7 things you need to do when you come visit Japan
If you are considering or already decided upon visiting Japan, here is a list of what you should not miss out on when you come and visit.
Okonomiyaki (お好み焼き)
Mainly famous in Osaka and Hiroshima, Okonomiyaki (お好み焼き) is a savory Japanese pancake which can be customized to your taste. While the standard pancake is made out of flour, eggs, cabbage which is topped off with the bull dog sauce (A Japanese sauce similar to Worcestershire sauce) , mayonnaise, Aonori (shredded seaweed) and bonito flakes, you can choose the main ingredient which goes into the pancake. While the most popular is the one with pork ribs, you can also opt to choose different kinds of ingredients, such as squid, fried noodles and Mochi.
Table of Contents
A little bit about Okonomiyaki (お好み焼き)
Even though okonomiyaki is widely accessible throughout Japan, two distinct versions from Hiroshima or the Kansai region are well recognized, with the toppings and batters varying by region. The words yaki, which literally means “cooked,” while okonomi, which means “how you like it.
As the name suggests, there are different ways of customizing the Okonomiyaki matching your preference. The very standard is the pancake with pork ribs, there are many different Okonomiyaki places with unique ingredients. If you are hoping to cook some Okonomiyaki, you could potentially consider the ingredients below.
・ Tenkasu
（Adds Crunchiness to the pancake）
・ Yakisoba noodles
(The Okonomiyaki in Hiroshima is often served with these noodles)
・ Shrimp
・ Squid
・ Octopus
・ Mochi
・ Cheese
While the ingredients above are ones that are often used, as the name suggests, you are free to put in what ever goes for you. If you are making Okonomiyaki and if you are making it for the first time, it might be better off making small individual pancakes so that you can try different kinds of variation. That way, you’ll know what and what does not work for you, which will give you a good indication of how you want to cook it the next time as well.
List of Ingredients you will need
(Serving for 4 people/8 Okonomiyakis)
・Cake Flour… 14 ounces (400 grams)
・Eggs… 4 eggs
・Cabbage… 1/2 pieces
・Thin slices of Pork Ribs…40 slices
・Dashi…1 Tablespoon
・Bulldog Sauce… Appropriate Amount
・Mayonnaise… Appropriate Amount
・Aonori… Appropriate Amount
・Katsuo Bushi… Appropriate Amount
(Serving for 4 people/8 Okonomiyakis)
・Cake Flour… 14 ounces
(400 grams)
・Eggs… 4 eggs
・Cabbage… 1/2 pieces
・Thin slices of Pork Ribs…
40 slices
・Dashi…1 Tablespoon
・Bulldog Sauce… Appropriate Amount
・Mayonnaise… Appropriate
Amount
・Aonori… Appropriate Amount
・Katsuo Bushi… Appropriate
Amount
Recipe
1. Chop the cabbage into fine pieces. We want the crunchiness of
the cabbage but we do not want each pieces to be too big.
2. Mix the cake flour, Dashi, eggs, the cabbage and 1.6 cups of
water into a bowl. Mix the ingredients together until it becomes
a nice batter.
3. (Optional) If you have other ingredients at hand such as squid,
octopus, Tenkasu and Mochi, you can also mix it into the batter
prior to cooking it on a hot plate.
4. Wait for the pan or the griddle to heat up nicely. Once its hot
enough to start cooking, pour the oil evenly onto the surface.
5. As the batter is meant for 8 Okonomiyakis, make sure that you
divide the batter evenly. Place the batter onto the sizzling plate
and spread it nicely to make it nice and round.
6. Put the slices of pork onto the Okonomiyaki.
7. Once one side is crispy, flip the Okonomiyaki over.
8. Once the pork is nice and crispy, flip it over again.
9. Pour the Bulldog Sauce evenly onto the top surface. Once top is
covered in Bulldog Sauce, pour Mayo on top of it.
10. Pour the Katsuo Bushi and the Aonori on top and the
Okonomiyaki is good to go!
Tip: The Okonomiyaki is best served with this slices of pork. If you have a butcher near you which provide you with thin slices, great. But if you don’t, it might be worth considering investing in a meat slicer. There are so many varieties of Japanese dishes you can make if you have access to a meat slicer so we highly recommend you getting one. Furthermore, as many of the mayo in the west comes in jars, we recommend the Kewpie mayonnaise which is easy to drizzle (and quite honestly, it tastes nicer as well).
1. Chop the cabbage into fine pieces. We want the
crunchiness of the cabbage but we do not want
each pieces to be too big.
2. Mix the cake flour, Dashi, eggs, the cabbage and 1.6
cups of water into a bowl. Mix the ingredients
together until it becomes a nice batter.
3. (Optional) If you have other ingredients at hand
such as squid, octopus, Tenkasu and Mochi, you
can also mix it into the batter prior to cooking it on a
hot plate.
4. Wait for the pan or the griddle to heat up nicely.
Once its hot enough to start cooking, pour the oil
evenly onto the surface.
5. As the batter is meant for 8 Okonomiyakis, make
sure that you divide the batter evenly. Place the
batter onto the sizzling plate and spread it nicely to
make it nice and round.
6. Put the slices of pork onto the Okonomiyaki.
7. Once one side is crispy, flip the Okonomiyaki over.
8. Once the pork is nice and crispy, flip it over again.
9. Pour the Bulldog Sauce evenly onto the top surface.
Once top is covered in Bulldog Sauce, pour Mayo on
top of it.
10. Pour the Katsuo Bushi and the Aonori on top and
the Okonomiyaki is good to go!
Tip: The Okonomiyaki is best served with this slices of pork. If you have a butcher near you which provide you with thin slices, great. But if you don’t, it might be worth considering investing in a meat slicer. There are so many varieties of Japanese dishes you can make if you have access to a meat slicer so we highly recommend you getting one. Furthermore, as many of the mayo in the west comes in jars, we recommend the Kewpie mayonnaise which is easy to drizzle (and quite honestly, it tastes nicer as well).
1. Chop the cabbage into fine
pieces. We want the
crunchiness of the
cabbage but we do not
want each pieces to be too
big.
2. Mix the cake flour, Dashi,
eggs, the cabbage and 1.6
cups of water into a bowl.
Mix the ingredients
together until it becomes a
nice batter.
3. (Optional) If you have other
ingredients at hand such as
squid, octopus, Tenkasu
and Mochi, you can also
mix it into the batter prior
to cooking it on a hot plate.
4. Wait for the pan or the
griddle to heat up nicely.
Once its hot enough to
start cooking, pour the oil
evenly onto the surface.
5. As the batter is meant for 8
Okonomiyakis, make sure
that you divide the batter
evenly. Place the batter
onto the sizzling plate and
spread it nicely to make it
nice and round.
6. Put the slices of pork onto
the Okonomiyaki.
7. Once one side is crispy, flip
the Okonomiyaki over.
8. Once the pork is nice and
crispy, flip it over again.
9. Pour the Bulldog Sauce
evenly onto the top surface.
Once top is covered in
Bulldog Sauce, pour Mayo
on top of it.
10. Pour the Katsuo Bushi and
the Aonori on top and the
Okonomiyaki is good to go!
Tip: The Okonomiyaki is best served with this slices of pork. If you have a butcher near you which provide you with thin slices, great. But if you don’t, it might be worth considering investing in a meat slicer. There are so many varieties of Japanese dishes you can make if you have access to a meat slicer so we highly recommend you getting one. Furthermore, as many of the mayo in the west comes in jars, we recommend the Kewpie mayonnaise which is easy to drizzle (and quite honestly, it tastes nicer as well).
Other recommended recipes
If this is the kind of dish you like, we have compiled some a list of dishes that you might also like for your next cooking session below.
Yakisoba (焼きそば)
Yakisoba is a dish made of noodles cooked on a hot plate mixed together with flavored with cabbage, bean sprout, pork, seafood and etc, which is then flavored with Japanese Bulldog sauce.
Tempura (天ぷら)
Tempura is a common Japanese cuisine that often consists of meat, fish, and vegetables that have been battered and deep-fried. As it is cooked in light batter, it is not too oily and the crusty coating and light salting brings out the real flavors of the ingredients being cooked.
Tonkatsu (とんかつ)
Tonkatsu (とんかつ) is a Japanese deep-fried pork cutlet. The outer coating is made extra fluffy, yet crunchy by using Panko (bread crumbs) to coat the meat, which is then fried in oil.
Okonomiyaki (お好み焼き)
Mainly famous in Osaka and Hiroshima, Okonomiyaki (お好み焼き) is a savory Japanese pancake which can be customized to your taste. While the standard pancake is made out of flour, eggs, cabbage which is topped off with the bull dog sauce (A Japanese sauce similar to Worcestershire sauce) , mayonnaise, Aonori (shredded seaweed) and bonito flakes, you can choose the main ingredient which goes into the pancake. While the most popular is the one with pork ribs, you can also opt to choose different kinds of ingredients, such as squid, fried noodles and Mochi.
Prep Time
20 minutes
Cook Time
30 minutes
Total Time
20 minutes
Ingredients
- (Serving for 4 people/8 Okonomiyakis)
- ・Cake Flour… 14 ounces (400 grams)
- ・Eggs… 4 eggs
- ・Cabbage… 1/2 pieces
- ・Thin slices of Pork Ribs…40 slices
- ・Dashi…1 Tablespoon
- ・Bulldog Sauce… Appropriate Amount
- ・Mayonnaise… Appropriate Amount
- ・Aonori… Appropriate Amount
- ・Katsuo Bushi… Appropriate Amount
Instructions
1. Chop the cabbage into fine pieces. We want the crunchiness of
the cabbage but we do not want each pieces to be too big.
2. Mix the cake flour, Dashi, eggs, the cabbage and 1.6 cups of
water into a bowl. Mix the ingredients together until it becomes
a nice batter.
3. (Optional) If you have other ingredients at hand such as squid,
octopus, Tenkasu and Mochi, you can also mix it into the batter
prior to cooking it on a hot plate.
4. Wait for the pan or the griddle to heat up nicely. Once its hot
enough to start cooking, pour the oil evenly onto the surface.
5. As the batter is meant for 8 Okonomiyakis, make sure that you
divide the batter evenly. Place the batter onto the sizzling plate
and spread it nicely to make it nice and round.
6. Put the slices of pork onto the Okonomiyaki.7. Once one side is crispy, flip the Okonomiyaki over.
8. Once the pork is nice and crispy, flip it over again.
9. Pour the Bulldog Sauce evenly onto the top surface. Once top is
covered in Bulldog Sauce, pour Mayo on top of it.
10. Pour the Katsuo Bushi and the Aonori on top and the
Okonomiyaki is good to go!
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