Ogimachi Love Burrito in Kita-ku, Osaka

Appropo of nothing, I am on a one-gaijin crusade to find the best Mexican food in Japan. It is surprising (to me) that I have had so much success. While it might make sense for American’s to have a good sense for Mexican food, it is much less obvious that the Japanese would “get it.” And sometimes, they really don’t. But Omachi Love Burrito in Osaka’s kita-ku defies expectations, and delivers not only good food, but a very cool experience.

Ogimachi Love Burrito is just above the park (near the kids playground), near the northeast corner Ogimachi park. The Ogimachi burrito shop is upstairs, and he has several good signs to help guide you to the entrance.

When I walked in and heard Jimi Hendrix’s Bold as Love playing, I knew I had found a great place to hang out. And after quickly diving into the menu, I knew I had found what I came for: He has tacos (and I bet they are fantastic), but I was here for a much more rare commodity in Japan, I wanted a Ogimachi Love Burrito burrito.

Here is a hot tip for anyone trying to do a real Mexican burrito in Japan: a burrito should be heavy. As in, you should be able to feel the weight in your hand as you pick it up. Perhaps I am hopelessly confused about the origin of the word, but a “burro” is a donkey, and while “ito” is a sort of cutesy-ism that means “small,” if you put those together you get “small donkey.” Who know why the Mexican’s originally donned this aspect of their cuisine “the burrito,” but we know they did. Regardless of the epistimalofy, a donkey is not small, and a burrito should not be either.

Too many burritos in Japan are perpetually stuck at “kid’s size.” But not at Ogimachi Love Burrito. While they do come in three sizes, and I ordered the “large,” what I got was in fact a property large, filling, legit burrito.

The first bite was creamy, and a little sweet – mostly the flour tortilla, and some sauce. Then, evidence of Spanish rice, and the meat; from a choice of chicken, pork, and chorizo, I asked for a recommendation, and he suggested the chicken. While the lettuce has a sauce on it that reminded me of coleslaw, the chicken was spicy and Mexican. I am tempted to say I would ask for no sauce next time – I often want to really taste the meat and the essential seasonings, I have to confess, there was a really nice balance – that cool, mayonnaise-y sauce balanced a genuine spiciness in the meat. Fantastic.

There were some beans; whole, kidney, perhaps done in a chili con carne fashion. There was a bit of corn. Maybe not strictly “Mexico,” but certainly satisfied my itch.

There may have been

If Japan and Mexican food are an unlikely mix, the addition of a strong foosball culture take the mix in an even more ecelectic direction. While some restaurants make a half-assed gesture of “adding fun” with a foosball table, Ogimachi Love Burrito has four tables that dominate almost half of the space. There are also not one, but two TV screens showing foosball competitions. The interest seems peculiar, but definitely genuine.

Overall, the mix of tacos and foosball works surprisingly well, as if they belong together. As I took a picture of the beautiful cactus garden along one wall, I had to lean over on of the foosball tables, and it felt natural; as if all these influences belong together, or had found their perfect intersection.

Blonde blonde dude, with gauge in his ears, and the good sense to know that a black tshirt is in the ultimate in peak-aesthetic for a man. “Do you even lift, bro?” And yes, it seems he does.

After Jimi, it was the Black Keys. And then something a little heavier, darker, and more punk. Pink walls, yellow table tops, but a very rock-n-roll…

Next time… and there will be a next time… I want to try the chorizo.