Hiroshima Okonomiyaki

Wikipedia says:

"Okonomiyaki (お好み焼き^?) is a Japanese savoury pancake containing a variety of ingredients. The name is derived from the word okonomi, meaning "what you like" or "what you want", and yaki meaning "grilled" or "cooked" (cf. yakitori and yakisoba). Okonomiyaki is mainly associated with Kansai or Hiroshima areas of Japan, but is widely available throughout the country. Toppings and batters tend to vary according to region."

Well, we were in Hiroshima, so here is our tale.

We arrived in the afternoon in Hiroshima, took a short side trip from the Hostel to look at some fabric that Amanda was interested in getting for a special quilt she plans. Amanda and Frances continued to look at fabric, while the rest of us wandered through some back streets and alleys, a fair distance from the main routes. In one alley we encountered an older lady who came out from her shop and smiled at us, and we returned the smile, continuing to explore. After a while, it occurred to us that we should return to the fabric shop and reassemble for dinner. We passed by the lady and her shop, and we realized it was a small cafe. She was a little more assertive this time, and not only smiled, but motioned us inside. Wade and I returned to the fabric shop and retrieved our spousal units while the others waited at the cafe. It was a tiny place that had room for us, with only one or two empty seats left, certainly a "mom and pop shop". The old lady called down for her husband who decended from what apparently was an upstairs apartment.

Since okonomiyaki was the specialty of Hiroshima, and almost the only thing on the menu, we ordered it. The preparation was a ritual that the chef had apparently observed for quite a long time.


The description of "pancake with a variety of ingredients" does not fully describe the concoction.
It had some cabbage-like vegetables, some other vegetables, some shrimp, some egg, some sprouts, some squid, and who knows what else.

Small bottles of beer were not available, so Matt took the lead and the rest of us followed.
The Chef's assistant fried us some noodles. Mmmmmm.

They seemed quite happy to have our business, it probably made their week. While we were there, a Japanese man came in for dinner. He appeared to be a regular customer, and he got his food and ate it before we even came close to finishing ours.




After dinner, outside the cafe, Ashley Wilkes' Daddy demonstrates the common pose among the young Japanese, and looks thoroughly Japanese doing it. Im sure the Kirin had no influence.
It was a very enjoyable evening, with a culinary adventure and followed by a two mile hike back to the hostel.