[Hidden Spots & Latest Info] Go shopping while waiting in line for the pavilion!

The Osaka-Kansai Expo is now entering its final stages, drawing even larger crowds. In the heat, lining up for the pavilions takes stamina, but when you want to eat, the restaurants are completely packed. That’s why we asked gourmet writer Shigeru Nekota, who has covered the Osaka-Kansai Expo more than 10 times, about quick and easy eats under 1,000 yen that you can enjoy without waiting too long.

“While waiting in line for the pavilions, you can split up, run to grab some food, and sneakily enjoy local specialties from Japan and around the world!” (Shigeru Nekota)

We asked gourmet writer Shigeru Nekota, who has covered the Osaka-Kansai Expo more than 10 times, about quick and easy eats under 1,000 yen!

There are also some trap foods, so don’t rush!

Why is it that when people come to the Expo site, they somehow lose their ability to make calm decisions? Many of us have had the experience of hastily buying something that caught our eye, only to regret it later. Just the other day, I bought a muffin for 800 yen at a stand in front of a pavilion—only to realize it was the same product sold at the supermarket near my home!

But after visiting multiple times, you start to recognize the differences. At foreign pavilions or booths, you can tell whether they are proudly showcasing their nation’s food culture at the Expo. At Japanese shops, you notice whether they are putting effort into presenting Japanese cuisine in a way that’s worthy of a world stage. It might sound a bit exaggerated but being able to sense that makes a big difference.

So then—what should you actually buy!? For those eager to get to the point, here’s the answer: before lining up for the pavilions at the Expo, the first thing you should eat is.

It’s the Kyoto Light Pickles! (from Okoshiyasu Kyoto no Koji)

“Nishiri’s Kyoto Light Pickles — 350 yen. While I was eating them, everyone around looked envious.”

You might be tempted to say, “It’s just cucumber!?”—but that’s not the point. With the hot days still continuing, staying hydrated and replenishing salt is absolutely essential.

This is sold at Okoshiyasu Kyoto no Koji on the first floor of the Ringside Marketplace West, a shop run by the Kyoto Products Exhibition Association that features Kyoto foods and traditional crafts. According to deputy manager Yoshio Ōi, “Once it gets hot, this sells like crazy. And since it’s made by Nishiri, the taste is guaranteed.”

Indeed, it’s a dish that appeals to our most primal cravings—something no fried food or carb-heavy dish can ever beat.

They deliver it fresh from Kyoto every morning, yet the price is exactly the same as in the city.

This shop is truly a hidden gem. At the entrance, you’ll find boxed meals prepared by Kyoto’s traditional restaurants and Japanese eateries, and inside the Expo grounds, their prices are overwhelmingly reasonable—about the same as what you’d pay at a supermarket. For example, the dashimaki sandwich from Narumiya is perfect for eating on the go, but it’s so popular that it usually sells out by around noon.

If you have the time and a place to sit down and eat, the Grilled Salmon Saikyo-yaki and Dashimaki Bento (1,674 yen) is a great choice. It’s made by Kyo Tsukudani Nomura, a long-established shop from Nishiki Market whose side dishes are beloved even by the locals.

Osaka’s foodie spirit on full display 【ORA Dining Pavilion UTAGE】

While we are on the topic of Japanese food, let us also introduce you to this. The “ORA Food Service Pavilion Banquet – UTAGE” is operated by the Osaka Food Service Industry Association, the pride of Osaka, a city of gourmets. The first floor of this building also houses take-out gourmet stores, where Osaka restaurants and companies offer special menus.

You might not quite call it sukiyaki, but it does have a soy-sauce-based sweetness.

LAKANTO’s Sukiyaki-Flavored Frankfurter (600 yen) is quite an impressive creation! The versatile sukiyaki sauce made with Lakanto is kneaded into it, and with each bite the juicy meat bursts out—this was a seriously good frankfurter.

And there’s more! Expo-exclusive gourmet treats proudly Made in Japan.

There are plenty of other delicious things too, but if I reported on everything I ate in detail, I might forget my original purpose—so here’s a quick overview instead.

At the Osaka Healthcare Pavilion in the Future Food and Culture Zone, Rokko Butter’s plant-based restaurant QBB Koremo ii Kitchen offers items such as the Koremo Spicy Katsu and Koremo Eggplant Bolognese—sandwiches made with thick konjac meat cutlets and filled with plant-based vegan cheese.

This one is also located in the Future Food and Culture Zone, produced by Hotto Motto: One-Hand Bento. Items like the Nori Bento (500 yen) and Chicken Nanban (890 yen) have been transformed into one-hand meals—truly next-generation foods perfect for eating while standing or walking.

It’s just text, but here are some other under-1,000-yen Japanese foods:

[Healthcare Pavilion] “Ultimate Salt Onigiri” 600 yen, “Dairy- & Egg-Free Soft Serve” 700 yen
[ORA Dining Pavilion] “World Onigiri” 650 yen
[Osaka Ohsho] “Dotonbori Gyoza (à la carte)” 490 yen, etc.
[Daiki Suisan Conveyor Belt Sushi] “Kaisen-don (Seafood Bowl)” 980 yen, etc.
[Osaka Noren Meguri (Food Court)] “Daruma’s Expo Croquette” 220 yen, etc.
[People, Earth, and Shortcake FUJIYA EXPO 2025 STORE] “One-Hand Shortcake” 590 yen

Now’s the time! Head to the Nepal Pavilion

Eight shops are lined up around the stupa (Buddhist reliquary).

Now, let’s take on some worldwide handheld foods. Unlike in Japan, just looking at the menu names often leaves you going “??” — and more than once, I’ve bought something on a gamble only to think, “Wait, this is what it was?!” Even when there are photos, the taste often turns out completely different from what you imagined.

For beginners, I recommend starting with the Nepal Pavilion, which is currently a hidden gem with relatively few people. Once feared as the pavilion that might never open in time, it finally opened in July. While there’s a line for the pavilion itself, you can slip right into the first-floor shopping area, where a row of shops creates the feel of a small Nepalese street—making it a fun place to explore.

From authentic Nepalese cuisine to quirky B-grade gourmet, it’s all gathered here.

There are shops like the Indian-Nepalese curry places you often see around town, as well as things like a rather irreverent Stupa Parfait. All in all, it’s quite a playful area. Some of the food stalls do feel a bit commercial but think of it as part of the fun and give them a try.

“Fried Momo.” The filling was like that of a regular dumpling, but the spices had a flavor you’d never find in Japan.

The Fried Momo (1,000 yen) was something different from the typical Nepalese steamed momo—basically just a fried dumpling. Still, the spices sprinkled on it had a distinctly ethnic flavor, and I couldn’t help but keep eating one after another.

【Serbia Pavilion】 is a sure win no matter what you eat

One of the true joys of the Expo is encountering unknown foods from unknown countries. The Serbia Pavilion does have a restaurant, but for those in a real hurry, there are food stalls where you can grab something without much waiting.

It’s convenient here because you can quickly pick up wine and other alcoholic drinks.

What they sell there is called Mučkalica. Not a word of it makes sense at first, right? Apparently, it’s a Serbian stew, typically made by simmering pork with paprika paste and chili peppers.

Mučkalica (990 yen). This one used chicken breast instead of pork. Topped with sour cream (or maybe yogurt?), it was very similar to Russian borscht.

It also came with a small cake (Projaniça), which turned out to be an unsweetened muffin like a savory cake (cake salé)—surprisingly tasty. You dip it into the mučkalica as you eat. Honestly, once the Expo ends, I’ll probably never say the word mučkalica again.

The Serbian restaurant itself was also fairly empty, so it seemed like a good spot to sit down and eat slowly. They offer plenty of dishes under 1,000 yen, such as kebab-like meat dishes and meat pies. I’ve heard good reviews calling it delicious no matter what you eat and a winning Expo restaurant.

Too mysterious yet unbelievably delicious: India

The India Pavilion also has a strong reputation for high-level food. There’s no restaurant, but plenty of Indian dishes are available for takeout. True to form, India impresses with how systematic and efficient the whole process is—from payment to ordering to pick up. And no matter what you buy, they pack it in an impressively sturdy bag, giving you a real sense of India’s economic confidence.

Apparently, they’re made from eco-friendly materials that properly return to the soil!

Idli Sambar. The disk-shaped item is steamed bread!

If you’re really hungry, I recommend the Idli Sambar (900 yen). Basically, it’s sambar (a vegetable and lentil curry) packed with plenty of idli (steamed rice cakes). It’s so heavy and filling that, honestly, eating it while standing is impossible.

The curry is properly spicy, and breaking up the steamed bread as you eat makes it milder. The filling really was just vegetables.

Now, the food I found the most mysterious at the Expo (at least in the areas I visited) is this Pani Puri (700 yen). The description says, “Fried puris are filled with a potato filling, then pani is poured over the puris,” but honestly, I had no idea what that meant (lol)!!

The bottom right is Pani Puri. Even looking at the photo, it’s hard to tell what kind of dish it is.

When I opened it, it looked like this (below). The pani is apparently the soup, and inside the box were round, light, fried balls, a casually included tube of soup, and something like potato salad with beans. In other words, you’re supposed to poke a hole in the crispy round balls, stuff in the potato salad, and pour the soup over them.

Pani Puri — 700 yen. For the price, it even comes in a surprisingly nice box.

Trepidatiously following the instructions, I found the puris were surprisingly firm, so the soup didn’t leak, and I probably wasn’t doing it wrong. When I popped one into my mouth, the taste and texture were like, “Whoa! What on earth is this!?”

The coating is sturdy, so nothing seeps out.

The crispy shell filled with potato salad, chickpeas, and cold soup bursts in your mouth. The soup has a strong tamarind flavor, with a tangy taste and a unique aroma thanks to a blend of spices like cayenne pepper.

This is delicious!!

But why anyone thought to put potato salad and soup inside a ball is beyond me. The world really does have some strange foods.

This is part of the charm of the Expo—you get to encounter unknown food cultures from around the world. It’s also a chance to think, “I want to try this country’s cuisine!” or wonder about the background and origins of a particular dish.

There are still more bizarre and fascinating gourmet foods from around the world.

From the Netherlands Pavilion, salted herring (Haring) — 900 yen, and a sandwich with herring — 750 yen. They’re incredibly rich and fatty.

Desserts are a must, too. From the Philippines Pavilion, Palitaw — 900 yen — is like coconut-version Mitarashi dango! The crunch of the sesame seeds is fun.

Here’s a list of other mysterious global gourmet treats (without photos, making them even more intriguing!):

[Germany Pavilion] Pretzel — 800 yen
[Azerbaijan Pavilion] Badambura — 450 yen
[Spain Pavilion] Churros with Chocolate Sauce — 880 yen
[Saudi Arabia Pavilion] Saudi Coffee / Sabudana Cheesecake — 700 yen
[Australia Pavilion] Aussie Meat Pie — 850 yen
[Serbia Pavilion] Ćevapi Sandwich — 880 yen
[Philippines Pavilion] Ice Cream Scoop — 650 yen
[Turkmenistan Pavilion] Pishme — 900 yen
[Nordic Pavilion] Cinnamon Roll — 960 yen
[Belgium Pavilion] Liège Waffle — 500 yen
[Singapore Pavilion] Chicken Satay — 990 yen
[Tunisia Pavilion] Tunisian Tajine — 600 yen
[Turkey Pavilion] Kadayif — 980 yen

I hope this treasure trove of information proves helpful. With the Expo winding down, take the opportunity to enjoy the flavors of the world while having a comfortable and fun visit!

Bonus info. The Kuwait Pavilion’s planetarium is truly impressive.

All prices include tax. The information in this article is based on research conducted in late July.

Eat Smart at the Kansai Expo! Cheap & Tasty Meals Under 1,000 Yen Without the Wait

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