Okonomiyaki

[Yuki]

Is their any mayo on the Hiroshima style Okonomiyaki? All of the okonomiyaki seems rather large to be eaten by one person..... but we always order one for each person since it looks bad if two people share a normal serving of food.

[Hiroyuki]

Generally speaking, there is no mayo:

http://www.asahi-net.or.jp/~sf5t-ktu/okonomi.html

It's hard to see, but no mayo is used.

But, no laws against the use of mayo, of course:

http://member.nifty.ne.jp/f-page/hiro/face...mi/okonomi.html

Look at the middle photo in step 7. You can see mayo on the top.

Enjoy the site of Otafuku in English:

http://www.otafuku.co.jp/us/default.htm

[Yuki]

I am relieve now............. I could use all the mayo I want on the Hiroshima Okonomiyaki when I get to try it. Nothing beats mayo on okonomiyaki and takoyaki.

[Hiroyuki]

But the problem is whether you can find a mayo tube on the table when you enter an authentic Hiroshima-style Okonomiyaki shop...

[smallworld]

All of the okonomiyaki seems rather large to be eaten by one person..... but we always order one for each person since it looks bad if two people share a normal serving of food.

Really? We always share our okonomiyaki, I thought that was the norm. So do you cook yours at the same time, or does one person go first while the other person waits? Seems strange to me...

[Yuki]

All of the okonomiyaki seems rather large to be eaten by one person..... but we always order one for each person since it looks bad if two people share a normal serving of food.

Really? We always share our okonomiyaki, I thought that was the norm. So do you cook yours at the same time, or does one person go first while the other person waits? Seems strange to me...

When we go to a restaurant then we cook both of them at the same time on the table in front of us. Of course when we get two okonomiyaki between two people, we always share. It is always too much food.....

I never tried cooking okonomiyaki at home before.

[Hiroyuki]

The ingredients shown in the photo plus eggs are about all that I need to make okonomiyaki. Too many ingredients spoil my homemade okonomiyaki.

[Yuki]

Just got back from Japan a couple days ago. Never realize that holidays can be so tiring.

I went to Hokkaido and Osaka during my holidays and noticed that the okonomiyaki from the same chain(Fugetsu) can be totally different. The okonomiyaki that I got in Sapporo, Hokkaido is more dough like. The one in Osaka is mostly cabbages with some egg. The menu in Sapporo is more complex, featuring Monjayaki and lots more different combinations of ingredients. Also, more people seems to be cooking the food on their own in Sapporo. In Osaka, the employees did everything from mixing the cabbages, cooking the okonomiyaki, and putting on the sauce.

Also tried the takoyaki in both Osaka and Sapporo. I prefer the chain(forgot its name) originated from Tokyo because it is crispy and not too watery. The takoyaki in Osaka is more soft and it is like eating a bunch of wet dough.

I didn't try every takoyaki and okonomiyaki in Hokkaido and Osaka so my judgment can be incorrect.

[nikko]

Also tried the takoyaki in both Osaka and Sapporo. I prefer the chain(forgot its name) originated from Tokyo because it is crispy and not too watery. The takoyaki in Osaka is more soft and it is like eating a bunch of wet dough.

I believe good takoyaki should contain lots of tenkasu (tiny balls of tempura batter). Some takoyaki places in Kyoto makes very good takoyaki - crispy and rich.

The secret to good Osaka-style okonomiyaki is yamaimo (yam?). Since I almost never go to okonomiyaki restaurant, I can't tell which place is good. I went to Botejyu in Osaka long ago; their okonomiyaki was juicy and rich with plenty of yamaimo.

I found Bisquick is good substitute for okonomiyaki-ko.

[Foodie_Penguin]

I like Osaka style, everything all mixed together, a nice cabbage, seafood, nagaimo mix for me topped with some thin slices of pork belly, the finished product topped with okonomiyaki asuce, mayo, aonori, and benishoga.

My absolute favorite though?

monjya-yaki

I prefer Osaka style okonomiyaki but I may be slightly biased because my father is from Osaka.

I think I must have seen monjya style okonomiyaki last time I was in Japan. I was taken to a little okonomiyaki joint in an underground shopping center next to a subway station in Tokyo (thi was nearly five years ago) and I saw diners close by eating what I considered very runny okonomiyaki. It didn't look too appetizing to me.

Also, there is (was?) an okonomiyaki restaurant in central London. I used to go there and take my non-Japanese friends there for some Japanese cuisine. It was very close to the British Museum. I've no idea if it's still there.

I'd like to make okonomiyaki at home but I don't have a flat griddle (teppan)

Foodie Penguin

[torakris]

I'd like to make okonomiyaki at home but I don't have a flat griddle (teppan)

Foodie Penguin

I have never used a teppan, I alwyas make it in a frying pan, I usually have two going at once!

[Foodie_Penguin]

I'd like to make okonomiyaki at home but I don't have a flat griddle (teppan) 

Foodie Penguin

I have never used a teppan, I alwyas make it in a frying pan, I usually have two going at once!

From my experience of flipping pancakes (mostly crepes) in frying pans, I think it would be easier to turn over an okonomiyaki on something completely flat without deep sides, like a teppan. Especially since the okonomiyaki is thicker than a crepe.

[Carolyn Tillie]

I'd like to make okonomiyaki at home but I don't have a flat griddle (teppan) 

Foodie Penguin

I have never used a teppan, I alwyas make it in a frying pan, I usually have two going at once!

From my experience of flipping pancakes (mostly crepes) in frying pans, I think it would be easier to turn over an okonomiyaki on something completely flat without deep sides, like a teppan. Especially since the okonomiyaki is thicker than a crepe.

I used a frying pan as well -- many of us down't have a teppan and can work it okay. I use the method of sliding it onto a plate and then flipping the plate with components, upside down. Yeah, I usually lose stuff, but it works.

[helenjp]

We stopped at Okonomimura, a Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki place in the Niko-niko Road shopping street near Higashi-koenji station (come out on the north side exit, and head a few steps along Ome-kaido toward Shinjuku, then hang a left along the road that goes diagonally off it to the north) on the Marunouchi subway line (Tokyo) to cheer ourselves up after hospital visiting yesterday.

As we were hot, tired, dispirited, and had intended to take our kids to a great tonkatsu restaurant that we remembered until we found that it was closed, Okonomimura started under handicap, but the food was cheerful and pleasant, the service ditto, and they gave us a discount because it was so damn hot! If you're a Carps fan, you might get a discount anyway (if the team's winning, that is...).

We liked the menu - one side contained dishes "to fill you up", while the other had smaller portions. We found the smaller portions quite enough, and worked our way through 2 pork-negi deluxe, yaki-soba (can't say what that tasted like - son2 said it was "all mine" and refused to let anybody else take a bite!), and some yaki-udon. Their dishes were good without being stodgy or buried in condiments.

Okonomimura

1-6-19 Koenji-minami

Tel (03) 3311 5503高円寺南１－６－１９

Okonomimura URL (Japanese)

[Akiko]

I like Osaka style, everything all mixed together, a nice cabbage, seafood, nagaimo mix for me topped with some thin slices of pork belly, the finished product topped with okonomiyaki asuce, mayo, aonori, and benishoga.

My absolute favorite though?

monjya-yaki 

I prefer Osaka style okonomiyaki but I may be slightly biased because my father is from Osaka.

Are there other types of okonomiyaki besides Osaka style and monjya yaki? I think these are the only two I'm familiar with. And Torakris, I'm sooo jealous. I haven't had monjya yaki in almost 8 years (the last time I was in Japan). I don't know of a single restaurant that makes monjya yaki outside of Japan... in fact the only restaurant i know of that does Okonomiyaki on a teppan grill in front of you, outside of Japan, is Abeno's in London. As far as I know, there is nothing like this in New York or Chicago.. although there must be somewhere in California...possibly Vancouver or Hawaii?

[dougery]

I made okonomiyaki from scratch last night and had a most enjoyable meal with my wife. Okonomiyaki continues to be on of my all time favorites meals and I think I will die with a mouthfull of okonomiyaki and mochi. My mother made okonomiyaki that was well cooked and had a bit of a dumpling consistency. When I ate it in Japan (not the self cooked style but served) it always came a bit wet and runny. Is this typical for the Osaka style of Okonomiyaki? I probably wont make it this way for I was raised on a well cooked version, but I was just curious. I typically like mine very simple: cabbage, LOTS of scallions, side pork and nori. No mayo, or okonomiyaki sauce. Just soy and some chili oil and lots of green tea.

How do you folks prepare/eat yours?

[helenjp]

Yep, it's definitely getting to the okonomiyaki season!

I lived in Osaka before I moved to Tokyo, so I like the soft or "fluffy" texture (depending on how well done the pancake is) you get from adding yama-imo (yam). My husband likes the floury Tokyo style, which I find a bit stodgy. So now I use flour AND yama-imo (you can also buy it dried and powdered) AND egg, but I only use a bare minimum of batter, with more cabbage than seems sane - it cooks down a lot.

Like it with mayo and a dribble of sauce, topped with ao-nori and shaved katsuo, son1 likes mayo, sauce, and ketchup all blended together

[dougery]

Sounds wonderful, I wish I could fly over there for dinner tonight... Was the okonomiyaki served or did you prepare it yourself?

Preparing it yourself is fun. I once went to an okonomiyaki party at a friends house. They had three griddles on a huge coffee table, with tons of different ingredients in the middle (squid, octopus, beef, shrimp, eggplant,etc..) and everyone sat around and cooked their own. It's a great party to throw especially in the winter, it will bring your home temperature up to about 80 degrees (great way to save money on your heating bill!)

Edited September 14, 2004 by dougery (log)

[dougery]

I'm sorry in advance if I got this wrong but for "resources" I'll assume you meant ingredients.

Carolyn's thread recommendation has a lot of good links for recipes but here is what I like to do. Since I have never really used measuring cups when I make this I'll go by approximation.

Batter

* about two cups flour

* two eggs

* 1+ cups cold water and/or dashi (vegetable stock works well too)

* 1/2 tspn salt (if just using water)

Ingredients to mix in batter:

* 2 cups sliced cabbage

* 1/2 cup chopped scallions

(other suggestions: chopped squid, chopped octopus, chopped prawns, sliced age tofu, etc)

Mix together, it should have a thick pancake like consistency.

suggested toppings (assorted combinations like pizza):

Thinly sliced side pork

Thinly sliced beef

squid

octopus

eggplant

prawns

mochi

Pickled ginger

nori

bonito

(I experimented with topping it with finely sliced seared maguro and ponzu.. it was excellent)

mayo

okonomiyaki sauce

There is a specific order in how you will want to apply toppings, flip the okonomiyaki, apply finishing toppings, and Carolyns thread recommendation will probably give you better instructions.

It is best prepared on a griddle in the middle of the table and have each person dress and prepare their own okonomiyaki. There are almost an infinite number of variations to this "pancake" so experimentation is a must.

I hope this is what you were looking for. I could include more info if you'd like.

[torakris]

Yep, it's definitely getting to the okonomiyaki season!

I lived in Osaka before I moved to Tokyo, so I like the  soft or "fluffy" texture (depending on how well done the pancake is) you get from adding yama-imo (yam). My husband likes the floury Tokyo style, which I find a bit stodgy. So now I use flour AND yama-imo (you can also buy it dried and powdered) AND egg, but I only use a bare minimum of batter, with more cabbage than seems sane - it cooks down a lot.

Like it with mayo and a dribble of sauce, topped with ao-nori and shaved katsuo, son1 likes mayo, sauce, and ketchup all blended together 

←

My okonimayi is very similar to Helen's, fluffy and slightly mosit and with much more cabbage than batter. I also top it the same! My husband tops it like her son...

Though sometimes I do a seafood version, my favorite is with thin slices of fatty pork from the belly. Pour/scoup the okonomiyaki into the pan/griddle and places strips of fatty pork on top, then flip it over to cook the pork side, I like to turn up the heat at the end to the pork becomes nice and crispy.

Okonomiyaki parties are fun, I did them a lot in college with my Japanese and Korean friends and I just had one last winter with some Japanese friends here.

We should declare some day okonomiyaki day andhave a big internet okonomiyaki party!

[tejon]

I'm in! I have made them from a recipe found online, but hadn't seen one with yam as an ingredient before now. If I wanted to include yam in the batter, what kind of yam would I be looking for? Do I finely shred the yam, or pulverize it in the blender? What does it add to the texture and flavor of the finished dish?

[Palladion]

I think it's traditionally yamaimo (mountain potato), which I've seen described as a starchy and sticky yam. I have no idea how changing that to a more normal yam would affect the texture and flavor.

I found a short blurb on yamamimo at this page: Bob and Angie

Here's the blurb:

Starchy, sticky yam/root. Ginengyo is wild yamaimo. nagaimo and yamaimo are culivatated. Grinded yamaimo with dashijiu is tororo. Put tororo on wheat rice, raw tuna or soba noodles. To prevent itching on hands and lips, soak yamaimo in vinegar and water before grinding. Add water to dried yamaimo in use as sticky starch.

I haven't had all that much success with okonomiyaki so far, but I'll give it another shot on the 1st!

-------

Alex Parker

[dougery]

Edited September 18, 2004 by dougery (log)

[white lotus]

Just letting you all know that I am a great okonomiyaki fan here in the Pacific NW but unfortunately, no fabulous okonomiyaki restaurants here . I will be anxiously awaiting the photos and reports. It is not my wedding aniversary but I am unable to participate that day as I am busy . BTW for the person who does not eat eggs, I found that substituting tororo imo for the eggs helped keep the integrity of the batter. Also, substituting spelt flour for wheat (for those with allergies) did not make much of a difference. (I know that most likely this info may have already been shared on a past post and no one asked but I feel compelled to share with you all the results of my failed attempts to make okonomiyaki here.) I also found that for those of us here in the states who do not have ready access of bulldog or or that brown sticky sauce that usually goes on top, I have substituted A-1 sauce. The bold and spicy version is also a great substitute. I had a better result of a crispy crust with a cast iron pan than with a non-stick pan. I look forward to your monjya-yaki day celebration. Minnasan gambatte! (perseverance!) Sincerely, White Lotus

[torakris]

A-1 sauce, who would have thought?

thanks for all that info!