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Okonomiyaki @ Abeno

okonomiyaki

Without the intent of becoming a restaurant review blogger now, here still is another one: Abeno, the Okonomiyaki place. Interestingly enough they claim to be the only one of this kind of Europe, however right above the reference to “we do have another place in London” in their menu.

Okonomiyaki is a Japanese crossover between pancake and omlette, in the most naive european terms. The Kansai/Osaka versions are based on rice and the Hiroshima ones on noodles. And Extra Grande Modern ones at Abeno have both. Mixed with egg, bacon, choice of meat or seafood, asparagus and whatever not. Probably you’d get away with adding almost anything you like. In the strech case you can make “okonomi” the “economy” food made of what you’ve got.

As with many things Japanese the cooking process for okonomiyaki is as enjoyable as the result. It all happens on the hotplate in the middle of the table, with acute sequence of components and care. Especially cool are the finishing touches, from thin spirals of mayonnaise to seaweed powder and – my favourite – extremely thin slices of ham that keep “dancing” when thrown on the hot cake.

Anyway, a nice discovery for me from the Japanese kitchen, a bit off the usual sushi-miso-yakiniku route. Thanks, Duncan.

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