To be honest, you might miss it walking by as it does look like any other restaurant. It is also a little bit away from the busy downtown area, but don’t be fooled. As you walk into the shop it is spacious, open plan, with lines of tables, with the “grills” at the back of the room perfect to watch the chefs. They have a few counter seats and if you are lucky to get one of them you will have a prime view of the chefs doing their magic. A pretty cool setup with a friendly and relaxed vibe.

The staff too, are incredibly friendly and as an added bonus, the chefs don’t mind having a picture taken while they work (although it’s always nice to ask the first). 

Mitchan Sohonten Hatchobori’s Okonomiyaki

As with the menu, there is okonomiyaki, okonomiyaki and more okonomiyaki. Exactly how it should be! The shop is famous for its signature cut cabbage, one of the main ingredients aside from bean sprout, noodles and a fried egg. Which in true Hiroshima style (different from what is served in Osaka) is skillfully layered one ingredient after another to create the perfect savory pancake.

The basic (noodles, meat & egg) will leave your wallet ¥850 lighter. Pretty good value for the size, as unless you’re absolutely starving, this will be tough to finish for most. Other favorites include shrimp or oyster and you can always customize your toppings as you wish.

Now, this is not fast food. So after ordering it will take at least 20min for your food to arrive. Perfect to watch how the okonomiyaki is prepared, so just lean back and relax a little.

Once you got your dish, add some extra condiments to your liking. MY TIP: Add some of their unique hot sauce, a little unusual, and a special of this shop. And if you like a bit of zing go for the “Lemosco”. 

I was actually surprised by how light and almost healthy tasting it was. Even after I added a good splash of mayonnaise all over it. The cabbage tasted so fresh and juicy, the soba noodles were crisp and every layer of this savory pancake seemed to have its own taste and texture. A real joy to eat!

Highly recommended if you are in Hiroshima. Even if you are stuck for time, as they also do take-away, so there is really no excuse not to try!

Web

https://www.okonomi.co.jp/menu_english.html

Address

〒730-0013 Hiroshima, Naka Ward, Hatchobori, 6−7 チュリス八丁堀

Opening Hours 

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It is located in the very center of Osaka, just a minute or two from the famous Dotombori. Come from Glicoman and walk through Ebisu Bashi-suji shopping street and it will be on your right-hand side.

And yes you will queue. Plan around 30 min and you should be ok. But, it goes without saying it’s worth it! 

You can take an English menu as you are waiting, so you have ample time to decide what you want. You will be asked to place your order before you enter the restaurant. So better be prepared! We think it’s great, cause you won’t waste time at the table, as your ingredients arrive swiftly, as you are sitting down.

What did we get?

We got one special Ajinoya’s Mix for 1250¥ made of Squid, Octopus, Shrimp, and Minced meat. As well as the variation of 3 Mini, where you can choose 3 Toppings, one for each, and perfect for sharing. We order one cheese, one bacon and one pork for 900¥. And let us tell you, this is great value! You will be rolling out of this place. They cooked the Okonomiyaki at our table in front of us, but you can do it yourself if you wish. We do love the show though….

Needless to say, we love Ajinoya Okonomiyaki! The flavors were amazing, the quality of the products outstanding, plenty of sauce, the service fantastic and it is cheap! What else do you want?

Come here If you never had okonomiyaki, but also if you tried before, it’s another level！

Special Tip!

To our surprise, sauces included mustard! We never seen this before and it seems to be a bit weird. But let us tell you; it is great! Do try it, as it adds another kick! If you get two Okonomiyaki or the mini set of 3, have at least one with mustard. It’s totally delicious!

Web

hthttp://www.namba-ajinoya.com/

Address

〒542-0076 Osaka, Chuo Ward, Nanba, 1 Chome−7−16 現代こいさんビル2F

Opening hours 

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Surugamachi’s Okonomiyakiya is a small Okonomiyaki Restaurant in Nara, just a few minutes from JR Nara Station. 

It’s a really young shop with both tables and a tatami area to sit, which we thought was great! 

Now, if you had Okonomiyaki in Osaka before, you know the difference from the really great street food version. And we are honest this may be a bit under par. But if you are in Nara and not sure what to eat, this is still a great place to go! Especially because their super friendly and chilled environment as well as to meet some fellow travellers.

The friendly staff is really great. And the vibe is hostel-casual, which is nice. It’s been a while since we stayed in a hostel and it brought some great memories back. Now, this may be more for a younger crowd or the young at heart.

The English menu makes ordering easy at Surugamachi’s Okonomiyakiya. We chose the all-in shrimp “one”, with extras. As well as a basic “one”, with extra kimchi, cheese, soba and 2 beers for a total of 3400¥. That’s pretty great value with portions being huge! Additional toppings cost around 100-150¥ and include also squid, tuna or egg.

Food is brought ready made to your table, again if you are looking for a do-it-yourself-style kinda restaurant, this isn’t it. But it tasted yum and stays nice and hot in front of you, due to the hot plate beneath.

On our way out we had a bit of friendly chat and got a chance to leave our mark on the map. All in all a really pleasant experience and fun evening!

Web

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100022301718744

Address

〒630-8244 Nara, Sanjocho, 606-8 田中ビル 1F

Opening Hours

• Tuesday12–3PM, 5–9:30PM
• Wednesday12–3PM, 5:30–9:30PM
• Thursday12–3PM, 5–9:30PM
• Friday12–3PM, 5–9:30PM
• Saturday12–3PM, 5–9:30PM
• Sunday12–3PM, 5–9PM
• Monday12–3PM, 5–9:30PM

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Why do we love coming here? First, the staff is simply awesome and second they have a few Okonomiyaki variations we cannot get enough of. Think extra spicy Jalapeño Okonomiyaki or Tomato with melted cheese…

Another plus is they have an English menu, so there will be no guess working here. With a huge variety of Okonomiyaki variations, we are sure you find one you love. But if you want to make your own, just pick the toppings you like and they will make it a la cart for you. Great right?

The food is cooked right in front of you if you get to snatch a counter-seat or the dishes will be brought one by one to your table. Actually, our recommendation is, order one, finish it and order the next one. Why? Because it will get cold and just taste so much better fresh and hot! 

Also if you don’t want to sit in, Mikazuki Okonomiyaki does takeaway too! Now how is that for great service?

As you might have guessed if you read any other of Obsessed with Japan’s reviews, we did get the Jalapeño Okonomiyaki for ¥850 as well as a standard one, meaning cabbage, egg, bacon for ¥1250. Another tip, get the cucumber with miso dip. It’s nice and refreshing and sure makes the whole meal about 50% healthier :p

And if you are looking for a place to get a coffee afterwards check out Ichi-San-Go Cafe, in case you visit during the day. Or check it out after dinner, because they also run a small bar almost every night until 3 am. So it could be just the place for drinks too…

Web

no web

Address

〒166-0002 Tokyo, Suginami City, Koenjikita, 2 Chome−17−7 JKビル高円寺

Opening Hours

• Friday to Wednesday 11.30 am to Midnight
• Closed on Thursday

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