What on earth is okonomiyaki? Nami, a Japanese cook based in San Francisco at justonecookbook.com defines it thus:
Okonomiyaki (literally means ‘grilled as you like it’) is a savory version of Japanese pancake, made with flour, eggs, shredded cabbage, meat/ protein and topped with a variety of condiments. Better known as ‘Japanese pizza’ in the US, you can definitely prepare the filling and toppings however you like it. A wonderful way to use up your leftovers!
In Chicago, Stephaine Izard of Girl and the Goat fame serves a marvelous okonomiyaki, certified to taste authentic by our younger daughter who’s been to Japan, at her Little Goat Diner. The first time I ate there, my dish was overwhelmingly voted the best of the three dishes, according to the other two diners. This time, we all ordered okonomiyaki (with a giant, homemade cinnamon roll as our appetizer!) and all agreed it was amazingly delicious. That’s a soft-yoked egg on top, ready to meltingly join the rest of the dish, which includes eggs, cabbage, pork belly, scallion, and tasty Japanese mayonnaise.
You can get Stephanie’s recipe and even watch her make okonomiyaki by clicking here. If you don’t feel like making it, you won’t be sorry to find a restaurant that serves it. If you’re in the Chicago area, make a reservation at Little Goat Diner. If not everyone wants to try this, they have plenty other delicious choices. Here’s a link to the diner menu, from which you can also access the bakery and coffeehouse menus and other of Stephanie’s restaurants.
There are other restaurants in the Chicago area serving okonomiyaki, including one that just opened and is dedicated to various styles of this dish, but I haven’t tried any of them, so I’ll stick with what I know and perhaps have a chance to try another place before we move.
January 21 update. One of my online friends tried this dish, putting her own spin on it and making it more user-friendly. Take a peek and see what you think (and what her husband thought): Down-home Okonomiyaki.
This sounds wonderful
It’s absolutely delicious, Beth. 🙂 The menu is amazing and the place is always packed.
Looks delicious – will try the recipe link 🙂
There are sure to be simpler recipes online, including probably the one at the blog from which I took the opening quote. But this one is SO good. 🙂 It helps if you have access to a store with a great Japanese food selection, of course.
janet
We live in a little village … but I can usually rely on online groceries for the more exotic foods 🙂
That’s a new one on me so thanks for the learning opportunity. Presentation gets an A+ for sure.
Everything there is presented beautifully and mostly homemade, even to the sausage, etc. This is so good that I’m just shaking my head thinking about how much I’d like to have it for lunch (having already had breakfast.) 🙂
We haven’t got any Japanese restaurants in my town or the two over, and I have been missing my Soba soup with grilled chicken on the coldest days this winter. This sounds good. I’d try it.
You’d love it, Deborah. I don’t know what I’ll find in Arizona, but there’s a Korean supermarket nearby with a huge selection of all things Asian, and if I want to drive for half an hour or so, Mitsuwa, a Japanese marketplace that is absolutely amazing! They also have a killer food court and I think every Japanese person within a five-state area must come there at least once a month, mostly on the weekends. 🙂
I think it was called Mitsuwa in San Jose that I would shop at. It was just down the street from my favorite Japanese restaurant.
There’s Japanese in Reno if I want to go drive there, but I don’t go there often. Maybe if I am birding in the wetlands there I’ll find a good one.
Yes, there are other Mitsuwas, but all related. I believe they started in LA, no surprise, but I think I read that one closed.
😀
That menu looks so tempting. I think I could sit there for all three meals.
Very high quality, Dan, and much of it homemade, such as the sausage. They have their own bakery, too. I’ve heard only good things about all her restaurants.
I’d settle for the biscuits and gravy.
Yeah, my husband would like that, too, but after trying the okonomiyaki, he’s a big fan. I don’t really like biscuits or gravy that much, so I’d still with this. 🙂
That does seem (somewhat) healtier.
I don’t know if it is, I just don’t care that much about biscuits or gravy or both together. 🙂
It is on my list of now I can’t say I haven’t tried that before. Sounds delicious.
It is, John. I hope you can find it somewhere near you but if not, when you’re somewhere with Japanese food, perhaps you’ll have better luck.
That looks AMAZING!
And the flavor lives up to the look. 🥰
Gonna make my own version tonight!
You go, girl!! Some years ago, I actually made my own version a few times. Nothing as fancy as this, but it was good.
The Japanese sauce and mayonnaise really make a big difference, too.
Looks delicious (though I’d probably hold back on the mayo). My son cooked Korean pancakes for me recently. They are (unsurprisingly) very similar and were also delicious.
It does look like lots of mayo but it all blended perfectly. Japanese mayo is differ tasting from ours, too.
What a crazy coincidence! I JUST had okonomiyaki too, and it’s such a rare thing to find vegan, I really lucked out. This was a very fancy version at Millennium restaurant, made with parsnip, oyster mushrooms, black truffle sauce, and more. Not at all tradition, but quite creative and of course, so delicious.
It IS quite a coincidence, Hannah. Glad yours was tasty, too
I’ve always wanted to go to the Girl and the Goat, but we’ve never been. It really looks like we’ve been missing out! I’ve never tried okonomiyaki either. Well, I’ve just got to go! How soon do you move? Very soon, right? I hope it’s as smooth and easy as possible!
Thanks. We’re moving mid-April.
I hope it goes smoothly. It’s always hard, isn’t it?? I’ve done it so many times and it’s still stressful!!
Janey – sounds so good – Japanese pizza ?? Mmmm
It’s not really like pizza because it doesn’t have a crust the way pizza does, but it’s like pizza in that you could eat it often and it’s really good. And it does have toppings. 😉
janet
Got it – and as noted – a great way to use leftovers
Now, that is something I would like to try!
It’s SO good.
👍
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