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Top 5 'Okonomiyaki' in Osaka & Hiroshima

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Hiroshima

Hiroshima has its own unique style of okonomiyaki where the toppings are layered during cooking, instead of mixed into the batter.

5. Fumi-chan ( ふみちゃん)

Located in the entertainment district of Nagaregawa, Fumi-chan is a traditional Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki restaurant where locals often go after a night of drinking. One popular dish is the soba nikudama-yaki which contains soba noodles, pork, cabbage and a sweet sauce that is lightly drizzled on top. Regardless of what dish you get, it's recommended to add sliced green onions to your order. This differs from the negi okonomiyaki in Osaka where the green onions are mixed into the batter. Prices range up to ¥2,000 (about US$18).

Hours:
Open daily 11:30 a.m. - 3:00 a.m.

- tabelog.com (Japanese)

4. Rei-chan (麗ちゃん)

Established in 1957, Rei-chan has been around for 70 years and has continued its tradition of providing patrons with a taste of Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki. Prices average out around ¥800 (about US$7.23), and you’ll find a wide range of locals—ranging from office workers to students—coming and going from nearby Hiroshima Station. A popular dish at Rei-chan is an okonomiyaki known as the soba nikudama ika ten-iri, which is made from soba noodles, pork and squid tempura. The green nori seaweed sprinkled on top really accentuates the squid tempura and enhances the flavor of this okonomiyaki perfectly. You can top it all off with your choice of spicy karakuchi or sweet amakuchi sauce!

Hours:
Open daily 11 a.m. - 10 p.m.

- www.o-reichan.jp (Japanese)

3. Hassho (八昌)

If you had to choose which okonomiyaki restaurant would best represent Hiroshima, it would have to be Hassho in the Yagenbori neighborhood. Since the savory pancakes here are grilled at a lower heat than most places, the wait time after you order is about 20 to 30 minutes, but the time will pass quickly as you sit at the counter and watch in awe as the chefs grill these gooey delights right before your very eyes. Furthermore, you eat your dish right off the grill, so that your last bite is as warm as your first. The price of the okonomiyaki is reasonable, and ranges between ¥700 and ¥900 (up to about US$8.14) per dish.

Hours:
Tuesday - Friday: 6 p.m. - 10:30 p.m.
Saturday: 5:30 p.m. - 10 p.m.
Sunday and holidays: 5:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
Closed on Mondays.

- www.hassho.jp (Japanese)

2. Denko-Sekka (電光石火 駅前ひろば店)

Just a three-minute walk from Hiroshima Station, Denko-Sekka serves up delicious teppanyaki, as well as one of the fluffiest and thickest okonomiyaki in Japan. Aptly named after the restaurant, the batter of the okonomiyaki denko-sekka contains green shiso perilla leaves and is whipped until the eggs are nice and fluffy. This gives it a light texture that you have to taste to believe!

Hours:
Open daily 10 a.m. - 10:30 p.m.

1. Micchan (みっちゃん総本店 八丁堀店)

Micchan began to wow Hiroshima residents when it opened its doors in 1950. Its first dish was simple, and consisted of only vegetables and eggs cooked into a crepe. Since then, the recipe has evolved considerably. You can choose from a wide variety of ingredients, like fresh oysters, cheese, chewy mochi rice or seafood to go with the traditional layered crepe, noodles, cabbage and bacon.

Micchan's best-selling okonomiyaki is ¥1,200 (about US$10.85), and comes with your choice of soba or udon noodles, an ika-ten squid tempura cracker, fresh squid, mochi and bacon in addition to the regular okonomiyaki ingredients like cabbage. Top it all off with Micchan's okonomi sauce, Japanese mayo, white pepper, crushed red pepper and/or soy sauce for truly unforgettable dining experience.

Hours:
Monday - Friday: 5:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
Weekends and holidays : 5 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.

- www.okonomi.co.jp (Japanese)

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