CHIBO: Osaka Style Okonomiyaki

For the record, anywhere you go in Osaka you can eat  delicious  okonomiyaki, but there’re some places that should be visited at least once while in Japan, and  Chibo is one of them.

These delicious Japanese style savory pancakes, among the many favorite kinds of food in Japan, are an all time favorite for many locals and foreigners.  Two prefectures known for having the best okonomiyaki are Hiroshima and Osaka.  Hiroshima has layered style, and Osaka serves battered style. 



In this picture you can see Osaka battered style okonomiyaki – they make it for you.  You can also make it yourself, but this type is especially made here at Chibo.   They load this stuff with pork, pasta, cheese, and seafood!



Finished product



After they cook it, they bring it over to your table and place it on this hot griddle in order to finish the cooking process.  The best okonomiyaki I ever had to be honest.  A good okonomiyaki should be loaded with seafood and pork in my opinion.  Not just one kind of meat.

Another neat thing is this egg dish; pork egg omelet which was given to me on the house for some reason(picture below)



If you are living in Tokyo you can take the Yamanote line to Yurakucho station.  Exit the station and you should see a huge electronics store.  In that building there’s a Chibo restaurant about a 2 minute walk from the station. 

Next up we have Hiroshima Style Okonomiyaki here:

 

Shintenchi Okono Mimura

It is said that when visiting Japan one must visit Hiroshima for its rich history and culture.  Most westerners, especially Japanese, who journey to this part of the country visit such monuments as the Genpaku Dome and the Memorial museum in order to pay respects to the millions of victims, mainly women and children, who were be fallen by America’s atomic bombs.  I too paid my respects, but I did so knowing  how powerful and  how beautiful the Japanese soul is to be able to rise up from the ashes of such devastation.  We know the devil whose hand loosed the atomic bomb on thousands of Japanese women and children.



But these gloomy monuments are not all Hiroshima is famous for, and it shouldn’t be always about macabre scenes in history either.  Hiroshima has so much more to offer the traveler that is brighter and more fun, and by this time my readership should know by now that I have an insatiable desire for culinary delights. 



If there’re two things that Hiroshima is very famous for, it’s okonomiyaki (Japanese hot cake) and oysters ! Hiroshima is perhaps the only place where you can have them both on the same plate; oyster okonomiyaki !  But, there are millions of okonomiyaki shops in Hiroshima, where should you go ? 



Well, let’s go to the heart of Hiroshima’s okonomiyaki district: “Shintenchi Okono Mimura a place that’s practically littered with dozens of great okonomiyaki shops.  So, which one should I try ?  Again, careful research and word of mouth drew me to my conclusion: Henkutsuya which has been in operation since 1947 and was originally a “yatai”(kiosk) style eatery specializing in oyster okonomiyaki. 



Upon entering this shop I was amazed at how many people were in the joint.  There were young people, old people, salary men, and families.  I remember sitting next to a father and son who were enjoying time together; I think maybe the son was home from college for the weekend or something. 



Layered style

This restaurant had a very cozy atmosphere and clean.  And of course the cooking show on display right before your eyes by highly skilled chefs was unforgettable.  I loved this place.  I tried the okonomiyaki with oysters, fantastic.  I think everybody should try it at least once with some mayo. 



This restaurant is only a 3 minute walk from the nearest station; parking by car is not available and service is only available in Japanese.  They are open from 11 to 3a.m. which is fantastic, especially for those late night cravings.  The phone number is: 082-242-8918  The website listing is:

http://rp.gnavi.co.jp/sb/3006934/ in Japanese, but the prices are listed so with a little help you should be able to order with no problem.