okonomiyaki-assess best versions

[shootingstar]

Ok, okonomiyaki tell me more about how to determine the best versionsof this Japanese food. Definitely looks and sound like a Japanese comfort food in a fried, slobbish way.

I think I must have had a mild thin version of this Japanese pizza a while ago, which was fine and not overly exciting/different to me. What constitutes good okonomiyaki?

[salsabike]

My experience with okonomiyaki is that it is more of a pancake/omelet than a pizza. I first had it in a little neighborhood restaurant in Hiroshima, and have not had the Osaka style. I think it is better in that very substantial omelet-like form than it would be as a thin little pizza-like thing.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Okonomiyaki

There are plenty of recipes for it online. Re restaurant versions---they seem to vary widely in quality. It's one of my plans to find and try all the okonomiyakis in Seattle.

[Eden]

There are plenty of recipes for it online. Re restaurant versions---they seem to vary widely in quality. It's one of my plans to find and try all the okonomiyakis in Seattle.

I've never had it from its source, so I don't know if I can judge or not.... I've had it twice in Seattle. Once at Boom noodle - it serrano peppers, which I just don't equate as a typical Japanese ingredient.... and once at a smaller place called I Bacchus (it really is Japanese, they just didn't change the name from the previous restaruant). Both were rich, oily and topped with a bit of mayo (not my favorite thing).

[salsabike]

Right--it was the Boom Noodle version that got a not-great review. A Japanese friend told me that Kushibar's was good: http://kushibar.com/small%20plates.html

[shootingstar]

I guess I used the colloquial "Japanese pizza" when yes, I agree it's more like an omelet.

Thx so far and more advice. For certain, my Chinese comfort food doesn't resemble any okonomiyaki characteristics. But am still curious.

[Aquila]

I've only had Osaka-style, a couple times, and it seemed to me that a lot depends on what you have put in and on the sauce(s). And I guess you have to mix it to get it fluffy with lots of air to do it right, too.

It didn't taste very "comfort-foodish" to me, but donburi seems more comfort-foodish.

[crazycanuck]

I've had Okonomiyaki a few times but can't seem to bring myself to eat it anywhere but Japan. It's just not the same here

I dunno...Same with Takoyaki..I'd rather eat it in Japan..

I find various smells (food or other) bring me back to when I visited & then when we lived there. It's hard to explain.

[Susan Otcenas]

CC - you are *so* right. Okonomiyaki & takoyaki are two things that are almost impossible to find done well outside of Japan. I lived in Japan for 2 years, and both of these were favorite snack foods.

Done right, okonomiyaki isn't really oily at all. It's really more omelette like, filled with all sorts of yumminess, depending upon where you get it, and topped with a savory brown okonomiyaki sauce, japanese mayo (different than US mayo), etc. Sooooo good.

I've only had good takoyaki in the US once. That was at a cart outside of Uwajimaya (an Asian grocery here in Portland) during a Japanese food festival.

I have a cast iron aebelskiver pan, and sometmes think it would be fun to experiment with using it to make takoyaki. OTOH, it would be more fun to just go back to Japan for a visit and eat my way across the country.

[Eden]

again - I didn't have any when I was in Japan, so I don't have an authentic dish to judge, but I did have some rather good takoyaki at I Bacchus. It was light and fresh and gingery. The octopus was tender and fresh.

[smilingcat]

I have a cast iron aebelskiver pan, and sometmes think it would be fun to experiment with using it to make takoyaki. OTOH, it would be more fun to just go back to Japan for a visit and eat my way across the country.

I think aebelskiver pan will work fine for takoyaki.

Growing up, my sister and I used to love making takoyaki. We would use a long metal skewer to flip them over when half done. Fond memories of childhood in Japan and in US. We also made okonomiyaki but ours were fairly thin with shredded cabage and few other things... I don't remember what we put in. Both dishes are from Kansai area where the dishes are very different from northern Japan. Think of dishes from New England and compare with dishes from Cajun/Creole of Louisiana.

[badger]

I usually find okonomiyaki to be good while eating, but I tend to feel gross afterwards. I'm sure it's more to do with the dough and the mayo on top. I don't care much for okonomiyaki too much. We used to make it at home, pretty much just throw on whatever you want. In the end it was pretty much all to do with the sauce, or Bulldog sauce

Takoyaki's only good when they're fresh. The local Japanese food store has them, but they're cold, and it just doesn't taste the same. Kind of like fries - fresh is best. The Japanese festival does a good job of it, at the very least they're fresh so they're good. And really, you just can't go wrong with Bulldog sauce!

[shootingstar]

Obviously some regional differences on this dish plus fast food version or North American versions.

Admittedly I'm still abit confused and can only deduce it's an omelet based thing.

Kind of frustrating when restaurant versions of traditional/home dishes become oilier or greasier or fattier. It doesn't have to be that way to suck in customers.

Hope one day I'll come across a place with good stuff.