Hana-no-kaku at Dotonbori, Osaka

Dotonbori Chinese izakaya serving Fujian-style dishes and dim sum in private round-table rooms.

Hana-no-kaku, written "flower pavilion", is a Chinese izakaya on the second floor of a Dotonbori building that specialises in Fujian-style cooking alongside familiar Cantonese dishes. The signature gyoza mixes daikon with meat for a juicy, unusually crisp result, and the dim sum range spans xiao long bao, large shrimp shumai and a sesame dumpling that closes many a meal. The menu reaches into Fujianese specialities such as oyster chijimi, sweet potato dumplings and a prized oyster rice cracker that draws regulars on its own. A round-table private room seats up to twelve, and the room takes private hire for parties of twenty or more. For a Chinese meal that goes beyond the usual sweet-and-sour fare, Hana-no-kaku is a flavoursome, family-friendly Dotonbori choice.