The Best 10 Okonomiyaki Restaurants You Must Eat in Osaka

The center for flour based foods is Osaka. Here, they have enjoyed many wheat based delicacies such as Okonomiyaki and Takoyaki for years. Osaka’s okonomiyaki is made so that all the ingredients such as flour, egg, and cabbage are mixed together and cooked like a pancake over a hotplate. When being cooked on the hotplate, meat is usually placed on top. Japanese soup stock and Japanese yam are among the other ingredients used to flavor the batter. The sauce used on top is the wonderful mixture of spice and sweet. Today, we will recommend the top 10 okonomiyaki restaurants you must visit in Osaka.

1. Kiji

photo by asanyan2815   /   embedded from Instagram

This is an okonomiyaki shop that shines in Michelin’s Big Gourmet. “Kiji (main shop)” is one of the most popular within Osaka. When you sit at the counter your food will be prepared on the hotplate right in front of you.

In the regular pork okonomiyaki the herb shiso is used, and in their Modern-fry (modanyaki) egg is mixed in for extra enjoyment. In this way they take the extra time to add flavor to their dishes. The locals also flock to this shop and it can require a long wait. However, it is definitely worth it!

2. Jibunji

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Okonomiyaki was considered B class gourmet to those in Osaka. However, “Jibundoki” was the store that raised the status of okonomiyaki. They serve hors d’oeuvres that go well with red wine over the same hotplate they use to create your okonomiyaki. This is a meal served in true style.

Of course the taste is delicious, but it is also popular for the high-class experience this store offers. Whenever you visit Osaka, whether you wish to go with an important guest or wish to give yourself a treat for a job well done, this is the store to visit!

3. Fukutaro

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This shop is in the Southern part of Osaka near the Nanba grounds. The location is one that can be called “The Osaka”, and this shop follows this image exactly. The counter is central to the shop and it is here that the cooks prepare your food before your eyes.

The specialty here must be the batter. It is flavored with Japanese soup stock and is the best. The scallion filled savory pancake is also a must have! Please try out this Osaka flavor!

4. Ajinoya

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“Ajinoya” has a history of 65 years and has also been featured in Michelin’s Big Gourmet. Their batter has plenty of cabbage and the pork is also prepared with care to create to perfect pancake.

Their “scallion fry” uses scallions from Kyoto and is prepared with a softer meat. This, eaten with Ponzu or sesame dressing, is the Ajino Family’s style. What is wonderful is that on the lunch menu the rice and miso soup are free! Eating okonomiyaki with rice is something true to Osaka that you must try here!

5. Mizuno

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Among okonamiyaki shops, the one most famous for its variety of styles is “Mizuno”. The “Mizunoyaki” shown in the photo is the mixed style with many different ingredients. There is also a “Western style” were the batter is cooked in very thin layers. There are also options that do not use flour at all such as “Yamaimoyaki” and many, many other options to choose from.

The “yamaimoyaki” must be the best. The batter is light with many larger vegetables and meats inside. It is a taste you can experience nowhere else. You will be surprised at how much one okonomiyaki can change based on the ingredients!

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→The Best 10 Takoyaki Shops You Must Eat in Osaka

6. Kaki Yamato

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Okayama is famous for oysters (kaki). This is why the name for the okonomiyaki filled with oysters is called “Kakioko”. You may wish to try “kakioko” but find Okayama to be too far for you.

However, with this oyster specialty shop “Kaki Yamato” in Osaka there is no need to give up. In addition, there are also other oyster dishes available. This is an Izakaya where you can enjoy oyster to your heart’s content. Please visit and do just that.

7. Chibo

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“Chibo” is one of the okonomiyaki shops among the many in Osaka. Here, they are intent on using wheat strictly made in Japan. They are also well known for their “Chiboyaki” that is made with shrimp. With your shrimp okonomiyaki, you can also enjoy a shrimp rice cracker.

The most popular item on the menu is the “Dotenboriyaki”. Its ingredients include pork, tendon, cheese, squid, and shrimp. The cheese especially makes everything else so much more spectacular. Their technique for putting mayonnaise on top is also perfect so please check it out!

8. Momotaro

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This shop has a history of 55 years and is known for being the first to put potatoes in their okonomiyaki. Within Osaka they are one of the top class shops. Their “Potato Tendon Egg” okonomiyaki puts all the right flavors together with the perfect portions.

The okonomiyaki is cooked to perfection where the outside is cooked well but the inside is fluffy. In this way, this shop deserves the recognition it gets. When you visit Osaka, please do check them out!

9. Okonomiyaki Yukari

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“Okonomiyaki Yukari” is a highly popular shop in Osaka. Their specialty is their menu with abundant variety. You can enjoy many different flavors here.

Some of the varieties available are as follows. The “yukariyaki” is served with a light sauce. “americanyaki”’s ingredients included cheese, bacon, corn, and mushrooms. There is also the “fromageyaki” which included over 5 kinds of cheeses. Even just settling on your meal is an adventure.

Of course the flavor is also just as amazing as the variety so please do visit! You will have an experience here like no other!

10. Hiroshimayaki Nonosuke

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There are several different basic types of okonomiyaki in Japan. A completely different style than Osaka is that of Hiroshima. The Hiroshimayaki is made with a thin crepe, covered in cabbage and bean sprouts. Meat and noodles are piled on top of this and then covered with another thin crepe made of egg. Because of the balance of noodles, pork, egg, and vegetables this can be said to be a nutritionally balanced okonomiyaki.

If you want to enjoy this taste while still in Osaka, come to “Hiroshimayaki Nonosuke”. The noodles used here are those sent from Hiroshima. In the oyster season you can also enjoy buttered oysters. Come here to enjoy Hiroshima flavors!

Let’s Enjoy all the Types of Okonomiyaki!

What did you think of the selection? Okonomiyaki is a sort of representative for Osaka. However, one kind of Okonomiyaki can be so different from the next. Even just researching okonomiyaki is enjoyable! Please do try many different shops and find the one that suits you best.