When visiting Hiroshima, you can’t miss the opportunity to experience the local okonomiyaki. Okonomiyaki is a popular dish all over Japan, but Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki is a unique and flavorful dish that represents the spirit of this vibrant city.

Unlike Osaka-style okonomiyaki, which mixes all the ingredients together, Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki is characterized by its multiple layers. The process of making this dish is an art and worth watching. The base is a thin pancake like a crepe, topped with plenty of cabbage and bean sprouts. Next comes a layer of pork, followed by seafood such as squid or shrimp if you like, and then a layer of noodles (either yakisoba or udon). Finally, an egg is topped, and a generous amount of sweet and tangy okonomiyaki sauce is poured over. This sauce ties all the flavors together. The harmony of texture and taste is exquisite, making it a dish you’ll want to eat again and again. You can serve it on a plate and eat it with chopsticks or use a small spatula to eat it directly from the iron plate!

In most okonomiyaki restaurants, skilled chefs prepare the dish right in front of you on a large iron plate. And the best place to enjoy Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki is “Okonomi-mura”. This is a food theme park where 24 okonomiyaki restaurants gather in one building. Each restaurant offers its own version of okonomiyaki with a variety of toppings and styles to choose from. It’s the perfect place to explore the diversity of Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki, so why not try and compare the different flavors from several restaurants?

Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki is not only delicious, but also a symbol of the city’s reconstruction. After World War II, during a time of food shortage, the people of Hiroshima began to make okonomiyaki with whatever ingredients they could get. Over time, this simple dish has evolved into the layered delicacy we know today, becoming a soul food for the people of Hiroshima.

If you are a foodie or a traveler who want to experience local culture, be sure to try Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki when you visit this city. The unique flavors and the experience of watching it being made in front of you offer more than just a meal, but also an entertainment.
When you come to Hiroshima, don’t miss the local specialty “Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki”!