Chicago’s Sister Cities program has been around for decades, forging cultural and economic ties with cities around the world.
This year marks the 50th anniversary of Chicago’s connection to Osaka, Japan, and a delegation from here has been visiting dignitaries and cultural ambassadors in Japan all week.
In Osaka, preparations had been underway to celebrate a national holiday, which was marked by a Lights Festival along their version of Michigan Avenue on Thursday.
World Business Chicago - led in part by Deputy Mayor Kenya Merritt - brought around 20 local business leaders and entrepreneurs here, hoping to forge economic ties. Also Chicago Sister Cities, which celebrates 50 years of cooperation between Chicago and Osaka. They brought along a Chicago chef to engage in some “food diplomacy.”
First stop: Tokyo. The largest city on the planet is a riot of colors, sounds and flavors, and our first visit is with U.S. Ambassador to Japan, Rahm Emanuel. I sat down with our former Mayor over a lunch of cooked eggs, miso soup and tempura vegetables, to talk about the similarities between Chicago and Osaka.
“Very boisterous, very tell you like it is; not scared to be straight to you, which is a different kind of set of qualities. They also have a Michigan Avenue kind of Magnificent Mile down there; a river that runs through the central part of the city, so there’s a lot of characteristics similar to the city of big shoulders.”
Osakans have an impressive appetite, having created udon noodle soup and street foods like takoyaki. Batter is poured into half-moon molds; each sphere embedded with a tiny piece of octopus. Once fully cooked, they’re topped with a semi-sweet sauce, Japanese mayo, smoked and dried tuna shavings and powdered seaweed. This is what interests Paul Virant. The Chef and Owner of Gaijin in the West Loop (the name means “foreigner”) – is here to learn from the pros and find inspiration. Gaijin is known for its okonomiyaki, or massive pancakes, but he’s fascinated by the takoyaki at a local restaurant where they serve it with Champagne.
The Food Guy
“I mean this is really inspiring. I think takoyaki would be something that would be really cool to serve at Gaijin. I’ve typically seen it with the okonomiyaki sauce, the kewpie mayo, the aonori and the bonito flakes, which I love, but it was really cool to try it with not everything all at once,” he said.
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Virant shops a local market to find ingredients for a pair of okonomiyakis he’ll make alongside an Osaka chef at Chibo. Typically made with cabbage and scallions, Virant brings his own ideas...
“So one of the okonomiyakis I’m doing today is a signature item with fried shrimp but it has influence from Louisiana, we make like a creole butter with the corn…”
He then tops it with fried shrimp from the market. Local maitake mushrooms and kabocha squash are used to show off a vegetarian version. His host keeps things classic, topping with kewpie mayo and dried tuna shavings, while showing off his presentation skills. This cultural exchange of ideas is what the Sister City relationship is all about.
“Like a Chicago pizza or Osaka Japanese pancake, the crossover, the relationships make innovation,” said Tetsuya Nakamura, the General Manager of Osaka Tourism.
They have a saying here in Osaka, “kuidoare” which roughly translates to “eat until you drop.” They love talking food here.
“So think of okonomiyaki or takoyaki as kind of our version of the hot dog or Maxwell Street Polish or even the Italian beef. They’re quick, delicious, and apparently, a lot of competition among vendors.
Information about the spots Dolinsky visited can be found below:
Tokyo
150-0022 Tokyo, Shibuya City, Ebisuminami, 1 Chome−11−13
The Pizza Bar on 38th (at Mandarin Oriental)
2 Chome-1-1 Nihonbashimuromachi, Chuo City, Tokyo 103-8328
2-18-8 Akasaka Minato-ku
Osaka
Takoriki (for takoyaki)
1 Chome-6-1 Kawarayamachi, Chuo Ward, Osaka, 542-0066, Japan
Usami-tei Matsubaya (for Udon)
3 Chome-8-1 Minamisenba, Chuo Ward, Osaka, 542-0081, Japan
Chibo (for Okonomiyaki)
Dotonbori, 1 Chome−5−5 Dotonbori Building 1～6F, Chuo Ward, Osaka
Dotonburi Street for all kinds of street snacks (though touristy)
