Okonomiyaki Hiroshima Style (Layered vs Mixed — Technique Difference)

Ingredients

• 150 g all-purpose flour, or cake flour
• 160 ml dashi, bonito and kombu, chilled
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 10 g baking powder
• 3 g sea salt
• 150 g napa cabbage, thinly sliced
• 100 g peeled shrimp, medium, halved lengthwise
• 50 g pork belly, thinly sliced
• 30 g pickled ginger, beni-shoga, thinly sliced
• 30 g yakisoba noodles, pre-cooked (optional, for layering)
• 45 ml neutral oil, vegetable or peanut, divided
• 60 ml okonomiyaki sauce, Bulldog or Otafuku brand
• 20 g bonito flakes, katsuobushi, loosely packed
• 10 g aonori, seaweed powder
• 30 g Japanese mayonnaise, Kewpie brand

Method

1. 1
   Whisk flour, dashi, egg, baking powder, and sea salt together until a thick, smooth batter forms; let rest 5 minutes.
2. 2
   Heat 22 ml neutral oil in a 25 cm non-stick skillet or takoyaki pan over medium-high heat for 1 minute until shimmering.
3. 3
   Pour half the batter onto the skillet; spread to a thin, even 1 cm layer; immediately layer napa cabbage, shrimp, and pork belly on top in distinct strips.
4. 4
   Once the base begins to set and edges crisp slightly (2–3 minutes), carefully slide the spatula under the okonomiyaki and flip; press gently with the spatula.
5. 5
   Drizzle the uncooked side with remaining batter to bind the toppings; cook for another 2 minutes until the second side is set and ingredients are warm.
6. 6
   Transfer to a cutting board; slice into 8 wedges using a takoyaki pick or chopstick.
7. 7
   Arrange wedges on a warm plate; drizzle with okonomiyaki sauce in a crosshatch pattern, pipe Kewpie mayonnaise in parallel lines, and scatter bonito flakes and aonori over the top.
8. 8
   Serve immediately while the bonito flakes curl from the heat.