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1
Grate the nagaimo directly into the dashi. Whisk in the eggs until uniform. Sift in the flour and stir briefly — the batter should just come together. Fold in the tenkasu. The batter is ready when it coats a spoon lightly and shows no dry flour; do not overwork it.
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2
OSAKA-STYLE — Add the finely shredded cabbage, and chosen toppings (pork belly, squid, shrimp, or mochi) to the batter. Fold together with the minimum number of strokes. Rest the combined mass briefly so the batter begins to hydrate the cabbage. The mixture is ready when the cabbage glistens and the batter clings to every strand without pooling at the base of the bowl.
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3
Heat a teppan or heavy flat griddle over a medium flame until a drop of water skips across the surface. Portion the Osaka mixture onto the griddle as a thick round cake. Lay sliced pork belly across the top surface. Cook without pressing until the underside is set and deep golden — lift one edge to check the colour. This is where the dish lives or dies: if the batter is pressed down at this stage, moisture escapes and the airy structure built by the nagaimo collapses irreversibly.
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4
Flip the Osaka pancake once, with a single confident motion, and cook the second side until firm to a light press at the centre and coloured to match the first side. The pancake is done when it yields a gentle resistance — not liquid beneath — when the spatula is pressed flat against it.
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5
HIROSHIMA-STYLE — On the heated teppan, pour a thin round of plain batter and spread to a wide crêpe. Before it sets, pile a high mound of raw shredded cabbage, bean sprouts, and chosen toppings on top; lay pork belly slices over the mound. Allow the base crêpe to set firm at the edges — it will show a matte, dry ring around a still-translucent centre.
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6
Place the pre-cooked yakisoba noodles alongside the tower on the griddle and warm them briefly. Slide the noodle layer under the cabbage mound. Using two spatulas, compress the entire tower firmly and deliberately into a consolidated cake. The tower is ready to flip when it holds its shape under lateral pressure without splaying.
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7
Flip the Hiroshima tower as a single mass onto the noodle side. Crack one egg per pancake onto the cleared griddle surface, break the yolk, and spread it to the diameter of the pancake. Slide the inverted pancake onto the egg and allow the egg to cook and adhere. The pancake is done when the egg layer is set and opaque at the edges with no translucent raw centre visible.
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8
Transfer to a board or serve directly from the griddle. Apply okonomi sauce in broad strokes, then Kewpie mayonnaise. Scatter aonori and finish with katsuobushi applied while the pancake is still hot. The bonito flakes will visibly animate — lifting and curling from the rising heat — confirming the pancake is at serving temperature.