Okonomiyaki

The name

Okonomi (お好み) means “what you like” or “what you want”; yaki means “grilled” or “cooked.” The name captures the dish’s flexibility — diners choose their toppings and combinations freely, and regional styles differ substantially.

Two rival cities

Osaka-style (Kansai): All ingredients are mixed into the batter together and cooked as one unit — the most common style internationally.

Hiroshima-style: Ingredients are layered rather than mixed — a thin crepe layer at the base, then cabbage and pork, then bean sprouts, then noodles (yakisoba), then the egg layer on top. More complex, considered by Hiroshima residents to be definitively superior.

The toppings

The final garnishes define the dish:

• Okonomiyaki sauce — a thick, sweet-savoury sauce similar to HP sauce or Worcestershire, drizzled in a grid
• Japanese mayonnaise (Kewpie) — richer and more tangy than western mayo; squeezed in parallel lines
• Katsuobushi — dried bonito flakes that wave in the heat from the pancake like they’re alive
• Aonori — dried green seaweed powder; adds umami

Teppanyaki cooking

Okonomiyaki is traditionally cooked on a teppan (flat iron griddle) — either by the cook at a restaurant or at the table where guests cook their own, which is part of the experience.