Okonomiyaki translates roughly as ‘whatever you like, grilled’, a name that captures both the dish’s flexible ingredient list and its cooking method: a teppan (iron griddle) pan-fried savoury pancake made with a wheat batter, cabbage, egg, and a range of optional proteins and toppings.
It is Osaka’s most beloved street food and comfort meal, and its Hiroshima variant is a completely different structural approach to the same basic concept.
Quick Answer: Okonomiyaki: Japan’s savoury pancake. Osaka style: all ingredients mixed into the batter and cooked together. Hiroshima style: layered structure with crepe, cabbage, noodles, and protein stacked separately. Topped with okonomiyaki sauce (a Worcestershire-type sweet soy sauce), Japanese mayonnaise, aonori (dried seaweed flakes), and katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes). See the Osaka food guide for Osaka food overall.
Osaka Style (Kansai Style)
The Osaka version starts with a batter of flour, dashi, grated nagaimo (mountain yam, which makes the batter fluffy), and egg. Shredded cabbage is folded in, along with the chosen protein (pork belly is most common, followed by squid, prawn, or a combination). The mixture is cooked on a hot teppan, flipped once, and finished with toppings. At most Osaka okonomiyaki restaurants, diners cook their own on the teppan built into the table. At higher-end places, the chef cooks for you.
Osaka okonomiyaki is featured throughout the Dotonbori and Namba guides and is one of the most affordable and satisfying Osaka meals, typically priced at 800 to 1,500 yen. The Kuromon Market guide market area also has several good okonomiyaki stalls.
Hiroshima Style
The Hiroshima version is structurally and philosophically different from the Osaka style. It begins with a thin crepe layer (like pancake dough poured very thin). A pile of shredded cabbage is placed on top and allowed to steam under the batter. Then, yakisoba (fried noodles) are cooked separately and placed on the pancake. An egg is cracked onto the griddle, and the whole structure is flipped to cook egg-side down. The result is a layered, denser dish than the Osaka version.
The best place to eat Hiroshima okonomiyaki in Hiroshima is Okonomi-mura (Okonomiyaki Village), a three-floor building near Hondori that houses approximately 25 okonomiyaki restaurants. See the Hiroshima travel guide.
The Toppings
Both styles share the same finishing toppings:
- Okonomiyaki sauce: A thick, sweet-savoury sauce similar to Worcestershire sauce but sweeter. The Otafuku brand is the standard. Applied generously in a zigzag pattern.
- Japanese mayonnaise: Kewpie brand, richer and slightly sweeter than Western mayonnaise. Applied in a crosshatch or spiral pattern over the sauce.
- Aonori: Dried powdered seaweed that adds a marine flavour note.
- Katsuobushi: Dried bonito flakes that dance and wave in the heat of the freshly cooked pancake.
- Beni shoga: Pickled red ginger strips, which cut through the richness of the dish.
Related Dishes
Monjayaki (Tokyo)
Tokyo’s version of the savoury pancake: a wetter batter that is cooked on the teppan until it sets into a looser, more liquid texture than okonomiyaki. A Tokyo specialty particularly associated with the Tsukishima neighbourhood.
Takoyaki
Not a pancake, but it uses a similar batter: octopus-filled balls cooked in a special spherical mould pan. Osaka’s other great street food is equally essential to the city’s food identity.
Where to Eat Okonomiyaki
In Osaka, the Dotonbori area, Namba, and the Shinsekai neighbourhood all have high concentrations of okonomiyaki restaurants. Mizuno on Dotonbori is one of the most famous single restaurants. In Hiroshima: Okonomi-mura near Hondori. In Tokyo, okonomiyaki is available at izakaya-style restaurants throughout the city, though it is not as central to Tokyo food culture. See the Osaka food guide and Dotonbori food guide.
Nearby Guides
- Osaka food guide
- Dotonbori food guide
- Namba guide
- Hiroshima travel guide
- izakaya guide
- What to eat in Japan
- Best places to visit in Japan
FAQ
Is okonomiyaki vegetarian?
A basic okonomiyaki (vegetable only, no protein) can be made vegetarian by omitting pork and seafood. However, the standard dashi in the batter typically contains fish (katsuobushi). The katsuobushi topping is also fish-derived. Vegetarian-friendly versions are available at some restaurants on request. See the Japan vegetarian guide.
Which style is better, Osaka or Hiroshima?
They are different dishes, not better or worse versions of the same thing. Osaka okonomiyaki is lighter, with ingredients more evenly distributed. Hiroshima okonomiyaki is denser and more structured, and the noodle layer adds a distinctive texture and carbohydrate weight that make it more filling. Most visitors who try both have a preference for one, but opinions are split.
How do I cook okonomiyaki myself at a restaurant?
At self-cook restaurants (where a teppan is built into your table), the server will bring raw ingredients and brief instructions. The basic process: pour the batter onto the hot plate, spread it into a round, let it cook for 3 to 4 minutes until the bottom is set, flip carefully using two spatulas (okoshi), cook for another 3 to 4 minutes, then apply toppings. Staff are usually happy to demonstrate.
