Hiroshima-Style Okonomiyaki
Updated Oct. 5, 2023
- Total Time
- 1 hour 15 minutes
- Prep Time
- 5 minutes
- Cook Time
- 40 minutes, plus 30 minutes’ chilling
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- ¾cup dashi, plus more if necessary
- 1teaspoon mirin
- 1pinch granulated sugar
- 1cup cake or all-purpose flour
- 6very thin slices pork belly (about 5 ounces), see Tips
- Salt
- 3ounces green cabbage (from about ¼ small head)
- 3Japanese green onions or scallions
- 5tablespoons neutral oil
- Tenkasu (tempura crisps), to taste (optional; see Tips)
- Bean sprouts, to taste
- 2portions fresh yakisoba noodles (about 5½ ounces each)
- 2eggs
- Okonomiyaki sauce and mayonnaise (preferably Kewpie brand), to taste (see Tips)
- Bonito flakes and aonori powder (green seaweed powder), for serving (see Tips)
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Preparation
- Step 1
In a medium bowl, combine the dashi, mirin and sugar until the sugar has dissolved. Add the flour and mix until smooth. Refrigerate the batter for at least 30 minutes and up to an hour.
- Step 2
While the batter is chilling, lightly salt the pork belly strips and set aside. Very thinly slice the cabbage (you’ll need about 1 cup). Mince 1 green onion, then thinly slice the others and set aside.
- Step 3
Remove the chilled batter from the fridge. (The batter should be slightly thinner than pancake batter. If it seems too thick, stir in another teaspoon dashi.) Heat a large griddle or medium skillet over medium-high. Once hot (a drop of water should sizzle and skitter across the top), add 1 tablespoon oil, then add about ¼ cup of batter, spreading with the back of the ladle or measuring cup to about 6 inches in diameter.
- Step 4
Once the pancake’s edges begin to sizzle, about 2 minutes, top the pancake with half of the cabbage and minced green onion, then tenkasu and bean sprouts to taste.
- Step 5
Set 3 slices pork belly atop the pancake, without covering one another. Then pour a small amount of batter (1 to 2 tablespoons) over the top of the pork belly and, using a wide spatula, quickly flip the pancake over, pork side down. Tuck any stray pieces of vegetables underneath and shift the pancake to one side of the griddle. Allow the meat to cook through, adjusting the heat to avoid burning the pancake, 1 to 4 minutes, depending on the thickness of the pork.
- Step 6
On the other side of the griddle, or in a second skillet heated over medium-high, add 1 tablespoon oil. Untangle 1 portion of Yakisoba noodles, and stir fry until coated with oil, about 1 minute. Season noodles with okonomiyaki sauce to taste (or about 2 tablespoons), stirring and tossing to coat.
- Step 7
Form the noodles into a circular shape roughly the size of your pancake. Then flip the okonomiyaki on top of the yakisoba, setting the pancake side (not the pork belly side) onto the noodles. Reform the okonomiyaki into a clean circle.
- Step 8
In the now freed griddle or pan space, add ½ tablespoon cooking oil, then add one egg, using a spatula to break the yolk and spread the egg into a circular shape roughly the size of your pancake. Slide the okonomiyaki atop the egg. Flip the okonomiyaki over so that the egg side is up, and remove from heat.
- Step 9
Transfer to a plate and cover with okonomiyaki sauce, mayonnaise, a pinch of bonito flakes, a pinch of aonori powder and sliced green onion. Serve okonomiyaki immediately upon completion. To make the second okonomiyaki, wipe out the griddle or pans and repeat with remaining ingredients.
- Asian markets often sell frozen packages of pre-sliced pork belly. Alternatively, ask your butcher to slice a piece of pork belly for you, preferably 1/16- to ⅛-inch thick. If you prefer to slice your own, freeze your pork until very firm (at least 1 hour) for cleaner slices.
- Tenkasu, okonomiyaki sauce, Kewpie mayonnaise, bonito flakes and aonori powder can be found in Japanese markets or online.
Private Notes
Comments
I am a chef instructor and a Japanese who grew up in Japan. There are some mistakes in this recipe. But one big mistake is in Step 7. Do NOT flip the okonomiyaki on top of the yakisoba. The pork belly side onto the noodles. Step 8. Slide the okonomiyaki atop the egg. Cook for 1 minute then flip over. Finish with sauce, bonito flakes, and seaweed flakes. Lastly, the batter is just flour and water, and after making it circle thin crepe-like, sprinkle with bonito flake powder.
If you want to make Okonomiyaki the quick and easy way, get pre-made Okonomiyaki flour at a Japanese or Asian grocery store. Just mix it with water, put in cabbage or bacon or whatever you like, cook it and you're done in 20 minutes.
Very complicated.
The street vendor outside my apartment made his by giddle softening cabbage, green onions and tiny dehydrated shrimp. Once partially cooked, the batter was poured over the "stuffing" and the pancake cooked. It was served, rolled in a sheet of newspaper with Bulldog sauce.
Impressive how complicated people can make this. I guess it's the fancy Hiroshima style rather than the simple Kansai style I know. 1. Mix flour + water + egg. 2. Put chopped cabbage on the griddle, then pour the batter over it, or vice versa, but in either case before the batter starts to solidify. 3. Whatever toppings are your konomi. 4. Okonomi or soy sauce, mayo, aonori and katsuobushi. 5. Flip. 6. Repeat 4. 7. Eat. *Merikenko or Korean pancake mix. It's easy. Kids can make their own.
Truly great dish for late night best pal hangs. In the spirit of its gracious openness to variation, we subbed out pork belly with leftover french fries, toasted and lightly seasoned, cut at a 2" diagonal. Don't be afraid to let the noodles stir fry long enough for that delightful crusty crisp.
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