4-5-6, Okonomiyaki Republic Building, Hiroshima

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Okonomiyaki is a type of Omelette which (among others) is a staple of Hiroshima local cuisine. There’s actually a building dedicated to this dish, with every restaurant serving it. We sat down at a teppan (table / cooking plate) where an elegant, elder lady was cooking Okonomiyaki. A bit of dough is poured on the grill to make a thin “tortilla”. Cabbage is piled on top and depending on your taste, bacon, octopus and other toppings are added. Later eggs and sauce are thrown on top and the whole stack is cooked until it changes into a golden color and looses height. Some scallions and sauce give it taste and color. The whole stack is served on the grill and you eat it directly off the teppan using a spatula like device. This requires some power in your biceps and so it was no surprise to see that the old lady actually had quiet powerful arms and she gladly showed it off to any customer who’d ask. The Okonomiyaki is a great dish, the mix leads to a rich and complex meal, which makes it difficult to identify unique flavors. Even tough it looks like a snack it is a complete meal. Prices are cheap and it’s a great place to meet people. If they speak English…