Believe it or not, I just had okonomiyaki for the first time! I visited Chinchikurin, which serves Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki.
Okonomiyaki: a Japanese savory food. An okonomiyaki has many different layers, starting with batter (or noodles) on the bottom, cabbage, eggs, and pork. A variety of toppings are added on top.
I arrived around lunch time, and was seated at a table with a teppan grill in the middle. The waiter placed the menus on the teppan grill and my friend and I looked at each other, confused. Is the teppan grill not for cooking? We looked at the other tables, and apparently the okonomiyaki comes on a plate that’s placed on the teppan grill!
After looking through the menu, we decided to each order a different one to share. You can also choose your noodle preference – traditional (soft) or crispy – so we did one for each too! We decided to do the traditional noodles for the Chinchikurinyaki and crispy for The Loaded Kaisen. We also got Kewpie Mayonnaise and Okonomi Sauce to add on top of our okonomiyaki.
Chinchikurinyaki: The signature dish of the Chinchikurin chain in Hiroshima. A local favorite, it does not have pork or bean sprouts. Instead, it has a ground beef mix known as “shioburiyaki,” which adds a deeper depth of flavor and texture. If you’re not sure which okonomiyaki dish to choose, order this one! The Chinchikurinyaki is a signature dish, so of course we had to try it out! The ground beef on the inside and all the onions on the top was a good combination.
The Loaded Kaisen: If seafood were to have a party, it would be inside of this dish. Squid, shrimp, and green onions to create another popular okonomiyaki dish in Hiroshima. The Loaded Kaisen looked really good in the photo on the menu, and since I like eating seafood, this was the second dish we decided on. What stood out to me most was the pork on the inside – it was a nice surprise and addition!
I really liked the ingredients in The Loaded Kaisen and the texture of the traditional noodles for the Chinchikurinyaki. Next time, I definltely want to try The Loaded Kaisen with traditional noodles! The okonomiyaki was a bit hard to cut into smaller pieces, but I guess that just means I need more practice. I’ll definitely be back to try some of the other items on the menu – this was such a great meal!