Okonomiyaki is one of Japan’s great comfort foods and Osaka considers itself its rightful home. The name roughly translates as “grill what you like” — a thick savoury batter mixed with shredded cabbage and your choice of protein, cooked on a teppan griddle and finished with okonomiyaki sauce, Japanese mayonnaise, bonito flakes, and aonori seaweed.
The Osaka style (Kansai-style) differs from Hiroshima-style in a fundamental way: the ingredients are mixed into the batter together rather than layered. This produces a denser, more cohesive pancake. Both are good; they are different foods. In Osaka, when someone says okonomiyaki, they mean the Kansai version.
The Teppan Counter Experience
The best okonomiyaki is cooked in front of you on a built-in teppan griddle at your table or counter. Some restaurants prepare it for you; others provide the batter and let you cook it yourself. If you’re offered the DIY option and you’re unfamiliar with the process, it’s perfectly acceptable to ask the staff to demonstrate or to cook it for you — most will do so without any fuss.
Monjayaki and Yakisoba
Many okonomiyaki restaurants also serve yakisoba — fried noodles cooked on the same griddle — and monjayaki, a looser, wetter Tokyo-origin variation. Yakisoba is worth ordering alongside. Monjayaki is an acquired texture for many visitors but worth trying once.