As you like it

お好み焼き... Okonomiyaki for those who can't read Japanese, sometimes called " Japanese pancake" or "Japanese pizza" when in fact it is neither of the aforementioned items.

I could go into the argument of who makes the best Okonomiyaki ( it is Osaka by the way, Hiroshima has Hiroshimayaki and should not even be considered the same thing) or I could go into some history and bore the living daylights out of you. Or I could explain to you why I took a photo of one about 30 seconds after the guy finished mixing it up and dumping it onto the griddle instead of a finished one.

Nay, I am going to talk about the name, because it pretty much means " cooked as you like" in non direct translation. The name is funny because to make okonomiyaki there are certain ingredients one HAS TO use in order for it to be okonomiyaki ( one of these being cabbage) and if you don't like any of these necessary items it can't exactly be prepared " as you like" now can it? To take it a step further okonomiyaki restaurants generally have a set menu, with some room for variation, but let's say you'd like yours with bacon and bananas.. fat chance getting that.

The particular restaurant I had this one doesn't even let you touch it until it is finished cooking, sauced and mayonnaised ( they do at least let you decide what goes on top as long as it is one of the normal sauces or garnishes) Some restaurants make you cook it yourself, often leading to okonomiyaki cooked as NOONE would like it.

The truth is, if you really want it cooked "as you like it" you are gonna have to hole away in your home and make it yourself and hope no Osakans are watching.. and if you throw noodles in, you've made Hiroshimayaki.


heck of alot of hidden rules for something that is お好み