I absolutely love okonomiyaki.
For those who are not familiar with the Japanese dish, many call it a Japanese pancake or Japanese pizza, but I wouldn’t call it either.
Okonomiyaki is wheat-flour-based batter (made from grated nagaimo, dashi, eggs and shredded cabbage and its typically mixed with seafood and topped with nori, bonito flakes, okonomiyaki sauce and mayo.
And for the most part, the majority of the okonomiyaki restaurants in the Kanto and Kansai region which I have visited are similar in the fact that they look like this. This style is considered Kansai or Osaka-style of okonomiyaki.
But not all okonomiyaki are the same. In fact, Hiroshima makes it known that their okonomiyaki is different.
Where Kansai-style of okonomiyaki features their batter mixed, Hiroshima is layered. Typically with batter, (a lot of) cabbage, pork or seafood, cheese and this is what makes Hiroshima different… the noodles (typcally yakisoba or udon). Kansai okonomiyaki doesn’t come with noodles, but it’s a big part of Hiroshima But this is what makes Hiroshima-yaki/Hiroshima-okonomi.
Also, another major difference is that for Kansai-style sold at most restaurants, you make it your own or a chef whips the batter and adds it to a hot cooking surface and you cut it, put the okonomiyaki slice on your plate with a steel spatula. For Hiroshima-yaki, it comes on a plate prepared to you by a chef.
While I’m often asked which is better? Kansai-style of okonomiyaki or Hiroshima-style of okonomiyaki, for me, I enjoy both! I don’t think you can ever go wrong with okonomiyaki. But if you have never tried Hiroshima-yaki, while traveling to Hiroshima is worth doing, you can also try it at certain restaurants that focus on Hiroshima-yaki, such as the Shinjuku restauraunt, Buchiumaya, Big Pig Kanda Carp in Kanda, Teppan Hiroshima Fuchuyaki Pukuichi in Setagaya, Monjya Okonomiyaki Hachijyu in Naka-Meguro and ChinChikuRin Shimbashi.
Enjoy!
