Hiroshima Style Okonomiyaki

Okonomiyaki is the quintessential Japanese street food. This savory cabbage pancake has a lot of variations but the back bone is either Osaka style or Hiroshima style. The latter of which is the larger, more commanding version in my opinion. It is a melty, crispy, crunchy Japanese pizza of sorts with layers of egg, pork belly, yakisoba noodles, cabbage and much more. Okonomiyaki party anyone? Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS FOR 2 OKONOMIYAKI
200g cake flour
Pinch of Kosher salt
300ml dashi stock
2 tsp bonito powder
1 small head green cabbage, shredded
2 cups bean sprouts
2 TBSP beni shoga
4 TBSP tenkasu
1 cup green onion, diced
6-8 slices pork belly cut into 2 inch strips (substitute bacon if necessary)
2 packages yakisoba noodles
Vegetable oil
Okonomiyaki sauce
2 extra large eggs
Japanese mayonnaise
Aonori seaweed

Whisk together the cake flour, Kosher salt, and dashi stock until fully incorporated. Heat a flat grill or large non stick pan over medium heat. Ladle in about ¾ of cup of batter and spread it out to an 8 - 10 inch disc using a circular motion.

Dust the top with bonito powder and place a large handful of cabbage on top. Pile on some bean sprouts, beni shoga Japanese pickled ginger, tenkasu crunchy bits of tempura, green onions and thin strips of pork belly. Evenly distribute about a ¼ cup of batter on top and let the pancake cook until released. Carefully flip the pancake using 2 spatulas. Gather any scraps and form everything back into a circle. Firmly press down from time to time to create a uniform thickness as the cabbage cooks.

Ssauté the yakisoba noodles with about a tablespoon of okonomiyaki sauce. Shape the noodles into a circle and cook until slightly crisp. Lift and place the pancake on top of the noodles. If needed, brush on a little bit of vegetable oil into a circle and crack an egg on top. Shape the egg into a circle and then place the okonomiyaki on top of the egg. Once the egg is cooked and has released from the pan, flip everything back over.

Top with okonomiyaki sauce, Japanese mayonnaise, and a dusting of aonori seaweed.

Want more? Check out the masters at Rei-Chan okonomiyaki house in Hiroshima!