Moms Eat Local: Osaka Japanese Restaurant

Moms know how tough it can be to eat out with little ones. Patch wants to help you know before you walk in the door if Osaka Japanese Restaurant is a good place to eat with your children.  For a full review of Osaka check back on Thursday.

Restaurant: 8605 Germantown Ave.

Is there a kids’ menu? No.  Thankfully I’ve been blessed with children who take after me and have adventurous palates.  My two year old tried wasabi!  Both toddlers were thrilled with the shumai, the tempura shrimp and vegetables, the California roll and the yaki soba.  I asked our server what dishes are most popular with kids.  His responses: yaki soba, chicken teriyaki and tempura udon soup. If you do not think any of the above mentioned dishes will resonate with your munchkins better to arrange for a sitter and make a date of it.  Additionally, if you do take the plunge, remember to bring your training chopsticks—I forgot and this was an issue!

Are there healthy options on the kids’ meal? Tempura aside, I find Japanese to be healthy so, yes, healthy options abound.

How does the restaurant deal with food allergies? The staff was very willing to accommodate allergies and dietary preferences.  If you have seafood allergies note that there is a tremendous amount of seafood, especially of the raw variety, on this menu so while there are other options, if your allergy is severe perhaps better to dine elsewhere. 

Is the restaurant so quiet that any childish outburst will draw attention or is there enough noise that a small cry is likely to go unnoticed? Osaka is definitely a quiet, sophisticated, upscale, grown-ups restaurant.  That being said, the staff were happy to accommodate us and even pointed out that they had a nice place in the back with cushions to seat us.  When we arrived at our table we were surprised to see another couple daring enough to bring their two children to Osaka.  The bottom line—it can be done but this is not a kid’s joint.