Offering halal Arabian grilled meat, tasty Pakistani curry, and even a funky bathroom, Ali’s Kitchen is every Muslim in Japan’s best friend.
Located just outside Shinsaibashi station and a short walk from Dotonbori River, Ali’s Kitchen is Osaka’s best Pakistani restaurant that is 100% halal and also serves Arabian cuisine.
“Man Cave” Seating Area
Not to deter women from visiting Ali’s Kitchen, but I will say I felt a bit of a “man cave” vibe as soon as I walked into the restaurant.
For starters, you enter through a staircase that leads down into some kind of basement which gives you the sensation of going into Batman’s cave.
Of course, when you actually sit down you’ll realize the seating area is extremely welcoming and comfortable, with a vintage brick wall design, warm colors, pretty decorations, and an HD widescreen television for background entertainment.
Delicious Meze Entrée
There are many entrée options at Ali’s Kitchen but as a man of Middle-Eastern background, I simply had to go for the hummus starter.
That’s not all though, the vast menu options here allow you to order many different types of naan bread starters to go with your dips.
We went for a variety of toasted naan bread dishes including original, cheese, garlic, and onion!
Succulent Arabian Meat
Now onto the real reason we came here, to get our fix of grilled Arabian meat that there simply isn’t enough of in the land of the rising sun.
A quality that took me back to my days growing up in Dubai, Ali’s Kitchen truly brings Arabian culture to Japan while doing justice to the Damascus-style beef and lamb skewers loved by every Arab kid in the Middle East.
Along with the naan bread and hummus dip, this sizzling plate of grilled lamb was absolutely delightful, and eating these dishes together made for a killer combination!
Soothing Pakistani Curry
Ali’s Kitchen is a Pakistani restaurant first and an Arab restaurant second as far as my instincts tell me (and also the Pakistani flag outside and the Pakistani owner).
So naturally, we had to get ourselves a delicious butter chicken curry to get that taste of classic Indian-style curry that you simply won’t get at Coco Ichibanya.
Again, combining this with other dishes such as Arabian meat and naan bread makes for a fantastic flavor dynamic that would probably anger the spirits of the ancestors for this cross-cultural blasphemy.
Flavorful Tandoori Chicken
More on the Pakistani menu, we have succulent pieces of tandoori chicken which offer unique flavors that you won’t quite get at Japan’s yakitori chains.
I said it before and I’ll say it again, this dish goes fantastically well with the flavored naan breads and dipping sauces from the entrée menu.
All-in-all, the food was utterly delectable at Osaka’s Ali’s Kitchen and my only complaint is that it’s slightly overpriced, but I suppose you pay more for the rare stuff in the country you’re in.
And A Pretty Cool Toilet
I want to make a quick shoutout to the bathroom here at Ali’s Kitchen before I wrap up the post. Yes, the bathroom.
An ambient room with an amazing green light atmosphere, you feel as though you’ve been transported to some alien planet in outer space.
There are cool decorations on the walls too, such as butterflies and flowers, and also unique designs and patterns that add to that other-worldly vibe.
Of course, it also comes with Japan’s classic smart toilet and bidet for a hygienic toilet experience!
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