Rikuro Ojisan no Mise Namba Honten

Rikuro Ojisan no Mise, literally Uncle Rikuro's Shop, is the bakery behind one of Osaka's best-loved cakes: a freshly baked cheesecake with a layer of raisins on the bottom. Its main store in Namba, on the Ebisubashi-suji shopping street, is where most visitors come to buy one, and the cakes leave the ovens all day long.

The cheesecakes are baked in kitchens attached to each store, a dozen at a time, throughout the day, so there is a steady stream of warm cakes heading to the counter. It is a soft, souffle-style cake rather than a dense baked cheesecake, and a whole one is easily shared between friends or family. The company takes particular care over the raisins that line the base of each cake. A whole cake is the usual purchase, and like any fresh bake it is best eaten soon after you buy it.

If you would rather sit down, the second floor has a tea room, the Riku Cafe Room, open from 11:30 to 17:30 with last orders at 16:30. It serves pastries available only there and specialty coffee, and both tea and coffee come in full pots, which makes it a relaxing place for an afternoon break away from the crowds below.

The ground-floor shop opens from 9:00 to 20:00 and closes only on 1 January. Expect a queue at busy times, especially at weekends and in the afternoon, but the line moves quickly because the cakes are baked continuously. It is an inexpensive treat by Osaka standards. The shop suits everyone, from families with children to anyone looking for an easy gift to take back to their hotel. If you plan to eat it later, ask for the cake to be boxed for carrying, keep it cool, and remember that hotel rooms in Japan usually have a small fridge; a slice eaten chilled the next morning makes a good breakfast with coffee.

The Namba main store is on Ebisubashi-suji, the covered shopping street that runs south from Dotonbori towards Namba Station, so it is easy to fit into a walk around Minami. Rikuro also has branches at JR Tennoji Station, Eki Marche Shin-Osaka and elsewhere in the city, useful if you want to pick up a cake on your way to a train.