Okonomiyaki

Our foodie mommy group decided on okonomiyaki today.  If you don't know what okonomiyaki is, it is a savory Japanese pancake.  You can choose the different fillings you want in your pancake.  There are beef, seafood, chicken, etc. types of okonomiyaki.  The restaurant we went to was about a 15 minute car ride from base.

See that creature standing by the entrance and it's cartoon depiction down below?  That is a tanuki, or Japanese Raccoon Dog.  The tanuki is a welcoming icon frequently found outside of Japanese bars and eateries, basically telling you to "come in, don't be stingy, enjoy".

We were a fairly large group for the restaurant but they set us up in our own section.  Like many restaurants in Japan you must leave your street shoes in little lockers and walk bare feet to your table or if you are prepared, as I am, use your little tabi slippers.  Many tables are low to the ground, so you sit on pillows.  My knees are getting too old for that.

This okonomiyaki restaurant was in the "cook your own" tradition.  You ordered the type of fillings you wanted and they it brought it to you in a bowl.  You can see every ingredient: the beef, onions, ginger, cabbage, cripies, and egg. 

You mix everything in your bowl together and then pour some oil on the hot grill found in the middle of your table.  Once the table is hot enough, dump the entire contents of your bowl on the grill and try to keep it in a round pancake shape.  Once the bottom has a nice, brown crust (about 8-10 minutes) flip it over and cook it for another 10-15 minutes.  You can then brush some of the okonomiyaki sauce on top, it tastes like American bbq sauce.

Finally, add the toppings you like.  Today, I just added the typical squirt of japanese mayo.  You can also add bonito flakes and a type of furikake sprinkle.  I kept mine simple today.

And that's it.  SO OISHII!

Good Food, Good Friends, Good Times.