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Osaka Okonomiyaki – As You Like It
Osaka okonomiyaki is often described as the Japanese equivalent of a pancake-pizza hybrid. You can see why it would be given that description – it has a pancake-type batter based around cabbage (but don’t let that put you off) with a variety of toppings – meat, fish, egg or veggie based – to choose from.
Osaka in the Kansai region is one home to okonomiyaki, although there other regional variations. (Hiroshima, for example, uses udon noodles in the pancake batter.) The city itself is bright and bustling, full of friendly locals and has an excellent food scene. The seafood on offer – crab, fugu (puffer fish), takoyaki (battered octopus balls) – is just wonderful, as it is all over Japan.
Okonomiyaki In Osaka
There are okonomiyaki restaurants all over Osaka (and indeed all over Japan). They offer a good, cheap eat, that is filling and fun. Part of this fun is that you will see your meal being cooked in front of you. In some restaurants they will even let you cook it yourself!
The term ‘okonomiyaki’ actually derives from ‘okonomi’ – favourites, ‘yaki’ – grilled. There are three basic elements to the dish:
The pancake base which comprises flour, eggs, dashi (stock), yam powder (optional) and cabbage. The fabulous Osaka all-female pop-punk band Shonen Knife, who have been touring since the early 1980s and are still going strong, love okonomiyaki and have a recipe for it in their Shonen Knife Land book. Naoko, the founding member of the band, recommends a cabbage cutting technique: ”Finely chop the cabbage. It should be in small square pieces maybe about 3mm long.It would take a lot of time and be a lot of trouble if you use a ruler to measure the pieces, so it’s OK to just guess.”
Fabulous Fillings
The filling can basically be anything you like – that’s where the ‘okonomi’ comes into its own. Favourite fillings can include sliced pork or beef, shrimp, squid, konnyaku (a gelatin textured food, also known as Devil’s Tongue) and vegetarians may enjoy pretty much any veg they can think of. Spicy fermented Korean kimchi is great if you decide that there isn’t enough cabbage in the dish already.
The topping is the piece de resistance which adds to both the deliciousness and the sheer joy of okonomiyaki. When asked what topping you would like, we recommend asking for EVERYTHING! Okonomiyaki sauce is a tangy brown sauce (a little like the UK’s HP Sauce), creamy Japanese mayo, chilli sauce for those who like it hot, sprinkles of dried seaweed called aonori, and katsuobushi which are dried & smoked Bonito flakes that wave delightfully in the heat of the pancake. The chefs will go out of their way to make it look stunning as well.
Oh, and there’s also the option of a fried egg!
Osaka okonomiyaki is a dish that somehow manages to be both humble and decadent. It’s pretty easy to make at home to
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Shinkansen Luggage – New Restrictions And a Solution
From May 2020 the Tokkaido shinkansen (bullet trains) have introduced new rules regarding oversized luggage. You can find the details and FAQ here.
Actually, this is a good idea. The shinkansen is the most marvellous way to travel – it’s fast, efficient and great value if you have a Japan Rail Pass.
It’s also extremely comfortable, with plenty of legroom and reclining seats if those are your sort of thing (and they’re not too intrusive for the person sitting behind you).
However, on our most recent trip to Japan just a few months ago we noticed that a significant number of visitors had excessively large and bulky hard cases which were difficult to manoeuvre onto the train and took up a lot of space, making things cramped for other passengers. We always try to travel light – we pack just enough clothes and basic toiletries for the trip into soft luggage bags. The trundler style that have multiple handles or can convert into rucksacks just in case you encounter a lot of stairs are particularly useful.
We find that these are by far the easiest to journey through the country, especially as so much of the travel is on public transport. And if there is anything you have forgotten to bring to Japan you will almost certainly be able to find it and buy it when you arrive. Uniqlo and Muji are brands which are well known worldwide, can be found in most Japanese cities, and they will most likely have sizes suitable for western people.
Shinkansen Luggage Solution
If you really can’t travel light there is a solution: the amazing takkyuubin. It’s a luggage forwarding service that will get your bags from one end of the country to the other overnight. It’s reasonably priced and highly efficient. Although there are many companies, the most well known is Yamato Transport Co , characterised by its kuroneko – black cat – logo whereby a black cat is carrying a black kitten. If you’ve ever seen Studio Ghibli’s delightful anime Kiki’s Delivery Service, based on the book by Eiko Kadono, the Japanese title is Majo no Takkyuubin – Witch’s Delivery Service – and Kiki’s black cat Jiji is highly reminiscent of the Yamato cat.
We have used this service many times and it has always been exceptionally good. Every business hotel or ryokan we have stayed at has been entirely helpful in arranging the transportation (Say, “Takkyuubin dekimasu ka?”) and the helpful staff will fill out the forms for the luggage destination in Japanese for you. (You can say, “Nihongo o kakemasen” – I can’t write Japanese). They will often telephone the destination hotel to check that it’s okay for them to receive your luggage and they will hold luggage for a few days if needed. You need to do a little preparation – it’s advisable to send bags the evening before you travel at the latest.
Arriving At Your Destination In Style
Then you can swan up to the railway station the following morning carrying just a day pack. You can buy a delicious bento (box lunch) at the station for a tasty treat as you travel, possibly indulge in a cold beer or cup of sake too, and enjoy the shinkansen experience without struggling with heavy luggage or inconveniencing other people. When you arrive at your hotel your bags will be waiting for you and the rest of the day is yours to enjoy. Such a pleasurable way to travel.
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Japanese Chawan Mushi – Savoury Egg Custard
A Treasure Hunt
Japanese chawan mushi is a savoury egg custard. Its name derives from the combination of two words: chawan (tea bowl) mushi (steam), that is a teacup-steamed-custard. It often arrives in a lidded cup, and treasures are to be found inside.
The egg mixture is flavoured with a dashi (stock) and/or mirin (sweet rice wine) and/or soy sauce which gives a flavour that is very subtle. But the most wonderful thing about chawan mushi is that no cup is ever the same.
Hidden treasures are to be found inside the depths of the silky-smooth custard. Ginkgo nuts and yurine (lily root) are traditional but there may also be little shiitake mushrooms, prawns, kamaboko or surimi (little slices of fish cake), sometimes even little thin slices of chicken that add both texture and flavour. Presentation is always beautiful and garnishes can include herbs such as shiso (a Japanese herb, like Perilla), negi (spring onions, finely sliced) or ikura (salmon roe).
Some restaurants that specialise in a particular type of cuisine can adapt chawan mushi to their style. This crab chawan mushi savoury egg custard, from the famous crab restaurant on Dotonbori, Osaka was very simple in terms of its ingredients, the flavour was delicate and divine.
In some parts of Japan udon noodles can be added to the mix to make odamakimushi.
Japanese chawan mushi can often be ordered in restaurants to accompany a meal. It might form part of a wider set menu. Even sushi bars often offer chawan mushi. It’s also a dish that families cook at home.
Related Posts You May Enjoy
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- Planning a Trip to Japan
- The Makanai: Cooking for the Maiko House
- Setsubun Food – Bean Throwing Day
- The Gassho Farmhouses of Rural Japan
- Recipe: Japanese Simmered Pork Belly – Buta no Kakuni
- RECIPE: How to Make Umeboshi
