Boku to Inu The Bottom Line
If it hadn’t been for the tap takeover of Ballast Point (let’s leave the discussion about independence and craft beer until later), I would have stayed at Boku to Inu for much longer, perhaps even all night. Kazu, the owner and also a friend of mine, is a genial and hilarious host – both in English and in Japanese – and gets everyone and anyone involved in the conversation going on – so if you want a quiet pint, then either move away from the counter or find somewhere else to drink. The prices are usual for Osaka it seems but there is no table charge and all prices include tax. The food is also really good, with the chef having worked at some of the local French restaurants in the area. Oh, and it’s also non-smoking and has a cracking selection of video games to play as well as free WiFi too. What more do you need?
Long and thin – am sure Kazuo would have something to say about that.
Boku to Inu Full Review
Boku to Inu, which in English would be “Me and My Dog”, opened in November 2016 in the Kitahorie district of Osaka, after the owner Kazuo Kumaki left the ever-expanding Craft Beer Base chain of bars to start his own bar, with his dog, a black labrador. Kumaki-san has bounced around the craft beer scene in Japan, both in Kansai and also in Kanto. The bar is located about 5 minutes from Nishi-Nagahori station on the Nagahori Tsurumi-ryokuchi Line and Sennichimae Line.
Inside of Boku to Inu is quite narrow, but also long to make up for the sense of width. And that leads onto being careful what you say – the atmosphere in Boku to Inu is very jovial, with everyone laughing and joking together. There are seven seats at the counter, in front of the cooking area, with some tables dotted along the wall with space for another ten to twelve people. The whole of Boku to Inu is no smoking, and there is also no table charge either. If you get bored, there are some video game consoles (PS4 and Nintendo Switch) and if that doesn’t help, then the free WiFi, with the password located above the bar on a blackboard, will let you browse BeerTengoku when you’re sipping on your beer.
When we went to Boku to Inu, the bar was running a Ballast Point tap takeover – a shame really as while I liked their beers pre-buyout, post-buyout and they’ve changed and become thinner and less bold in their flavours. Kazuo assured us that they do have Japanese beers on tap, and from looking at their Facebook page, it’s evident that Boku to Inu does support the domestic scene. There are anywhere between one to seven taps of Japanese craft beer on tap, and the beers come in two sizes: 1/2 pint (240ml) for ¥700 and pints (470ml) for ¥1100. I didn’t notice any beer flights or happy hours but all the prices included tax as well, so there are no surprises at the end of drinking.
The food at Boku to Inu is incredibly good – however be prepared to wait as everything is freshly cooked for you. While the menu is in Japanese, Kazuo is more than happy to explain in English what each item is. The prices are reasonable and the portions good.
Boku to Inu Details
Open: Monday to Friday 17:00 to 23:30 (L.O Food 22:30 Drink 23:00) Weekends 15:00 to 23:30 (L.O Food 22:30 Drink 23:00)
Closed: None
Happy Hour: None
Phone: 050-5593-7031
Homepage (in Japanese): N/A
SNS: Facebook
How to Get to Boku to Inu
Boku to Inu is located about 5 minutes from Nishi-Nagahori station on the Nagahori Tsurumi-ryokuchi Line and Sennichimae Line. Exit number 5 is the closest to the bar.
