Okonomiyaki delight.

Okonomiyaki is a special kind of pancake somewhat unique to Japan. It's a savoury tasting pancake which combines the words "okonomi", which means "what you like" with "yaki" which means "grill." So what you get together is suppose to be a grill which you like!

Actually this dish has become very popular across all of Japan and even the world but originated in the Kansai or Hiroshima areas of Japan. The place I visited was in Tokyo and they had their own little version of the Okonomiyaki worth having a try.

Okonomiyaki's have many varieties and it usually comes down to the toppings and batters. These used to vary from region to region, but Tokyo now has most of the styles available.

As you can see from the menu, there is an entire page dedicated to Okonomiyaki's meaning there is quite the demand for this dish here.

Usually, the batter is made of flour and grated nagaimo (which is a type of Yam) and then mixed with water, eggs, cabbage as well as the toppings which are usually onion, pork belly meat, octopus, shrimp, vegetables, mochi or cheese.

Because of it's method and ingredients, it's often considered an omelette, but I think it resembles more of a Pizza than and Omelette wouldn't you say?

Preparation of the Okonomiyaki is quite interesting, the chef uses the teppanyaki grill to pan fry the mixture. Some places supposedly give the customer the duty of frying and preparing it themselves. Being the lazy and eager eager that I am, I'm glad the chef does it here.

The final product, usually topped with okonomiyaki sauce, seaweed flakes, bonito flakes, mayonnaise, and pickled ginger.

Isn't it a simple yet delicious looking dish? It's actually been served since the 16th century. In World War II, the dish became more popular as it was a replacement for rice which had severe shortages.