Okonomiyaki - Japanese pancake
Okonomiyaki (Japanese pancake) DIY style is a fun dish to have when you go out with friends who like to cook. I was lucky enough to have Pam, my buddy who’s also a pro-chef, to cook for us. The batter with ingredients of our choice (cabbage, corn, bacon, squid, etc.) is all prepared in a bowl and we just have to mix it up and fry it on the hot plate. Of course it takes someone with the skills and techniques to cook it properly.
“You have to be patient and fry the back side long enough before you flip it,” explained Pam who did it beautifully. The poor old Japanese lady at the next table who was eating by herself flipped her batter every other minute. No wonder it took her forever to get it cooked! Finally the waitress had to come to her rescue and cook it for her.
We’ve ordered an Okonomiyaki set lunch for the 3 of us and it came with yakisoba as well. The Japanese yakisoba is kind of like the Chinese chow mien or fried noodles. The only difference is the special yakisoba sauce they use. It’s a little bit sweeter.
I think Okonomiyaki and yakisoba DIY style is a good alternative for people who want to have some cooked food rather than having raw fish and sushi everyday while in Japan. And the price is quite reasonable – we spent less than US$10 each for the lunch including drinks. Worth a try.
Special thanks to Linda for the pictures.
April 20th, 2006 at 10:29 pm
Dear Sonya,
Loved the pics. He he….I really liked my Coolitz hairdo! I will try to understand a bit more about blogging one of these days. Not now I know for sure….but I will read your blog with a different mindset now. Thanks teacher!
Take care,
Pam
April 21st, 2006 at 5:28 pm
Hi Pam,
Thanks for visiting! Love to have you more often - both as a reader and a model for our pictures! (maybe with another new hairstyle next time although I love your Coolitz hairdo, too)
See you in Hokkaido again, soon!
April 24th, 2006 at 2:30 am
pam, u look great, i love it too!
April 24th, 2006 at 2:06 pm
pam pam, can you replicate this dish for us, the bunch in hk? looks yummy!
April 24th, 2006 at 8:31 pm
ha ha! flyingbear / elina, welcome to the Kucoon blog! Seems like this has become a mini Okonomiyaki forum! i’m sure pam pam can do much better than that of the restaurant by adding your own choice of ingredients. you should be able to get the Okonomiyaki batter powder (like the pancake power that comes in a paper box) in City Super or Sogo or any local Japanese grocery stores for readers in the US / Canada like Carol. I once had a Japanese friend cooked for me when I was in Australia and he was able to get the Okonomiyaki batter powder in a local japanese grocery store. make sure you guys take a picture and send it to me when you have this dish. have fun!
April 25th, 2006 at 12:08 am
hey sonya, we’ll definitely try cooking our hk okonomiyaki ( with char siu? ) & send u pxs : )