11. THE GREAT OKONOMYIAKI GRILL-OFF!

Monday November 25, 2013

Soon we will be going to Osaka and Hiroshima for a break before we go home to Australia. Since Japan is a food culture, every place seems to be famous for a certain type of food. Therefore it's no surprise that many friends have said, "you must try Hiroshima pancake"... or "you must try Osaka pancake"...

Okonomiyai is a Japanese savoury pancake containing a variety of ingredients. The name is derived from the word okonomi, meaning "what you like" or "what you want", and yaki meaning "grilled" or "cooked". (Wikipedia)

The 8 Bethelites that we have shared a table with for the past 7 weeks decided that they would treat us to an evening of Okonomiyai. Since Yuki grew up near Osaka and Ken in Hiroshima, we would be able to compare the different styles.

Tutsuya cutting the cabbage.

And Seiko cutting more cabbage.. There is a lot of cabbage needed to make 10 Okonomiyai.

Naoko whisking the batter.

Iron Chef Yuki preparing the Osaka style Okonomiyai. Batter, cabbage and bacon strips.

Go Yuki!!!

Go.

Osaka Okonomiyai is flat with the ingredients mixed together.

The topping of mayonnaise, brown sauce and smoked bonita fish flakes...

Oyshe! Delicious.

Ok Iron Chef Ken, what is the difference with the Hiroshima Okonomiyai?

Batter on the pan.

Cabbage and sprouts layer. Bonita flakes.

Crunchy tempura chips and bacon strips.

Ok, looking rather high for a pancake.

Is it ready to flip? Is it possible to flip???

Batter on top.

Flip. Go Ken!!!

Amazing, it didn't end up all over the table...

More ingredients??? Yep, noodles.

And a fried egg.

 

The topping of mayonnaise, brown sauce and smoked bonita fish flakes... And chop into 4.

Also oyshe! Delicious.

And what is Iron Chef Makoto cooking up in the third pan? Chinese Munkin. This is turning out to be a feast for 20, not 10 people!!!

Just add sake, beer, and some ginger tea and you have a feast fit a king.

But wait, there is more, here is the delicious strawberry panna cotta that Tutsuya prepared earlier...

And Seiko's delicious apple tart.

Ken, Shohei, Seiko, Makoto, Tomohiri, Tutsuya

Yukiyoshi, Naoko, and us...

 

Thank you table 66 for filling our hearts with good cheer and our tummys with so much good food.... We will miss you.

Lloydnalex