Complete Guide to Osaka's Soul Food: Okonomiyaki

The origins of okonomiyaki are said to date back as far as the Muromachi through Azuchi-Momoyama periods. Surprisingly, its history is connected to chanoyu, or the Japanese tea ceremony, which flourished at the time. A tea confection called funoyaki was made by mixing flour with water, spreading it thinly and cooking it, then coating it with miso or sugar and rolling it up. This appears to have marked the beginning of the custom of cooking flour batter. The confection was even served at tea gatherings hosted by tea master Sen no Rikyu. This eventually led to a dish called sukesoyaki, made by cooking flour batter on a griddle, which became popular among ordinary people during the Edo period. Later, during the Showa era, issen-yaki—a dish similar to modern okonomiyaki—became popular in Osaka. Its name reportedly came from its price of 1 sen per piece. In the turmoil following World War II, meat was scarce and expensive, so people began mixing in vegetables such as cabbage and seafood such as squid. The dish then became known as okonomiyaki, meaning a dish made with whatever ingredients you like. With variations unique to each household, okonomiyaki became a familiar comfort food. At the same time, popular specialty restaurants began appearing one after another, often drawing long lines, and the dish grew into a symbol of Osaka's food culture.

After okonomiyaki is cooked on the griddle, it is finished with a generous coating of sauce. The sauce is so essential that its flavor can determine how the entire dish tastes. At home, people often use commercially available sauces, and supermarkets now carry a wide variety. Options include sweet and spicy varieties as well as blends of several sauces. Okonomiyaki specialty restaurants, of course, use their own original sauces. Packed with umami, the sauce brings out even more of the okonomiyaki's flavor.

Monjayaki and Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki are often described as rivals to Osaka-style okonomiyaki. All three are flour-based dishes cooked on a griddle, but they differ in several ways.
Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki is a flour-based dish popular in Hiroshima. Its main distinction is that the ingredients are not mixed together as they are in Osaka-style okonomiyaki. First, flour batter is spread thinly on the griddle like a crepe, and the ingredients are then layered on top. Although the batter is very thin, generous amounts of cabbage and other ingredients are used. This style has a historical background. Immediately after World War II, Japan faced shortages of grains such as rice and wheat. Hiroshima in particular had suffered immense wartime devastation from the atomic bombing. Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki was made using griddles left among the ruins and only a small amount of flour. Large quantities of homegrown cabbage were reportedly added to make the dish more filling. During the postwar food shortages, it helped satisfy the hunger of Hiroshima's residents.
Monjayaki is a flour-based dish popular in Tokyo. Cabbage, tempura bits, squid, dried shrimp, and other ingredients are added to a thin flour-and-water batter, which is seasoned with Worcestershire sauce, dashi, and other flavorings before being spread over a griddle. Because it contains a large amount of water, it does not fully solidify when cooked. Diners use a small spatula to scrape up and eat a little at a time directly from the griddle. Tsukishima Nishinaka-dori Shopping Street in Tokyo is commonly known as Monja Street. With more than 80 monjayaki restaurants, it is a popular sightseeing destination.

In any case, okonomiyaki, Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki, and monjayaki all began as inexpensive, tasty, and filling snacks enjoyed by children through many eras, including the Meiji, Taisho, and Showa periods and wartime. Another thing they share today is the freedom to use a wide range of ingredients.

Okonomiyaki Yukari offers many varieties of okonomiyaki. Its classic is the Butatama, made with domestically produced pork belly.

The most popular item is the Special Mixed Okonomiyaki, made with pork belly, squid, and peeled shrimp.

Another recommended choice is the Fromage-yaki. It is packed with five types of cheese—Gouda, mozzarella, cheddar, fondue cheese, and processed cheese—which are also blended into the batter. Its wonderfully gooey texture makes it irresistible for cheese lovers.

There are distinctly Osaka-style options as well. The Domestic Beef Suji Negiyaki centers on green onions, beef tendon, and konjac simmered in a sweet and savory sauce—another classic Osaka flavor.

Osaka Castle, made with head-on shrimp, pork belly, squid, peeled shrimp, scallops, and a fried egg, is a challenge weighing an impressive 1 kg! This enormous okonomiyaki serves 3 to 4 people and is sure to stand out in photos.

Yukari's okonomiyaki combines cabbage that remains crisp even after cooking with the gentle sweetness of flour and eggs. There are 7 secrets behind its flavor.

These 7 carefully considered elements explain why Okonomiyaki Yukari has remained a longtime favorite among Osaka's discerning diners in a city filled with okonomiyaki specialty restaurants.

In fact, when Okonomiyaki Yukari was founded, it was not an okonomiyaki specialty restaurant but a sweets shop called Amato Yukari. It later opened the Western-style restaurant Parlor Yukari and gradually shifted to an okonomiyaki-focused business around 1972. This carefully developed recipe is said to have been created by a chef from the Parlor Yukari era. Although the flavor of the sauce has changed with the times, the restaurant has maintained its commitment to the recipe for more than half a century.

The online store is also a good option for anyone who wants to enjoy Okonomiyaki Yukari at home. It offers a wide selection of sets that are ready to eat after simply thawing them in the microwave. Its popular, carefully crafted okonomiyaki sauce and mayonnaise are also sold separately.

The class is currently offered at 2 locations: the Sonezaki Flagship Restaurant and KITTE Osaka.

This okonomiyaki experience is popular with tourists, school trips, and company outings. This time, we tried it at the KITTE Osaka location, newly opened in February 2026!

The class follows the schedule below.

The staff provided such careful instruction that even beginners and people who are not confident cooks can take part with peace of mind. If you have questions about doneness, flipping, or anything else, the professional okonomiyaki staff will help! Another convenient point is that you can participate without bringing anything. You also receive a cooking guide written in Japanese, English, and Simplified Chinese, so if you forget what to do, you can review the steps. This makes the class very welcoming for international visitors. Travel itineraries often become packed, but because you eat the finished okonomiyaki on the spot, the activity and meal are combined into approximately 100 minutes. It felt like an efficient use of time.

The class itself includes only the 1 Special Mixed Okonomiyaki you make, but you can place additional orders for staff-cooked okonomiyaki, yakisoba, and other dishes. It is interesting to compare your own okonomiyaki with one cooked by the staff. Mine was delicious, but the staff-made version was exceptionally fluffy and clearly reflected the skill of professionals who know exactly how to mix and cook it!

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

As its name suggests, KITTE Osaka is a commercial complex located on the former site of the Osaka Central Post Office; “kitte” means postage stamp in Japanese. Each Okonomiyaki Yukari location offers its own original creative okonomiyaki, and the KITTE Osaka exclusive is the Nishi-Umeda-yaki.

Its ingredients include sliced mochi, cod sheets, pork belly, squid, and shrimp. Look closely at the cod sheet and you will see that its edges are cut into serrations. It has a familiar shape fitting for okonomiyaki served at KITTE Osaka! Exclusive to this location, it is a dish that appeals in both appearance and flavor.

The okonomiyaki is finished right before your eyes, adding a lively sense of excitement. Personally, I found that the sliced mochi added a pleasant contrast in texture and made it especially delicious! I ate both the okonomiyaki I made and a Nishi-Umeda-yaki, and I was completely full. One may feel slightly insufficient on its own, so ordering several to share with friends seems like a good idea.

The KITTE Osaka location also has a photogenic spot near the entrance: the Golden Spatula. Take a commemorative Osaka photo in front of this enormous golden spatula, which is taller than an adult!

The interior walls feature Osaka icons such as Tsutenkaku Tower, Osaka Castle, and Osaka aunties, providing plenty of photo opportunities.

The KITTE Osaka location has many promotional products, and souvenirs can also be purchased here.