Osaka

Bypassing Tokyo and Kyoto, Ainsley travels to Osaka. It’s not usually on the tourist trail, but this is the city locals call ‘Japan’s Kitchen’. In Osaka people greet each other with the challenge ‘kuidaore’ or ‘eat yourself bankrupt’. As the city responsible for motorised sushi belt conveyors and the ‘pot noodle’, invention is at the heart of its street food scene. Ainsley discovers the art of making the pancake snack okonomiyaki and seeks out the most exciting izakayas (Japanese bars) serving small, tapas-style plates of amazing food for young workers on their way home. In the Red Light district, Ainsley confronts one of the most dangerous foods in the world, before bravely stepping into the no-tourist dark alleys of Korea Town in search of grill bars.