Restaurant in 豊中市, Japan
551 Horai at Osaka International Airport (Itami) is a walk-in casual stop, not a destination meal. Best for travellers who want a quick, affordable taste of Osaka's most recognisable steamed bun before a domestic flight. For serious dining in the area, plan around central Osaka — this outlet is about convenience, not occasion.
Before you commit to a table, understand what you are paying for here: 551 Horai is a well-known Osaka chain institution, and the outlet at Osaka International Airport (Itami) sits on the 2F of the central block, making it one of the more convenient options for a meal before a domestic departure. Pricing is accessible by any standard — this is casual, counter-style Chinese-Japanese fare, not a destination dining room , so the decision question is not whether it is worth the splurge, but whether it is worth your limited airport time compared to alternatives in the terminal or nearby Toyonaka.
551 Horai is associated across the Kansai region with its steamed pork buns (butaman), a product so closely tied to the brand that locals often use the name as shorthand for the item itself. The airport location gives you access to that signature offering in a sit-down format rather than a takeaway queue. For travellers connecting through Itami who want something more grounding than a convenience store onigiri but less involved than a full kaiseki meal, this fills that gap cleanly.
On the question of private or group dining: the airport format is not designed for private rooms or celebratory group bookings. If you are planning a special occasion meal, this is not the venue to anchor it around. The seating is functional and the room is geared toward throughput. For groups of four or more looking for a meaningful dining experience in the greater Osaka area, the restaurant floor options at the airport are supplementary at leading , you would do better to plan around venues in central Osaka or Toyonaka proper. See HAJIME in Osaka for a serious splurge, or explore our full Toyonaka restaurants guide for broader options across price points.
The aroma profile at an airport 551 Horai outlet tracks with what you would expect from a hot kitchen turning out steamed buns and pork-based dishes: warm, slightly sweet from the dough, with the savoury undertow of braised meat. It is recognisable to anyone familiar with the brand from Shinsaibashi or Namba locations on the Osaka side.
Booking difficulty is low. Airport locations of this kind do not require reservations and operate on a walk-in basis. The main constraint is timing around flight schedules , arriving during a departure surge will mean a wait. If you are departing in the early evening during a busy period, factor in queue time. There is no phone number or online booking system to confirm independently here, so treat it as a walk-in only option.
The address is 螢池西町3-555, 大阪国際空港 中央ブロック 2F, Toyonaka, Osaka Prefecture. Access is through the airport terminal itself, so you need to be airside or in the accessible pre-security zone depending on which part of the building you are entering from , confirm terminal access before planning your meal around it.
For travellers also considering what else Toyonaka and greater Osaka offer, Pearl covers the broader picture: our Toyonaka hotels guide, bars guide, and experiences guide are useful companion reads. If you are routing through Kansai more broadly, Gion Sasaki in Kyoto and akordu in Nara represent the kind of destination dining that warrants advance planning.
| Venue | Cuisine | Price | Awards | Booking Difficulty | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 551 Horai (551蓬莱) | Easy | — | |||
| HAJIME | French, Innovative | ¥¥¥¥ | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Harutaka | Sushi | ¥¥¥¥ | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| L'Effervescence | French | ¥¥¥¥ | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| RyuGin | Kaiseki, Japanese | ¥¥¥¥ | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Crony | Innovative, French | ¥¥¥¥ | Michelin 2 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
A quick look at how 551 Horai (551蓬莱) measures up.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
