Shared tables at Osaka's EST Foodhall face a bar, right back, in Osaka’s Kita Ward. (Hiroki Hashimoto)

OSAKA--Osaka's EST mall entered the battle for the favor of this city's foodies with its debut of a large new area of hipster eateries.

Despite being a newcomer to the market, EST is confident it can find a space of its own.

“We will position ourselves apart from the rest by promoting the first-in-Japan and the first-in-Osaka shops,” said a representative of EST’s management company.

The shopping complex in central Osaka is known as a fashion hub for young people.

The EST Foodhall opened in late February inside the mall's area, which had sold trendy clothes for young women but was repurposed after business slumped in recent years.

It now houses a bustling assortment of exclusive eateries that cater to both day and evening customers.

Part of the mall, located on the east side of JR Osaka Station in Osaka’s Kita Ward, was also recently redesigned.

The EST Foodhall has 16 restaurants including a cafe and "izakaya" pub and seats for about 220 people.

Six eateries do not operate any outlets elsewhere, an added incentive for foodies to make their way to the complex.

One, operated by a popular Taiwanese-style mixed noodle eatery, serves up light-flavored ramen popular with women.

The complex, which is affiliated with West Japan Railway Co., aims to attract female customers who come to the building to shop for clothes as well as students and nearby office workers.

Warm colors are used for the lighting, and plants are displayed in the hall. Ceilings and tables in the Foodhall are made of wood.

Though the area shares characteristics of a food court, Foodhall eateries tend to specialize in more posh evening meals.

Sophisticated dining facilities called "food halls" have become trendy in the United States in recent years.

In Osaka, an area of high-end eateries opened in spring 2018 in the basement of LUCUA Osaka. The fashion building, located adjacent to JR Osaka Station, is considered a pioneer in the new dining trend.

Another facility opened the same year at Hankyu Sanbangai, an underground shopping and dining arcade spread beneath the Hankyu Osaka-Umeda Station.

In 2019, premium dining courts opened at the Daimaru Shinsaibashi department store’s main building and at Hoop, which is inside a commercial complex in front of Kintetsu Osaka-Abenobashi Station.