Discovering Hiroshima Okonomiyaki: Japan’s Best Comfort Food
Okonomiyaki is the ultimate Japanese comfort food, a complete meal in itself. This uber-satisfying traditional dish is comparable to a culinary indulgence like macaroni and cheese in the U.S.
Okonomiyaki is essentially a savory, puffy pancake made by mixing a batter base and filling it with cabbage and other fresh ingredients. The literal translation of okonomiyaki is “grilled as you like it” because the fillings can vary according to the chef or whatever is in the kitchen.
But this dish is more than just a meal; it’s also a social experience because it is traditionally cooked directly in front of diners on a teppan (flat iron grill).
During a recent Crafts & Cherry Blossom cruise around Japan aboard Seabourn Encore, my husband and I had the opportunity to taste both primary variations of okonomiyaki: the Osaka-style in Tokyo and the Hiroshima-style in Hiroshima, two port cities.
It was our private tour guide in Hiroshima, Jase Yuto (arranged through GoldbergOnJapan.com), who explained the dish’s history and introduced us to a unique okonomiyaki eatery.
Okonomiyaki: A Dish Borne of Necessity
World War II was pivotal in the emerging popularity of okonomiyaki cuisine.
Jase explained that food was extremely scarce in 1945 due to the widespread devastation of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. Even rice, ordinarily a staple in Japan, was in short supply.
Survivors began making simple pancakes, using water and flour distributed by the U.S. military. They set up stalls in the city center, handing them out as nourishment. Because Hiroshima had a heritage of metalworking and shipbuilding, scrap iron plates suitable for grilling could often be found in the rubble. The dish showcased the resilience of the Japanese citizens.
To add extra calories at minimal cost, people began adding cabbage and later noodles to the pancakes. The major difference between the two styles is that the ingredients in fluffy Kansai/Osaka-style okonomiyaki are mixed into the batter, whereas in Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki, they are cooked separately and then layered with the noodles and extra cabbage.
After the pancake is fried and flipped on the grill (so it has a crisp exterior and soft center), it is swathed with mayonnaise and a special okonomiyaki sauce. Bonita flakes top the Kansai/Osaka dish.
Now, eating okonomiyaki in Japan has become a tourist obsession.
The Pedigree of Hiroshima-Style Okonomiyaki
Although the history of this soul food dates back to the Edo period, Jase explained the rich legacy of contemporary okonomiyaki in Hiroshima, with one chef training another.
Mitsuo Ise, founder of Mitchan Sōhonte (now a chain in Hiroshima), is considered the father of the Hiroshima-style dish. Although his original dish was made with vegetables, diners now can choose to have oysters, cheese, or seafood added, along with the basic recipe of yakisoba noodles, cabbage, pork, bean sprouts, egg and okonomiyaki sauce.
Another important name is Yagenbori Hassho, who helms one of Hiroshima’s most popular shops, where long lines snake around the block. His okonomiyaki cooks more slowly, so the cabbage is said to become sweeter and the noodles crisper.
Fernando Lopez is the name of an expat Guatemalan chef who used to work with Hassho, then left and opened his own successful restaurant with his wife, which also became very popular. What makes his okonomiyaki special is the way he controls heat and moisture.
“I’m convinced that Lopez’s secret comes from the fusion of Japanese cuisine with his Guatemalan background,” says Jase. “You can tell that the crepe layer has a noticeably different color. This gives it a subtle sweetness. I’ve also heard that his apprentices are strictly told not to reveal this secret.”
“It’s more about technique than recipe,” Jase adds.
Meeting An Okonomiyaki Master
Favoring Lopez-style okonomiyaki, Jase brought us to a small eatery with yellow signage called Gavilan, located between the Peace Memorial Park and the Port of Hiroshima. We were the only foreigners there.
Its owner, Rafael Gavilan, a chef from Barcelona, trained under Lopez but added a fusion twist of his own to the recipe. Gavilan took the art of okonomiyaki a step further by creating menu items with ingredients like olives and anchovies, adding a slightly Spanish feel to the Hiroshima-style base, Jase explained.
Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki is typically prepared with one of two sauces: the nationally renowned Otafuku sauce or Carp sauce. Otafuku sauce is characterized by its sweet and slightly tangy flavor. Lopez notably achieved fame for his approach to offsetting this sweetness by including jalapeños.
We sat around the small counter with seven stools surrounding the grill and watched him work his magic before our eyes. While he cooked, the genial chef spoke in Japanese, Spanish and English. He cooked each ingredient separately, then made the fluffy pancake.
We had the choice to eat it off the grill with small spatulas or to have it served on a plate. We tried both approaches. The dish exceeded our expectations, and we consumed more of the huge portion than we ever thought we could.
Before long, we felt immersed in a culture somewhat like that of the Japanese series Midnight Diner. The 50-episode show features a master who cooks whatever his customers want from midnight to 7 AM as long as he has the ingredients at hand. But the storyline is not only about food, but also about the interaction between the master and his customers.
Despite some initial language barriers, the group of us at Gavilan began to talk and exchange stories with Jase, offering some translation. We met a Japanese speech therapist and a community-oriented retiree. The lady helping the chef spread the sauce also worked as a tour guide. We exchanged emails and became friends, and discovered the real intimacy and magic of okonomiyaki.
Read more about okonomiyaki on the Sushi University website.
Enjoy this YouTube video showing CIA students visiting an okonomiyaki restaurant.
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