (02) 381 0701.
>>The other branches are on Soi Thaniya off Silom Road and at Food Republic at Siam Center.
>>Learn more at www.OsakaOhsho.co.th.
