Okonomiyaki

Okonomiyaki (okonomi = as you like it, yaki= to barbeque) is one of those Japanese dishes that somehow has escaped recognition in the West, although without a doubt gets the thumbs up from all who eat it. Traditionally, the cities of Hiroshima and Osaka have a rivalry over who has the better Okonomiyaki, but the fact remains no matter which city has your loyalty, both taste great!

So what is this mysterious food that the Japanese have kept all to themselves for far too long? Okonomiyaki is a pancake like food filled with pork, seafood, cabbage, bean sprouts, green onions and basically anything else that takes your fancy. Typically, when going out for okonomiyaki, you sit in front of a large hot plate and the okonomiyaki batter is brought to you, and is placed on the hotplate. Now you get to act as chef and barbeque it to your liking! For those who shy away from the kitchen, there are Okonomiyaki restaurants that cook it all for you. Having cooked the okonomiyaki, you now can top off your creation with okonomiyaki sauce, a sweet and spicy sauce, mayonnaise, aonori (ground seaweed) and katsuobushi, (dried bonito flakes) that look like they are dancing on your food. All you need now is an ice-cold beer and karaoke and the night is set….

Okonomiyaki Ingredients	Okonomiyaki Batter on the Hot Plate
(Okonomiyaki from Osaka)After the Okonomiyaki is done pour sauce and sprinkle seaweed onto it.	Hiroshima Okonomiyaki has noodles and egg in it.