Hi! I’m the owner of Kaiebi (貝と海老そして蟹 / Shellfish, Shrimp & Crab), a 6-seat seafood counter in Shinsaibashi, Osaka. 🦀
Our name literally says “Crab” at the end — but since I talk about our live lobster so much, a lot of guests from overseas are surprised to find out that we have quite a few crab dishes, too.
If you’re looking for crab in Osaka, you’ve probably seen the big crab restaurants on Dotonbori and the all-you-can-eat places. Those are fun! But if you’d rather eat crab slowly at a small counter, with a glass of wine and a little conversation, let me introduce two of my favorite ways to enjoy crab at our place.
Way #1: Crab shabu-shabu in shijimi clam broth
The first one is crab shabu-shabu eaten in a shijimi clam broth.
“Shabu-shabu” is a Japanese style of hot pot, where food is swished through hot broth for just a few seconds. Shijimi are small clams, and in Japan their broth is loved for its deep, gentle flavor.
So in this dish, you eat crab (“Crab”) in a broth made from clams (“Shellfish”). For a restaurant called “Shellfish, Shrimp & Crab,” I think it’s a very “us” kind of dish. 😊
The sweetness of the crab slowly melts into the clam broth, and the two flavors build on each other in one pot.
Don’t skip the “shime”: rice porridge at the end
Here’s the part I really want first-time visitors to know about.
In Japan, when you finish a hot pot, you often end with something called “shime” — the closing dish. Our crab shabu-shabu comes with zosui, a Japanese rice porridge made in the broth that’s left over at the end.
By then, the clam broth has soaked up all the flavor from the crab. Turning it into zosui means nothing goes to waste. I’d say the dish isn’t finished until you’ve had the zosui — so please save a little room! 🍚
Way #2: Rich crab miso fondue
The second one is our “Rich! Crab Miso Fondue.”
First, a quick note: “kani miso” (crab miso) isn’t actually miso paste. It’s the rich, savory part found inside the crab’s shell, and in Japan it’s a much-loved delicacy, especially with sake.
If that sounds a little adventurous, don’t worry — we serve it in a very friendly way: as a fondue. You dip bread and cheese into the crab miso sauce. 🧀
And if you want to go one step further, you can add “+ Kani-Shabu.” This adds four crab legs, and you swish them through the same crab miso sauce, shabu-shabu style.
Crab, dipped in crab. It’s a small luxury, and one of my personal favorites.
More crab dishes on our menu
If you love crab, here are some other dishes you’ll find on our menu:
– Crab cream macaroni gratin (you can add our “guilty pleasure” cheese on top)
– Spanish-style crab omelette
– Melting crab croquettes
– Crispy crab
– Crab & salmon roe rice — one of our closing dishes
– Blue crab (watarigani) pasta, made with fresh noodles from a fresh-pasta specialty shop
– Our Naples-inspired seafood pasta, which includes red snow crab from the Sea of Okhotsk
And of course, crab goes nicely with our signature live lobster and our shellfish dishes. If you’re thinking about ordering the lobster too, here’s how to enjoy our live lobster.
I haven’t written prices, portion sizes or the type of crab in this article. If you’d like to know before you come, please feel free to ask when you book.
What to drink with crab
We have around 30 wines, all available by the glass, with a special focus on Japanese wine — including wine from my home region of Nagano.
We also serve Japanese sake from my hometown, from a brewery whose sake you rarely see in the Kansai area. Beer, lemon sour, highballs, shochu and soft drinks are available too.
Not sure what to pair with your crab? Just ask me at the counter. Choosing a drink together is part of the fun. 🍷🍶
Good to know before you visit
– Six counter seats only. It’s a small, calm place run by my wife and me, and it has been completely smoke-free since August 1, 2026.
– English menu available. My English isn’t perfect, but we’ll do our best to make you feel welcome.
– Evening hours: 17:00–25:00 (until 1:00 a.m.), last entry 22:30. Holidays are irregular.
– Booking: a reservation is the surest way to get a seat. On the day, you can book online until 19:00; after that, please call 06-6213-3881 (from outside Japan: +81 6 6213 3881). If we don’t pick up right away, we may be busy cooking — please try again a little later. Here’s how to book a table without speaking Japanese.
– Allergies: please tell us before your visit. If possible, we’ll use a substitute ingredient, but some dishes can’t be changed because of how they’re prepared.
FAQ
Q. What is shijimi?
Shijimi are small clams. In Japan, their broth is known for its deep, gentle flavor, and we use it as the broth for our crab shabu-shabu.
Q. Does the crab shabu-shabu come with the rice porridge?
Yes. Our crab shabu-shabu comes with zosui (rice porridge) as the “shime,” the closing dish.
Q. Is crab miso really miso?
No. “Kani miso” is the rich, savory part from inside the crab’s shell. It’s called “miso” in Japanese, but it isn’t miso paste.
Q. What do you dip in the crab miso fondue?
Bread and cheese. If you add “+ Kani-Shabu,” you also get four crab legs to swish through the crab miso sauce.
Q. Do you have other crab dishes?
Yes — crab cream macaroni gratin, Spanish-style crab omelette, crab croquettes, crispy crab, crab & salmon roe rice, blue crab pasta, and more.
Q. Is it close to Namba and Dotonbori?
Yes. We’re about five minutes on foot from Shinsaibashi Station and from the Namba stations.
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Our philosophy: “Through dining out, make life richer.”
A warm pot of clam broth, a little crab, a good glass, and the people you like around a small counter. As the evenings in Osaka start to cool down, I hope we get to share a crab dinner like that with you. 🦀
Thank you for reading to the end!
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Kaiebi (貝と海老そして蟹) — Shellfish, Shrimp & Crab
📍 2-7-11 Shinsaibashi-suji, Chuo-ku, Osaka (Nippo Royal Building 1F)
🗺 Google Maps
📞 06-6213-3881
🕐 12:00–17:00 (daytime, one reservation-only party per day) / 17:00–25:00 (last entry 22:30)
📅 Irregular holidays
💺 Counter seating for 6 (up to 8 for private bookings)