Hiroshima Okonomiyaki
広島お好み焼き
Okonomiyaki (お好み焼き, o-konomi-yaki) is a often referred to as a Japanese savory pancake. In okonomiyaki, yaki means cooked or grilled and okonomi means as you like. Savory pancake is a great way to describe a more commonly found style of okonomiyaki, called Kansai or Osaka style. In reality, Hiroshima style okonomiyaki is less like a pancake and more like a lasagna. There are several stacked layers that comprise the dish.
Starting with a base of seasoned crepe,
a large mound of cabbage,
scallions and
bean sprouts are piled on and steamed
down. The vegetables are then topped with a layer of
pork belly, the 'default' protein, but
it can also be topped instead with any seafood, meat or vegetable that
the customer would prefer. The entire dish is then flipped over on the
grill to allow that new layer of meat to grill and crisp.
While
this happens, noodles of your choice
(typically soba or udon) are steamed and grilled on the side. With great
care, the chef carefully lifts the existing layers together and moves
them onto the grilled noodles. After that is complete, the chef then
cooks an egg to be added to the dish. As
with the noodles, the chef lifts the full dish and places it over the
egg. They then carefully and precisely flip the entire dish over so it
can be topped with finishing ingredients.
Lastly are the toppings.
It is topped with okonomi sauce, a thick
sweet sauce made with a fruit and vegetable base. Additionally, it is
topped with a drizzle of tangy Kewpie mayonnaise, a
generous amount of green onions, and
bonito flakes.
Okonomiyaki is a delicious, affordable and filling favorite in the Hiroshima area. It can be customized and enjoyed a number of ways. Beyond the many reasons I would recommend someone visit the city of Hiroshima, this is not something that should be missed.
Make this dish!