Insiders Guide To Osaka Okonomiyaki Restaurants

This savory griddle cake is easily one of the city’s most iconic dishes, with countless variations and twists — and more good places to try it than there are days in the year.

[Okonomiyaki - image © Angelino Donnachaidh]

Introduction

More than just an enduring icon of Osaka and its foodie culture, okonomiyaki is a quintessential example of what the Japanese refer to as B-kyu gurume, literally “B Tier Gourmet” — hearty fare made from simple inexpensive ingredients, affordably priced, unpretentiously served, often fried, and always comforting. If you’re the sort who likes to think in international equivalents, think greasy spoon: akin to the fry-ups of the British Isles, New York City pizza by the slice, or the burger joints and taco trucks of Greater Los Angeles.

[Osaka okonomiyaki on the teppan - image © Angelino Donnachaidh]

That makes Osaka okonomiyaki by its nature resistant to both high-class fancying up and strangling culinary purism, although perhaps a mild strain of the latter is endemic when considering it against its counterpart in Hiroshima — a dish with the same name and a great deal in common that is yet different enough that no one familiar with them would confuse the two. In fact, it is worth highlighting that these are two different dishes with shared roots and a shared name, not the same dish. And this isn’t just superficial --- if anything, the defining role of noodles in the Hiroshima style makes that dish more akin to Osaka modanyaki than Osaka’s own okonomiyaki.

[Osaka-style okonomiyaki ready to eat - image © Angelino Donnachaidh]

“B Tier Gourmet” status also makes okonomiyaki exactly the kind of simple all-ages crowd-pleasing family meal that people tend to develop strong emotional attachments to — something a person grows up with their mother or father throwing together for the occasional slow Sunday family lunch over the years. Moreover, it has at times been loosely referred to as “Japanese pizza,” for no reason more so than because of its emphasis on offering a wide range of variations in toppings. What this all means is that if you asked ten different Osakans to describe the best or most perfectly authentic okonomiyaki recipe, you’d likely get ten different answers — and probably no shortage of intensely stated but contradictory musts.

The Best Okonomiyaki Restaurants in Osaka

So where is the curious visitor to begin? How — other than endless eating — is the novice to explore the full dimensions of this dish and judge where to try it? Let longtime Osaka resident and okonomiyaki aficionado Angelino Donnachaidh be your guide into the okonomiyaki restaurants of Osaka with a curated shortlist of characteristic highlights.

[Fugetsu’s okonomiyaki - image © Angelino Donnachaidh]

Tsuruhashi Fugestu (Tsuruhashi main branch)

This Osaka-based chain provides a great introduction to the world of okonomiyaki. The main branch in Tsuruhashi is the obvious place to start.

[Yukari’s five-cheese fromage-yaki - image © Angelino Donnachaidh]

Yukari (Tensan)

This approachable spot in the Kita area offers all the major standards and some interesting twists.

[The restaurant’s namesake, the teppan-yaro (“griddle bastard”) - image © Angelino Donnachaidh]

Teppanyaro! (Urasando)

Funky and fun, Teppanyaro! Is a great dinner and drink spot in the Kita area.

[Kyochabana’s tomato mozzarella okonomiyaki, topped with shiso perilla herb - image © Angelino Donnachaidh]

Kyochabana (Kitashinchi)

Kyochabana is an upscale option offering great okonomiyaki and many other dishes in the swank Kitashinchi nightlife district.

[Yamamoto’s pork negiyaki - image © Angelino Donnachaidh]

Negiyaki Yamamoto (Umeda EST)

If you’d like to try the scallion-stuffed version of okonomiyaki known as negiyaki, check out this excellent shop a short walk from Osaka and Umeda stations.

[Hanamaru Tei’s okonomiyaki - image © Angelino Donnachaidh]

Hanamaru Tei (Semba)

Classy Japanese modern traditional ambience and a classic menu.

[Bonkuraya’s 9-kind puchi-okonomiyaki sampler - image © Angelino Donnachaidh]

Bonkuraya (Dotonbori)

A funky, fun, and tasty time out with a playful menu and a cheeky Osaka feel, from lunch time to late night.

Where Are These Restaurants Located?

All of the restaurants in this article are shown on the following map. They’re also listed on our main Osaka map.

More Information

• Best Osaka Restaurants

About the author: Angelino Donnachaidh is a translator/interpreter, food lover, history enthusiast, and longtime resident of Osaka, Japan. He is also the author of the middle grade historical fiction illustrated novella Tamiu: A Cat’s Tale, the forthcoming YA post-cyberpunk AI heist adventure Brother, and the forthcoming sci-fi samurai epic The Mayhem Protocols. Find him on the web at saica-creative.com/angdonn.

Where Are These Places Located?

• Open the Osaka map
• You will see the list of places on the left hand side. (Click the 3-line icon in the top left corner if not). Scroll down or use the map search (the magnifying glass icon) to find the place you want.
• Click the name of the place in the list. Its location pin will be highlighted on the map.
• Map pins are color coded - BLUE: Hotels / Ryokan / Guesthouses | VIOLET: Ryokan | PINK: Places to Eat | GREEN: Shops | YELLOW: Things to See and Do
• If you’re using the map on your phone, open the map and then search for the name of the place. The map will then zoom in on its location.

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