The Complete Guide to Okonomiyaki, Osaka’s Soul Food

The roots of okonomiyaki are said to date back as far as the Muromachi to Azuchi-Momoyama periods. Surprisingly, it is connected to the tea ceremony culture that flourished during that time. A tea confection called “funoyaki,” made by dissolving wheat flour in water, spreading it thin, grilling it, then rolling it with miso or sugar, seems to have marked the beginning of the culture of “mixing wheat flour and grilling it.” It was also a sweet enjoyed at tea gatherings hosted by the tea master Sen no Rikyu. From this origin, a dish called “sukesoyaki,” made by grilling dissolved wheat flour on an iron plate, spread among common people in the Edo period. Later, in the Showa era, a dish in Osaka called “issen-yaki,” which was similar to present-day okonomiyaki, became popular. It is said to have gotten its name because it was sold for 1 sen per piece at the time. In the chaotic postwar years, meat was precious and expensive, so people began mixing in vegetables such as cabbage and seafood such as squid before grilling it. The name eventually became “okonomiyaki,” meaning something grilled with whatever ingredients you like. With each household having its own version, okonomiyaki came to be loved not only as everyday comfort food but also as a symbol of Osaka’s food culture, with one popular specialty restaurant after another drawing long lines.

Okonomiyaki cooked on a hot plate is finished by brushing on plenty of sauce. The sauce is so important that it’s no exaggeration to say it determines the dish’s flavor and deliciousness. At home, people often use store-bought sauce, and today there is a wide variety readily available at supermarkets. There are sweet versions, spicy versions, and blends of several sauces. Naturally, specialty okonomiyaki restaurants use their own original sauces. Packed with umami, the sauce brings out the deliciousness of okonomiyaki even more.

Two dishes often introduced as rivals to okonomiyaki are “monjayaki” and “Hiroshima-yaki.” All of them are dishes made with wheat flour and cooked on a hot plate, but there are clear differences.
“Hiroshima-yaki,” as the name suggests, is a flour-based dish loved in Hiroshima. One major feature is that, unlike okonomiyaki, the ingredients are not mixed together before cooking. First, the wheat flour batter is spread thinly on the hot plate like a crepe, and then the ingredients are layered on top. The batter itself is very thin, while a generous amount of ingredients such as cabbage is used. This style actually has a historical background. In Japan right after the end of the war, grains such as rice and wheat were in short supply. Hiroshima in particular was a place that suffered enormous damage from the atomic bombing. Hiroshima-yaki was made using iron plates left behind in the burned ruins and only a small amount of wheat flour. It seems that people added a lot of homegrown cabbage to make it more filling. During the postwar food shortage, Hiroshima-yaki helped fill the stomachs of people in Hiroshima.
“Monjayaki” is a flour-based dish loved in Tokyo. It is made by adding ingredients such as cabbage, tempura bits, squid, and dried shrimp to a loose wheat flour batter mixed with water, seasoning it with Worcestershire sauce and broth, and spreading it on a hot plate. Because it contains a lot of liquid, it does not solidify even after cooking. People eat it by scraping off small amounts from the hot plate with a small spatula. Tokyo’s Tsukishima Nishinaka-dori Shopping Street is nicknamed Monja Street, with over 80 monjayaki restaurants lined up there, making it one of the city’s popular sightseeing spots.

In any case, okonomiyaki, Hiroshima-yaki, and monjayaki all began as affordable, tasty, and filling foods, which is why they were loved as snacks for children in every era, including the Meiji, Taisho, and Showa periods, as well as during wartime. Another thing they share today is that they can all be enjoyed with a wide variety of ingredients.

“Okonomiyaki Yukari” offers a wide variety of okonomiyaki. A classic choice is the “Butatama,” made with domestic pork belly.

The number one most popular item is the “Special Mixed Yaki,” which contains pork belly, squid, and peeled shrimp.

A recommended item is the “Fromage Yaki.” It contains plenty of five kinds of cheese, Gouda, mozzarella, cheddar, fondue cheese, and processed cheese, and the cheese is also kneaded into the batter. With its rich, melty finish, it is irresistible for cheese lovers.

There are also menu items with a distinctly Osaka feel. One of them is the “Domestic Beef Tendon and Green Onion Yaki,” featuring sweet-savory simmered beef tendon and konnyaku, another Osaka favorite, along with green onions.

“Osaka Castle,” made with head-on shrimp, pork belly, squid, peeled shrimp, scallops, and a fried egg, is a bold menu item weighing an impressive 1 kg! This extra-large okonomiyaki serves 3 to 4 people and is sure to look great in photos.

With cabbage that stays crisp even after cooking and the sweetness of wheat flour and eggs spreading across your palate, Yukari’s okonomiyaki has seven secrets behind its delicious flavor.

These seven points of dedication are why “Okonomiyaki Yukari” has been loved for many years by Osaka locals, who are known for being particular about taste, in a city full of specialty okonomiyaki restaurants.

In fact, “Okonomiyaki Yukari” was not originally an okonomiyaki specialty restaurant when it was founded. It started as a sweets shop called “Amato Yukari.” Later, it opened a Western-style restaurant called “Parlor Yukari,” and from around 1972, it gradually shifted into an okonomiyaki specialty restaurant. This carefully crafted recipe is said to have come from the chef from the “Parlor Yukari” days. Although the flavor of the sauce has changed with the times, they have continued to preserve their commitment to quality for more than half a century.

If you want to enjoy the taste of “Okonomiyaki Yukari” at home, the online shop is also recommended. There is a wide variety of sets that can be eaten just by defrosting them in the microwave. They also sell only their highly popular, carefully crafted okonomiyaki sauce and mayonnaise.

Currently, the experience classes are held at two locations: the Sonezaki Main Store and the KITTE Osaka Store.

The okonomiyaki experience is popular for sightseeing trips, school trips, and company outings. This time, we tried it at the KITTE Osaka Store, a new location that opened in February 2026!

The class follows a schedule like this.

The staff taught us very carefully, so I felt that even people who are not good at cooking or complete beginners could join with peace of mind. If there is anything you do not understand, such as how long to cook it or how to flip it, the professional okonomiyaki staff will teach you everything. Another great point is that you can join empty-handed. You are also given a guide explaining how to cook okonomiyaki, and it is written in Japanese, English, and Simplified Chinese, so even if you forget the steps, you can check the process by reading it. It is a very visitor-friendly experience for international tourists as well. Travel itineraries can easily get packed, but since you can eat the okonomiyaki right after making it on the spot, the activity and meal come together in Approx. 100 minutes, and it felt like a very efficient use of time.

By the way, in the experience class you can eat only one Special Mixed Yaki that you make yourself, but by placing an additional order, you can also try okonomiyaki, yakisoba, and other dishes cooked by the staff. It is fun to compare the one you made yourself with the one cooked by the staff. The okonomiyaki I made was delicious too, but the one cooked by the staff was incredibly fluffy, and I could really feel the skill of professionals who fully understand how to mix and cook it.

The KITTE Osaka Store, where we had this experience, is a new location that opened on February 20, 2026, inside KITTE Osaka, directly connected to JR Osaka Station.

True to the name “KITTE,” KITTE Osaka is a commercial complex located on the former site of the Osaka Central Post Office. While each “Okonomiyaki Yukari” location offers its own original creative okonomiyaki, the KITTE Osaka Store’s original dish is called “Nishi-Umeda Yaki.”

The ingredients are cut mochi, cod sheet, pork belly, squid, and shrimp. If you look closely at the cod sheet, you will notice that the edges are cut in a zigzag pattern. It has that familiar shape that feels perfect for an okonomiyaki served at KITTE Osaka! This is a dish unique to this location, enjoyable for both its appearance and its flavor.

The okonomiyaki is finished right in front of you, so it comes with plenty of live cooking excitement. Personally, I thought the cut mochi added a great textural accent and tasted really delicious. I had both the okonomiyaki I made myself and the Nishi-Umeda Yaki, and I ended up very full. One alone might feel just a little unsatisfying, so I thought it would be nice to order several with friends and share.

Also, the KITTE Osaka Store has a photo spot near the entrance. It is the “Golden Spatula.” Be sure to take a commemorative photo in Osaka in front of this giant golden spatula, which is even bigger than an adult.

The interior walls are decorated with Osaka symbols such as Tsutenkaku, Osaka Castle, and Osaka aunties, so there are plenty of photo spots.

The KITTE Osaka Store also has many promotional items, and you can buy souvenirs here as well.