Hiroshima Day 1: Okonomiyaki Village

“You must try the okonomiyaki in Hiroshima!” I was told by several friends and sensei. What’s special about it is it’s very tall, compared to the Tokyo version, and even considered quite healthy because of its huge amount of cabbage.

We were a bit disappointed by the lack of atmosphere, as it was supposed to be bustling according the Lonely Planet. Then we checked the date it was published — 2000! Let that be a lesson to the rest of you: it doesn’t mean a place is great if it’s in the Lonely Planet; and it ain’t advisable to check out “popular” places 10 years after its purported peak.

But the food did save the evening. We watched the cook slowly put together our tall Japanese pancakes while sipping drinks and occasionally gazing at the baseball game on TV.

The kangaroo ordered some deluxe seafood and meat version with soba noodles, while I got one with udon and cheese (pictured above).

We had these grand visions of trying different types, but halfway through our individual pancakes, we declared defeat. Just a piece of advice: order a super-duper one with everything in it because that’s the only chance you would get to eat it if you are on your own.

Okonomiyaki is definitely a group kind of dish where you are able to share a variety without over-eating. Even though I enjoyed mine very much, I couldn’t imagine stuffing myself with another one the next day.

No related posts.