Japanese story: A neon-lit kitchen safari in buzzing Osaka

I've heard of shopping 'til you drop. I know why 'fly 'n' flop' holidays are popular. But eat 'til you drop? Pass the antacids, please. Naturally, there's a cute word for it in Japan: Kuidaore, to eat oneself bankrupt. In the port city of Osaka, known as Japan's kitchen, eating is a sport, a hobby, a lifestyle.

The food is phenomenal, served up in six-seat diners, bustling izakaya pubs and even from convenience stores. Tonight I'm joining guide Rob Kodama from InsideJapan for an evening street food and izakaya safari around Osaka's Dotonbori precinct. Famous for its neon lights, casual dining and lively bars, it's where locals come to celebrate birthdays, promotions or when their baseball team wins.

I'm ravenous when we meet and that's a good thing, according to Rob. Normally, guests protest there's too much food. Challenge accepted. Our first stop is for takoyaki, savoury balls of octopus and batter that are cooked on a hot griddle and topped with salty bonito flakes. While we wait for the food to be cooked fresh (nothing is pre-prepared), I raise an icy stein of Asahi draft beer.

Ten takoyaki balls come out steaming hot, the bonito flakes wiggling and waving from the heat. There's a taste of the ocean in every bite, a umami hit of fried dough wonder. Next, I follow Rob to a bare-bones dumpling house. The food is anything but plain: between us, we wolf down a dozen pan-fried pork and chive dumplings. I follow the lead of locals and order a super-sized lemon sour drink on the rocks, a potent mix of shochu, vodka, soda and natural lemon.

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It's getting late and I'm getting tipsy, but there's one iconic Osaka dish I still need to try. In the kushikatsu tradition, just about anything can be skewered, deep-fried and served with a savoury sauce. Elbow-to-elbow with our fellow diners at a bar smaller than my kitchen, we write down orders for skewers of wagyu, prawns, salmon and mushrooms. The chef fries to order and the Asahi never runs dry. insidejapantours.com