In the spirit of creating fashionable statements that promptly wither out of mode ("Orange is the new black," "Spring is the new summer"), here's one for the list: In Osaka, "Tenma is the new Fukushima." The two areas have much in common: Both fan out in warrens and lanes beneath the city's elevated Loop Line, with Umeda Station as a midpoint ensuring a constant supply of the hungry, thirsty and weary; both embody the quintessential Osaka eat-till-you-drop spirit of kuidaore (among salarymen, anyway); and both are home to Que Rico, a popular Mexican hole-in-the-wall eatery.
Que Rico, which means "How Tasty," is located in a feisty area north of Tenma Station and west of Tenjinsujibashi Shotengai, a seemingly never-ending covered arcade. Inside this triangle is an eclectic mix of establishments and cuisine: izakayas, snack bars, standing bars, hostess bars and a brew pub. Down one of these side streets is Que Rico protruding out onto the street and wrapped in vinyl sheeting.
Although there was, thankfully, not a sombrero in sight, the decor is most definitely pastiche Mexican. Posters of wrestlers dressed in leotards and wearing full face masks abound, as do medals of holy saints and the Blessed Virgin Mary. It's kitsch, but no worse (or better) than your average Irish pub. The original Que Rico opened in Tenma, then expanded into the building next to it. After Tenma, it added two more outposts, one a piece in Umeda and Fukushima.
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