How I'd Eat Our Live Lobster, In Order
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.
A lot of guests book us specifically for the live lobster. And once it's on the table, I get the same question almost every time: "Okay... how do I actually eat this?"
It's not just one sauce
Our lobster comes with three condiments, not one:
French cultured butter, melted and served as-is.
House-made lemon salt — Japanese lemon peel mixed with Sicilian sea salt.
House-made pink tartar sauce, with a little shiba-zuke folded in.
The lobster itself is steamed the same way every time, in a Staub pot with white wine and herbs. It's genuinely good enough to eat with nothing added at all. So the three condiments aren't there to fix anything — they're there to let you taste the same lobster a few different ways in one meal.
The order I'd recommend
Plain, first. Just the lobster — plump texture, natural sweetness, nothing in the way.
Lemon salt, second. The acidity resets your palate after the plain bite.
Butter or the pink tartar sauce, last. This is where it gets rich — butter leans classic, the tartar sauce leans a little playful.
There's no rule you have to follow this exactly. Some regulars go straight for the butter. But if it's your first time, light to rich is the build I'd choose myself.
How much should you order?
For a first visit, we usually recommend one lobster shared between two people. If you love lobster, ordering one whole lobster per person is also completely normal here.
I won't list a fixed price in this post, since what's included can shift depending on how you book — just ask when you reserve.
We also pour around 30 wines by the glass, with a strong focus on Japanese wine. A white wine is usually my first suggestion alongside the lobster.
Thank you for reading!
Kaiebi (貝と海老そして蟹) — Shellfish, Shrimp & Crab
📍 2-7-11 Shinsaibashi-suji, Chuo-ku, Osaka (Nippo Royal Building 1F)
📞 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)
