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. 🦞
Halloween is coming! This year, October 31 falls on a Saturday. 🎃
If you’re traveling in Osaka around then, you may have read that Halloween night gets very lively in Minami — especially around Amerikamura and Dotonbori, where lots of people walk around in costume.
That can be really fun to see. But maybe, after a while, you’ll want to sit down, have a glass of wine and enjoy a proper dinner where you can actually hear each other talk. 😊
So today I’d like to tell you about how we’ll be spending Halloween at our little counter — and why it might be a nice place for a calm evening.
Yes, we’re open on Halloween night (but no party)
Let me answer the most important question first:
– We’re open on Saturday, October 31.
– We’re not holding any Halloween event or special Halloween menu.
So it will be just a normal, calm evening at our counter — same menu, same relaxed atmosphere. No costume needed. Please come as you are. 👕
Our shop is a small counter with only six seats, run by my wife Mizuki-chan and me. I cook, and Mizuki-chan looks after our guests and the drinks. (That’s her in the photo, with our lobster! 😄)
Why a small counter works well on a busy night
Halloween in a big city can be exciting — and also a little tiring. Crowded streets, long lines, noisy places.
With only six seats, there’s simply no room for a crowd inside. You sit at the counter, watch me cook right in front of you, and take your time.
Our shop is about five minutes on foot from Shinsaibashi Station and from the Namba stations. So you can enjoy the Halloween atmosphere outside first, then step in for dinner — or come for an early dinner and go out to see the costumes afterward.
If you like this kind of evening, you might also enjoy my post about a quiet dinner after Dotonbori.
Make it a special night: our live lobster 🦞
If you want to make Halloween night a little special, I recommend our signature dish: live lobster steamed with herbs.
Here’s how it works:
1. First, we show you the lobster while it’s still alive and moving.
2. Then I steam it in a cast-iron Staub pot with white wine and herbs.
3. When it’s ready, I bring the whole pot in front of you and lift the lid — the steam and the aroma are part of the dish. ✨
It comes with three condiments: French cultured butter (melted), homemade lemon salt (Japanese lemon zest mixed with Sicilian sea salt) and homemade pink tartar sauce (with *shibazuke*, Japanese pickles).
My recommended order: first a bite just as it is, then with lemon salt, and finally with butter or tartar sauce for a richer taste.
One lobster is perfect for two people to share. If you really love lobster, one each is great too! For more details, here’s how to eat our live lobster.
Small plates to enjoy with your drinks 🐚
If you’d rather nibble and drink slowly, you can order a few small dishes to share. For example:
– Sake-steamed clams (asari)
– Naples-style mussels with black pepper
– Raw oysters in the shell — you can add a splash of whisky (Talisker) or ikura on top. Here are five ways to enjoy oysters at our counter.
– Scallop sashimi
– Mixed seafood ajillo with prawns, scallops and oysters, served with bread — it’s getting cooler at night, so a hot seafood ajillo is a nice choice.
And to finish the night, you can order a shime — the “closing dish” of rice or noodles that many Japanese people love after drinking. 🍜
What to drink 🍷
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.
With the lobster, I recommend white wine. One of our favorites is ARAGOSTA, a dry white from Sardinia, Italy, with a lobster on the label. We’ve used it almost like our house wine since we opened — fresh, fruity, a little citrusy, and very good with shellfish and crustaceans.
Not a wine person? We also have beer, lemon sour, highballs, shochu, soft drinks and Japanese sake from my hometown brewery, Wakyo Shuzo. 🍶🍺
Please book ahead for Halloween weekend
With only six seats, our counter can fill up — especially on a Saturday night like Halloween.
– A reservation is the surest way to get a seat. You can book through our online form.
– On the day, online booking is available 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.
Our holidays in late October
Before you plan your visit, please note these closed days:
– Monday, October 19: closed in the evening
– Friday, October 23: closed all day
We also have irregular holidays, so please check availability on the booking form before you come.
Good to know before you visit
– Six counter seats only. Private bookings can be discussed for groups of 4 or more (up to 8 people). Budget and day of the week depend on the booking, so please ask us.
– 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.
– 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. Are you open on Halloween (October 31, 2026)?
Yes. We’re open on Saturday, October 31. Our evening hours are 17:00–25:00, with last entry at 22:30.
Q. Do you have a Halloween event or special menu?
No. We’re not holding a Halloween event. It will be our usual menu and a calm, quiet counter.
Q. Do I need a reservation on Halloween night?
We have only six seats, so we recommend booking ahead. On the day, you can book online until 19:00; after that, please call us.
Q. What should I order?
For a special night, our live lobster steamed with herbs (great for two to share). If you prefer to nibble, try oysters, clams, mussels or seafood ajillo with a glass of wine.
Q. Do you have an English menu?
Yes, we do.
Q. When are you closed in late October?
We’re closed on the evening of Monday, October 19, and all day on Friday, October 23. We also have irregular holidays.
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Our philosophy: “Through dining out, make life richer.”
Halloween in Osaka is full of energy — and that’s part of the fun. But if you’d like one quiet, delicious hour in the middle of it all, I’ll be waiting for you at our little counter. 🎃🦞
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)