お好み焼き

Okonomiyaki · oh-koh-noh-mee-yah-kee

What is okonomiyaki?

A savory pancake of batter, shredded cabbage, and your choice of fillings — grilled and loaded with sweet-savory sauce, mayo, bonito flakes, and seaweed. Okonomi means "as you like it": you choose what goes in.

Osaka vs Hiroshima — pick your style

• 大阪風 Osaka style: everything mixed into one thick pancake, grilled on both sides. The classic.
• 広島風 Hiroshima style: ingredients layered — crepe-thin batter, mountain of cabbage, yakisoba noodles, fried egg on top. Taller, more complex, almost always includes noodles.

Both are "correct." Osaka invented it; Hiroshima perfected the architecture.

Do you cook it yourself?

• Osaka style: many shops have you grill it yourself on the table hotplate — staff will show you. Others cook it in the kitchen.
• Hiroshima style: always cooked by staff on the big grill in front of you.
• Rule: if there's a batter bowl and an empty hotplate, it's DIY. When in doubt, ask: "yaitte moraemasu ka?" （焼いてもらえますか？— "can you cook it for me?")

Popular fillings

豚玉 butatama (pork) is the default order. Also: いか ika (squid), えび ebi (shrimp), チーズ cheese, もち mochi, and the loaded ミックス mix.

Common questions