Okonomiyaki is a Japanese savory pancake containing a variety of ingredients in a wheat-flour-based batter. It is one of the typical dishes of Osaka.
There are literally hundreds of okonomiyaki restaurants in Osaka, so choosing one was not a simple task. I think that in the end I made a good choice.
The visit
The restaurant was down an alley in the maze of Namba shopping district, very close to Dotonbori.
I had to wait just a few minutes to be escorted to my dining room. The centerpiece of the room of course was the long table with the teppanyaki. I shared the room with two Korean guys.
From the menu I chose the “special mix” containing a little bit of everything (minced meat, pork, shrimp, octopus, squid, and oyster). As in many restaurants like this, they also offered yakisoba or udon (two types of fried noodles). If you wish to have some fried noodles on top of your pancake you can choose the “modern yaki” option.
Soon, a lovely old lady came into the room with the ingredients that were laid down on the hot surface.
She left it simmer for a while under a pot.
Finally, when she was satisfied with the cooking, she started to put the sauce on the finished pancake.
The sauce is usually made with tomato ketchup, Worcestershire sauce and honey or sugar or soy sauce.
The last touch was painting the Osaka Tower with mayonnaise on top.
How was it? My expectations were low because I did not like okonomiyaki that I had tried before outside Japan. Well, it was delicious. The paste was thick and all ingredients were well amalgamated together. The flavor was savory and there was definitely an umami thing going on. I will try it again.
The check
For some reason I could not get the receipt… I spent 1,400 yen (13 USD) including an iced tea. Not bad considering the overall experience and service.
Where in Osaka:
1-9-19, Sennichimae, Chuo-ku.
In Japanese: 大阪府 大阪市中央区 千日前 1-9-19.