Hotei

Using only wild tiger pufferfish, the tessa (thinly sliced pufferfish sashimi), cut thicker than at other shops, is famed for releasing more savory and sweet flavors the more you chew. The yubiki (parboiled preparation) is served in a unique style that includes not only the skin but two types of flesh; the chef recommends lightly dipping them in the broth and eating them as is. The shirako (milt) is exquisite when grilled to a fluffy texture, and you can enjoy the final spoonfuls of the rice porridge made with the tecchiri (pufferfish hot pot) broth to the very last bite.

Located right beside Hozenji Yokocho in Namba 1-chome, this three-story, long-established pufferfish (fugu) specialty restaurant is well known. The raised seating area and counter seats on the first floor put you close to the chef, and together with the tatami rooms on the second and third floors, its ability to welcome everyone from solo diners to large parties is highly regarded. It has a warm, homey atmosphere that greets first-time visitors kindly, and is a hidden gem famed for relaxing with a cup of hirezake (sake warmed with grilled pufferfish fin).

A long-established shop specializing in wild fugu (pufferfish) that has taken root for many years in Hozenji Yokocho. Regular customers who began visiting in the previous generation still come today. Even after the son succeeded his father, the unchanged commitment to wild fugu and the simple warmth of the shop have been preserved, and it has spread by word of mouth among gourmets as a representative fugu specialty restaurant in Namba.