551 Nikuman

Posted on 14. May, 2006 @ 11:33 pm by in Food, Osaka Views: 2,976

Osaka in Kansai Japan is famous for many things, such as Okonomiyaki, Takoyaki, Hanshin Tigers baseball team, fun Kansai dialect, previously mentioned only oblong ferris wheel in the entire known universe, and others… It is also known for the company 551 Horai (known to Japanese as simply “go go ichi”) which makes nikuman, gyoza, and also ice cream. Chinese food.
This chain of stores is so popular that often I see salary-men on the Shinkansen heading out of Osaka to Tokyo with 551 bags in tote, apparently to give them to loved ones as souvenirs (omiyage). I’m not sure what they are buying, if it is the nikuman (beef inside of a steamed bun shown below on left)… Wow. Meat as a gift is awesome.

When asked to describe 551 Horai, my Japanese friend known as Babie said, and I quote.

「肉まんが超うめぇんよ。」

I see. Translation. “The Nikuman are freakin delicious.”

(Note: This particular form of the adjective, うまい, has not yet been covered in the JapanNewbie Kansai-ben Lesson series… and probably never will be.)

I may add, you can buy one nikuman for about 200 yen. The price is right.

There is a large 551 restaurant in Namba, out on the Nankai side in downtown. Usually though, you will find 551 being sold in mini-shop (kiosks really) around town. Often in Osaka, as you get off the train, there will be two in the trainsation on the platform, one for each side.

They’re everywhere.

You can order Nikuman from 551 by saying, “Give me 3 551 please.” 「551 3三個！」 This is fun.


I have to admit, the Nikuman are great. And YOU have to admit, that having good eats of real taste can’t be all that bad.

3 cheers for 551! (that’s, go-go-ichi)

- Harvey

  • http://www.stupot.com/blog stu

    man – you make me jealous. we went to the one in kintetsu department store basement in tennoji today and it was full. gutted!

  • http://www.japannewbie.com harvey

    stu! I didn’t know there was one in the basement of kintetsu in tennoji! I’ll have to go check it out~ Guess it’s tough to get into these places on the weekend huh?

    Glad to know another foreigner in Kansai is reading!

  • CAT-2

    アイスキャンデーも食べてこな

  • Mami

    うわーなつかしい！
    アイスはパインがうまいで～。

  • http://www.japannewbie.com harvey

    アイスは実は食べた事ないな。了解。食べたら絶対パインにするね！それって。Pineappleのパイン？

  • CAT-2
  • http://misterwake.blogspot.com Mr. Wake

    Everytime I go somewhere in Japan everyone tells me what I need to eat there. Oh, the okonomiyaki is oishii there. You must have the yakitori while you are there. You are going to suchandsuch? Get yourself some soba. I’ve even had people tell me that rice, sake, and water are better there than here.

    Japan is not the biggest country in the world. Why can’t someone take all the oishii stuff from one city and drive to another? Why aren’t there 551s in Tokyo?

  • http://www.stupot.com/blog stu

    that, mr wake, is what makes it so special. the beauty of travel!

  • http://www.japannewbie.com harvey

    Mr. Wake, you have hit a good point here, and it’s SO TRUE.

    Sendai – cow tongue.
    Yamanashi – Grapes, Pears
    Hokkaido – Genghis Khan.
    Okinawa – GOYA – and others.
    Kyuusyuu – Sara Udon
    Tokyo – Monjyayaki?
    Nagoya – tebasaki chiken and MISOKATSU.

    Hrm. What else. I know there are more.

    Ah, Shikoku has Udon.

    Niigata has Sake.

    It’s literally ENDLESS.

    I have asked Japanese about this before, but they usually give me something alongs the line of “they just -can’t- make it that delicious anywhere else, they don’t have the skill/talent/resources to do it!

    あやしいな。

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