Okonomiyaki is the ultimate Japanese soul food, literally meaning grilled as you like it.

Food & Drink · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: This savory pancake is a culinary chameleon, evolving from post-war necessity into a beloved national staple. Whether you prefer the mixed Kansai style or the layered Hiroshima version, this flour-based dish proves that the best meals are often those built from whatever ingredients you have on hand.

The name okonomiyaki derives from 'okonomi,' meaning 'what you like,' and 'yaki,' meaning 'grilled.' While its roots may trace back to the 16th-century funoyaki crêpe, the modern dish emerged as a practical solution during times of scarcity. Following the 1923 Great Kantō earthquake and the post-World War II rice shortages, it became a vital, inexpensive, and filling meal for all ages. By the 1930s, the term appeared in Osaka, and the dish soon became a staple of Japanese home cooking and street food culture.

The dish is defined by two primary regional styles. The Kansai or Osaka style involves mixing ingredients—such as flour, eggs, shredded cabbage, and proteins like pork belly, octopus, or shrimp—into a batter before frying. In contrast, the Hiroshima style involves layering ingredients, starting with a thin batter base, followed by a generous amount of cabbage, pork, and often yakisoba or udon noodles. Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki uses three to four times more cabbage than the Kansai version, which is pressed down as it cooks to create a dense, flavorful stack.

Beyond these main variants, regional creativity abounds. In Kishiwada, chicken and tallow replace pork, while Hamamatsu incorporates pickled daikon. The dish is typically finished with a signature sauce—often based on Worcestershire sauce—alongside Japanese mayonnaise, aonori seaweed flakes, and katsuobushi bonito flakes. Today, it remains a versatile icon of Japanese cuisine, celebrated in dedicated theme parks like Okonomi-mura in Hiroshima and enjoyed by street vendors from Taipei to Jakarta.

The popularity of the dish has even spawned related variations like monjayaki, which features a runnier batter, and modan-yaki, which incorporates noodles for extra volume. Whether served at a diner-style counter where a chef prepares it in front of you or cooked on a personal teppan griddle, okonomiyaki remains a testament to the enduring appeal of adaptable, communal comfort food.

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