【Okonomiyaki in Namba】 Don’t miss it! The home of Okonomiyaki in Osaka Minami:10 selections

“Osaka Minami” area is referred to as a Okonomiyaki battleground. Every restaurants has a thing about Okonomiyaki and are well known for a long time at Dotonbori, Hozenji Yokocho and Sennichimae and so on. I’ve tried real Okonomiyaki at restaurants “Mizuno”, “Minoya”, “Yakizen” and “Tonbe”. So please get some information from them. And please enjoy Japanese flour-based dishes of the specialty of Osaka.

This is information about Okonomiyaki at Osaka Station and Umeda area.

1.Always long line! Satisfying with the traditional Naniwa taste.

【Minoya the main restaurant 】

“Minoya” has been established since1965. The 4 generations of their family has been running the restaurant of Okonomiyaki and their original taste has not been changed. You will see a long line all the time but you won’t be disappointed with their Okonomiyaki.

Go towards north to Ebisubashi from Sennichimaedori and turn the third street left. You will see ”Minoya”.

The entrance is on the second floor through the stairs.

I recommend the counter on left side from the entrance with a small group. You would enjoy an ambiance of Osaka when you eat their Okonomiyaki watching them making Okonomiyaki skillfully and seeing the energetic restaurant.

This time, I ordered “small size with 3 flavors” which is pork, cheese and scallops.

They make them with small cercles. The chef has a good skills.

Hot and fresh from the hot plate. This Okonomiyaki is crunchy with cabbage and creamy inside and very soft. This sauce is a little sweet and goes with Bonito Flakes. It is topped with a big cheese and baked so that you can enjoy the rich cheese flavor. The scallops and pork Okonomiyaki were pretty good! Awesome! Delicious!

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Not to mention there are Yakisoba and Negiyaki, also Akashiyaki. This is a high point for tourists in Osaka.

2.A secret restaurant at Hozenji yokocho.

【Hozenji yokocho Yakizen】

Osaka Minami is the must spot for tourist in Osaka. Yakizen is one of great restaurants with a nice ambiance.

There are only counters in the first floor and Japanese style room and Kotatau to put foot in in he second floor.

The chef is making Okonomiyaki constantly. After they are made, they are served with a small iron plate so that you can enjoy hot and fresh Okonomiyaki. Also there is no iron plates on your table, which you don’t worry about heat.

I ordered the popular menu Modanyaki. This is filling.

This Okonomiyaki is soft inside and crunchy with noodles and so tasty. The secret homemade is a little sour and not greasy.

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There are Okonomiyaki and Yakisoba also Teppanyaki dishes and skewer-grilled.

Go through the street besides Ichibazushi in the middle of Sennichimae Shopping Arcade and keep going for a while and you will see Yakiz on left side.

3.Established since 1945. Okonomiyaki made with special ingredients.

【Mizuno】
Mizuno has been established since 1945. It is always long line and a popular restaurant. They are very careflu with picking up the ingredients: fishes are from a fish market, meats are from a meat market, pickles are from a pickle store and konnyaku is from a konnyanku store. That’s why they are very tasty.

This time, I ordered Mizunoyaki. It has pork,squid, shrimp, scallops,octopus,special minced meat and konnyaku. Every pieces of the ingredients are big so you can enjoy different flavor at the same time and never be board until you finish it. The dough is very soft and cabbage is crunchy. So good.

Eating for a while, shrimp came out from it. Can you see? It looks big and fresh. It is tasty without bad smells. For me, special minced meats and konnyaku are the best. I was very happy with konnyaku.

Negiyaki is on the left and Yamaimoyaki is on the right in the picture. Unfortunately I don’t eat them this time. They has many green onions cut long. It looks deliciouse with the texture and the smell. Yamaimoyaki looks absolutely thick and creamy. This is the most popular menu so I will try this next time.

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This is a menu. I recommend Yamaimoyaki and Negiyaki.

4.Okonomiyaki restaurant “Honke Oodako, famous for Takoyaki.

【Honke Oodako Hozenji branch】

Honke Oodako at Doutonbori which is famous for Takoyaki has been established at Hozenji yokocho and is a restaurant for Okonomiyaki, Yakisoba and a one-course menu.

I ordered Porkokonomiyaki. The dough is soft and has great taste Dashi.

Cabbage is crunchy and very tasty.

Of course you can order Takoyaki too. 6 for 420yen , 10 for 700 yen and 20 for 1400yen.

There is counters and tables in the first floor and Japanese style room in the second floor. If you book in advance, you can have a course of Takoyaki and Okonomiyaki.

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A one-course menu has many kinds of dishes and you can enjoy drinking with the dishes on dinner time.

5.If you want to eat a standard Osaka-ish Okonomiyaki.

【Tonbe】

Tonbe has been established over 40 years and is famous for a standard Osaka-ish Okonomiyaki.

You will see the sign of the red paper restaurant lantern. The entrance is on the second floor.

This time I ordered “Tako suji pecchan”. This was named Pecchanyaki because this shape is flat : flat is called Pecchanko in Japanese.

Special Negiyaki on Tonbe was featured on Kansai TV and is popular menu. It is topped with soy sauce mayonnaise and eat with mayonnaise. It has flagrant smell, smell of soy sauce, flavor of Sujikon and some octopus, which It’s hard to stop eating.

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The elaborate Okonomiyaki. The dough was made with secret homemade Dashi and it is crunchy outside and moist inside.

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Pecchanyaki has many kinds of ingredients so that you have lots of selection of items.

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The menu has many kinds of dishes such as Yakisoba and one-course dishes.

6.Okonomiyaki which has lots of yam and is rich and creamy.

【Bonkuraya Dotombori branch】

There are 3 branches in Dotombori and Sennichimae and also some branches in Nishinakajima and Nara. Teppan dishes have many kinds of menu and you can enjoy it.

This is Bonkuraaki. The mayonnaise painting is beautiful, which makes me hungry. It has many yam so that it is rich and creamy. Also it has many ingredients.

Can you see this thick Okonomiyaki? It is filling, soft and rich and creamy inside.

This is a retro ambiance inside. It is good to have privacy separated by boards from an aisle.

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The menu has lots of dishes. So it’s popular as a Japanese gustropub.

There is Sennichimae branch.

7.An eleborate Okonomiyaki restaurant with family owned.

【Takekurabe】

Takekurabe is family owned and famous for rich and creamy Okonomiyaki for a long time. This restaurant is a secet spot so only a few people know it.

Go towards to Namba Grand Kagetsu from Takashimaya and go through Namba Nankaidori. You will see Takekurabe on left side. Don’t miss the big vertical sign of Okonomiyaki. The entrance is on the second floor. Get excited and go up the narrow stairs.

This is the most popular menu Sujinegiyaki. It is topped with sunny-side up and has lots of green onions.

This is a little thick and soft inside. Also Domestic Gyusuji is made for a long time so it is very thick and creamy.

There are U-shaped counter and table for 6 people.

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They have simple menu such as Okonomiyaki, Negiyaki and Teppanyaki dishes.

8.Easy to access to the restaurant from Namba Walk.

【Okonomiyaki House Milkyway】

This restaurant is located in Namba Walk. Go towards west from Namba Station in Midosuji Line and go towards Namba Station in Yotsubashi Line or JR Namba Station. You will see it soon. There is only a few people walking in this area so it’s kinda secret spot.

It is on left side of Ichibangai in Namba Walk.

This is Pork Okonomiyaki. It is thinner so that it’s easy to eat. It has thicker pork and is chewy, which is filling. It is topped with mustard, mayonnaise and lots of Bonito Flacks.

This looks thinner. It’s easy to cut and eat.

They make it in front you. You can enjoy watching them making skillfully. Can’t wait for it!
There are some tables for 4 people in each sections. You are allowed to smoke from lunch time.

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This time I ordered “Ton”. They have also Hiroshimayaki and giyaki so that you can enjoy drinking with the dishes.

9.Okonomiyaki restaurant with a long history has an art of mayonnaise drawing.

【Okaru】
Okaru has been established since 1946 and it has been over 70 years. It has been keeping the same flavor of their Okonomiyaki for a long time. It is popular for foreigners.

The posters inside has a good ambiance. There are some tables for 4 people in the back.

There is a semi-compartment with a big iron plate in the front.

They make what you order in front of you. The chef has a good skill and he is actually mixing the ingredients very fast.

He knows the best time to flip them so you don’t need to worry about it. They are Pork Modan Okonomiyaki and Special Okonomiyaki.

After they are flipped, pressed them down with a spatula, which is taboo for making Okonomiyaki. But after put a lid on, they turn out to be fluffy.

They use a special sweet sauce and a special hot sauce for Okonomiyaki. It looks like they are doing something with a small package of mayonnaise.

This is the art of mayonnaise drawing! They drew Kuidaore Taro and their mascot character,Okaru with that. They could also draw different kinds of art. This Pork Modan yaki has noodles wirh the sauce so it goes with Okonomiyaki. This special Okonomiyaki has 5 ingredients: pork, minced meats, squid, shrimp and octopus, which is filling. The dough is soft and pickled ginger gives a good accent to it.

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10.You would feel like you are a chef. You can have a experience with making Okonomiyaki by yourself.

【Sennichimae Hatsuse】

Hatsuse is located nearby Namba Grand Kagetsu. This restaurant has all private rooms and has a system that you make your own Okonomiyaki by yourself.

The entrance is in the second floor. Get excited and go up the stairs.

All rooms are private rooms. This time I used a room for 2 people. There are rooms for 4 people, 8 people,16 people and even 40 people. A room for 40 people is good size for a party.

I ordered Mixed Modan yaki which has pork, squid and shrimp. They served the ingredients, the dough and noodles for it.

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I made Pork Okonomiyaki and Modan yaki by following the direction.

First, fry squid and shrimp. I cut squid into small pieces to eat easily. After it is cooked around 70%, add them into the dough.

Next when pork is cooked around 70%, cut them into bite-size and add them into the dough.

Mix the dough and the ingredients well and grill half of the dough shaped round and fry the noodles for Modan yaki on the iron plate.

It says put the rest of the dough on top of the noodles and grill it for 5 minutes on a medium fire ( on a medium fire from the beginning) and flip it. But I was starving so I had to flip it in 4 minutes.

This is when I just flipped it. I failed to flip it well and it split into two in the middle but I don’t mind it. Next grill it for 10 minutes on a small fire. But again I was starving so I couldn’t wait more than 8 minutes.

After I flipped it, it looked cooked well. Season it with hot sauce: like watery worcester sauce and thick sweet sauces.
I can’t wait for it.

Finally mayonnaise is on top and dust it with Bonito Flacks and aonori well.

It was the best moment that I made Okonomiyaki by myself so hard with starving and I was satisfied with it. You would have a good time even while waiting so please visit them if you like cooking. Even if you don’t have confidence of cooking, you would never be disappointed. Why don’t you make memories?

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This is the menu. Don’t forget the system that you make Teppanyaki by yourself.

Summary

How was everything? Every Okonomiyaki restaurants in Osaka has their own flavors. You can choose a restaurant in your mood: Do you want a chef to make Okonomiyaki in front of you? Or do you want to try making Okonomiyaki by yourself?
I would like you to get some ideas from this article and enjoy many kinds of Okonomiyaki, a signature food of Osaka.
I will introduce you about great restaurants in near future so don’t miss it!