Hiroshima Style — Okonomiyaki and Regional Variations

Ingredients

• For the crepe base
• 4 eggs, one per portion, for the base batter
• 400 ml water
• 12 tbsp (approx. 90 g) plain flour, 3 tablespoons per portion — batter must be very thin
• For the layers
• 600 g green cabbage, shredded
• 400 g pork belly, thinly sliced
• 200 g bean sprouts
• 400 g yakisoba noodles, pre-cooked before layering — not raw
• 4 eggs, cracked and spread thin over the noodle layer, one per portion
• 4 tbsp yakisoba sauce, to dress the noodles before layering
• To finish
• 4 tbsp Otafuku okonomiyaki sauce, sweeter and more concentrated than Worcestershire-style; applied after the flip
• 4 tbsp Japanese mayonnaise, drizzled over the finished disc
• 4 tsp aonori, dried green seaweed; scattered over as final garnish

Method

1. 1
   Pre-cook the yakisoba noodles on the teppan or griddle with a small amount of yakisoba sauce. Toss until the sauce coats and the noodles are heated through. Remove and set aside. The noodle layer must be fully cooked before it enters the construction — raw noodles in the stack cannot be corrected later.
2. 2
   Heat the flat iron griddle or large flat pan to a consistent medium-high heat across its surface. Mix one egg, 100 ml water and 3 tablespoons flour per portion into a very thin batter. Pour one portion of batter onto the griddle and spread immediately to a thin, even crepe. The crepe is the structural foundation of the entire construction — if it tears during the flip, the disc collapses. Cook until the surface is just set and the underside is pale gold: the crepe must hold without cracking when a spatula is slid beneath it.
3. 3
   While the base is still on the heat, pile one quarter of the shredded cabbage onto the crepe in a mound. Lay slices of pork belly across the cabbage, then scatter one quarter of the bean sprouts over the pork. The construction is stacked, not mixed — each stratum occupies its own plane. Do not press or flatten. Wait: the cabbage mountain will reduce to approximately half its original height as it steams. This reduction must be observed before proceeding — do not rush it. The moment the cabbage pile has visibly halved in height is the signal the steam has done its work.
4. 4
   Place one portion of the pre-cooked, sauced yakisoba noodles across the top of the bean sprout layer, spreading them to match the diameter of the crepe below. This chewy, starchy stratum is the defining distinction of Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki — absent in Osaka-style, it provides the structural middle register of the disc. Crack one egg onto the griddle directly beside the stack; spread it into a thin round matching the disc's diameter. Working quickly, invert the entire construction — crepe side up — onto the spread egg, pressing gently with the spatula. The disc is now inverted: egg layer on the base, crepe on top. The egg must be soft enough to bond but not fully set when the flip is made.
5. 5
   Press the disc very gently with the spatula to unify the layers. Cook until the egg layer on the underside is fully set and no raw egg is visible at the edges. The base should be audibly quiet — any vigorous sizzle from residual moisture signals the egg is not yet done.
6. 6
   Transfer the disc to a plate, egg-side down. Apply Otafuku okonomiyaki sauce across the surface, then drizzle Japanese mayonnaise, and finish with a scatter of aonori. Serve immediately: the textural distinction between the crisp crepe, steamed cabbage, and chewy noodle layer is the dish's purpose and diminishes with time.