Okonomiyaki is simply fun comfort food! If you don’t know what it is – okonomiyaki a type of japanese pancake with batter, eggs, cabbage, pickled ginger and a variety of fillings… decorated in japanese mayo, okonomiyaki sauce and a few other things. The name is derived from the word okonomi, meaning ‘what you like’ or and yaki meaning ‘grilled’
Okonomiyaki is mainly associated with Kansai and Hiroshima areas of Japan, but you can get it anywhere in the country. Topping, fillings and batters tend to vary by area. A more modern style has evolved, topping okonomiyaki off with yakisoba noodles.
Before I learnt how to make Okonomiyaki at home, and following my trip to Japan eating Okonomiyaki in Kyoto, Osaka and then at Okonomimura (Okonomiyaki World) in Hiroshima, I was craving and looking for a place in London where I could eat it.
So I googled for a place and Abeno popped up. Abeno is located on a quiet side street between Leicester Sq and Upper St. Martins Lane. There is a central counter seating and a few tables by the window. In font of you is a hot plate / griddle (teppan) on which some of your food will be cooked… so hide your coat away in the chest they give you to sit on… as you will of smell divine fried goodness after
Abeno takes the spirit of the regional differences, and has a range of Okonomiyaki types from your standard toppings of pork, bacon & cheese (think this is an adaptation to London), prawn or tofu… to various mixes by region: Tokyo mix (pork, squid and prawn) , Osaka (pork, kimchi and prawn), Kobe (fillet steak) plus many others. They even have a London one (pork, bacon, cheese and SALMON!!!), which just sounds wrong…. I don’t think I’ll be trying that one anytime soon. The Abeno special however sounds pretty cool… one day.. one day…
Also served up are various dishes from the usual sashimi and edamame, to gyoza, squid sauteed in garlic, fried pork with ginger, fried pork with kimchi, various onigiri, salads and yakisoba. They even have Om-Soba… which is yakisoba noodles wrapped in an omlette, with various fillings… but back to the main reason I went.. okonomiyaki.
Abeno Too - Osaka Type Okonomiyaki Cooking Away
I had the Osaka one which had Kimchi, Prawns and Pork. The first time I went I had the Tokyo one which had Squid, Prawns and Pork. Okonomiyaki come in a deleuxe and super deleuxe size with prices starting at £8.50. I went for the smaller one as it can be heavy. The mix is prepared in front of you and set up to cook by the waitress right in front of you.
Abeno Too - Osaka Type Okonomiyaki
Once done its decorated in japanese mayo, aonori (green seaweed flakes), okonomiyaki sauce and piled high with bonito flakes… and I like a lot of bonito on mine.
Abeno Too - Osaka Type Okonomiyaki
The okonomiyaki was nice soft and fluffy… but perhaps lacked a little salt. This was true of both of my visits there. It was a little bland.. which was surprising given there was kimchi in it, so I added more sauce. Pork was cooked nice an crispy though. All in all I liked it, but perhaps not the best okonomiyaki I’ve had (perhaps I’m comparing it to ones I had in Japan which isn’t fair I guess), but I would always go back as Abeno is a fun place to eat, with some fun dishes. With a drink and a starter your bill would be around £20 – £30 a head.
Abeno Too is located at 17 – 18 Great Newport Street, London, WC2H 7JE.
