Top 5 'Okonomiyaki' in Osaka & Hiroshima
Ellery Smith
One of the best comfort foods Japan has to offer is the mouthwatering savory pancake, okonomiyaki. For those who don't know, this type of dish is a mixture of a flour batter, cabbage and various toppings like shrimp and sliced pork. The two largest okonomiyaki hubs are Osaka and Hiroshima. Let's begin our tasty journey in Osaka!
Osaka
5. Madoka (圓)
This charming establishment is very quaint and has only seven counter seats, with a long griddle that spans the entire countertop where patrons sit and eat. Their okonomiyaki is reasonably priced, starting from ¥600 (US$5.47) for sliced pork okonomiyaki all the way up to a mixed kimchi or mixed cheese okonomiyaki at ¥1,300 or ¥1,350, respectively. We’d recommend going for one of their signature zabuton dishes, which is okonomiyaki topped with yakisoba. Talk about decadent!
Hours:
Tuesday - Sunday: 11:30 a.m. - 8 p.m.
Closed on Mondays and the second Sunday of each month.
- okonomiyakimadoka.web.fc2.com (Japanese)
4. Ajinoya (味乃家)
While the words "light" and "okonomiyaki" rarely go together, if you're looking for that impossible combination, look no further than Ajinoya. With less flour and more cabbage, this restaurant's okonomiyaki are just as filling but not as heavy. They don't necessarily have a specialty, but if you're not sure what to choose go with their mix! It comes with pork, octopus, shrimp and squid, as well as a blend of ground pork and beef. The best part? It only costs ¥1,300 (about US$11.76)!
Hours:
Tuesday - Friday: 12 p.m. - 11 p.m.
Weekends and holidays: 11:30 a.m. - 11 p.m.
Closed on Mondays.
- ajinoya-okonomiyaki.com (Japanese)
3. Kiji (きじ 本店)
Kiji has two branches, one in Shinumeda Shokudogai (新梅田食堂街) near Umeda and Osaka Station and and the other one at Umeda Sky Building about 2 kilometers (or 1.2 miles) away. The restaurant located in Shinumeda Shokudogai is the main shop, or honten.
No matter which you choose you're sure to have an unforgettable experience, but if you want to dine with the locals, head over to the main branch—it has Bib Gourmand status, awarded by the Michelin Guide for providing delicious food at affordable prices. A popular item on the menu is the modan yaki, which features pork and squid with soba noodles. It's only ¥850 (about US$7.70) for a large!
Hours:
Monday - Saturday: 11:30 a.m. - 9:30 p.m.
Closed on Sundays.
2. Fukutaro (福太郎)
With three locations in Osaka and one location at Tokyo Skytree, Fukutaro is certainly a well-known name all over Japan. It serves up the popular Osaka dish negiyaki, which features minced Japanese green leeks. Ingredients like beef, pork and seafood come fresh everyday from the Osaka Central Wholesale Market. In addition to Kiji, Fukutaro is another Osaka okonomiyaki restaurant that received Bib Gourmand status from the Michelin Guide, so it's definitely worth checking out!
For a list of all the locations of the Fukutaro branches, be sure to click on the link to the restaurant's English homepage below.
Hours:
Monday - Friday: 5 p.m. - 12:30 a.m.
Weekends and holidays: 12 p.m. - 12 a.m.
- 2951.jp
1. Jibundoki (時分時)
Finally we get to the crème de la crème in terms of okonomiyaki in Osaka, Jibundoki. In addition to serving up okonomiyaki, Jibundoki's chefs also cook up other delicious, upscale teppanyaki (pan fried dinner) dishes. Since this is a pretty high-class restaurant, the average price for a meal is between ¥6,000 and ¥7,999 (up to about US$72). You may want to make reservations online however, since it is always packed.
Hours:
Monday - Saturday: 5:30 p.m. - 12 a.m.
Closed on Sunday, holidays and the third Monday of the month.
- tabelog.com (Japanese)
