象印食堂
(Zojirushi Shokudo)
■Osaka / Japanese-Teishoku / Price per Person: ¥2,000-¥3,000
※Prices are based on my visit and may vary by location or time.
Zojirushi is a Japanese home appliance brand established in 1918. The company is engaged in the manufacturing and sales of cooking appliances and household appliances, and is headquartered in Osaka. The name “Zojirushi” literally means “elephant mark” in Japanese, and the company is well known for its iconic elephant logo. Having grown primarily through its vacuum bottles and rice cookers, Zojirushi has long been loved in Japanese households for offering products that are highly functional and durable.
Zojirushi Restaurant, operated by the company, is a brand experience–type restaurant designed to allow customers to directly experience the performance of its premium rice cooker, Enbudaki (炎舞炊き). The restaurant serves set meals centered around freshly cooked rice prepared on site, allowing guests to enjoy differences in texture and flavor depending on the type of rice and cooking method. Rather than simply being a place to dine, it is a space dedicated to focusing on the true taste of rice itself.
The menu mainly features Japanese home-style set meals, accompanied by side dishes and soup that pair well with rice. Visitors can directly experience the glossiness, firmness, and subtle aroma created by various cooking technologies, and through this, naturally gain insight into Zojirushi’s technical expertise and brand philosophy.
Store Information
●Location
〒542-0076 大阪府大阪市中央区難波５丁目１−６０ なんばスカイオ 6F
(6F, Namba SkyO, 5-1-60 Namba, Chuo-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka 542-0076)
About a 5-minute walk from Namba Station.
●Phone
+81 6-6568-9804
●Business Hours
Weekday Lunch 11:00～15:00
Weekend Lunch 11:00～15:15
Dinner 17:00～21:00
●Notes
Closed on the same days as Namba SkyO.
Last orders are taken 45 minutes before closing for lunch and 1 hour before closing for dinner.
Zojirushi Restaurant Osaka Main Store Exterior
This is the exterior of Zojirushi Restaurant Osaka Main Store. The noren curtain with “Zojirushi Restaurant” written on a navy background gives a clean and sophisticated impression, reflecting the brand’s refined image. The restaurant features a warm wooden interior overall, creating a soft and calming atmosphere even though it is located inside a modern commercial building.
Looking inside from the entrance, the Enbudaki (炎舞炊き) rice cookers lined up neatly on the shelves behind the counter immediately catch the eye. The sight of identical rice cookers arranged in a row goes beyond simple kitchen equipment and symbolically shows that this is a space dedicated to the taste of rice itself. It leaves a strong impression and naturally conveys the brand’s technological expertise and pride.
Even before lunchtime opening hours, many people were already waiting in front of the restaurant. Although there were a few chairs placed next to Zojirushi Restaurant for waiting customers, they were not enough to accommodate everyone in line.
In addition, since the area in front of the restaurant is part of the building’s passageway, there was no particular space to stand comfortably. As a result, many people had to wait standing near the entrance of the restaurant. The line forming even before opening clearly showed how popular the restaurant is.
As this is a space where visitors can directly experience the Enbudaki rice cooker, a display model introducing its functions and features is exhibited on one side.
According to Zojirushi’s unique cooking method, conventional rice cookers heat the entire inner pot with a single heater, which meant that the heat delivered to each grain of rice was not sufficient. In contrast, the Enbudaki uses six heaters to intentionally create temperature differences inside the pot, allowing high heat to be evenly transmitted to each individual grain of rice. This approach is said to be the key to enhancing the texture and flavor of the rice.
Front-of-Store Sales Corner
Zojirushi Restaurant offers bento boxes. Even if you do not dine in at the restaurant, it felt very convenient to be able to enjoy Zojirushi’s delicious rice anytime and anywhere.
However, bento sales begin twice a day, at 11:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., and end once the prepared quantities are sold out. If you would like to purchase a bento, it is recommended to visit around the start of the sales time and allow some extra time.
Zojirushi Restaurant also had various types of tea bag products and a sesame-grinding product available. They were displayed in a sales corner connected to the dining area, allowing visitors to browse related items as well as enjoy their meal.
Since the different types of tea and the sesame-grinding product can also be experienced inside the restaurant, it may be a good idea to taste the tea and try using the product before deciding to purchase. Being able to make a purchase after actually experiencing them gave a greater sense of reliability.
Waiting and Ticket System
Zojirushi Restaurant operates on a ticket system in which guests enter according to their number. You can select the number of people in your party at the ticket machine located on one side of the restaurant and print a waiting ticket to complete the registration.
I arrived about 10 minutes after the lunch opening time, but there were already more than 20 groups waiting. Since it was just after opening, I had to wait until the earlier groups had progressed through their meals before my number was called, and it took longer than expected before I was finally able to enter.
Please also note that dining time is limited to 60 minutes, so it is advisable to keep this in mind when planning your visit.
This is the ticket printed after entering the number of people in your party. This ticket is required when you are called to enter, so please be careful not to lose it.
By accessing the QR code printed on the ticket, you can check the current calling status in real time and also set up email notifications. If there are many groups waiting, it may be possible to step away briefly. However, if you are absent for a certain period of time when your number is called, your waiting registration may be canceled, so please keep this in mind.
■Zojirushi Restaurant
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