A Tiny Okonomiyaki Shop Run by a Grandma | Osaka, Japan

Ramen, check. ✅
Takoyaki, check. ✅

So what's next? Aha~ okonomiyaki! 😁 Nothing beats an authentic one.

we wandered in the street and saw a tiny okonomiyaki shop. At first, we were not sure if this was the shop Google Maps was taking us. But, yeah, it looked like it had the big "okonomiyaki" sign on top of the shop.

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The shop was manned by an old lady, probably around 80 years old. She did not look like 80 at all. 😊 She was swift and organized.

We sat in front of the teppan (griddle) because we wanted to see some kitchen action, haha. 😊 It was a small space with a kitchen and teppan covering half of it. Grandma asked us if we were tourists and that was where our conversation started as the old lady started heating the teppan.

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As we were speaking, my other half brain was choosing what to order. The menu was a booklet of clear plastic sheets. Greasy and worn out, that’s how you know grandma has a lot of regular customers. 🥰

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I find it cute that they put pictures of the food so that in case foreigners who can’t read Japanese or English can easily identify the dishes.

I can feel the inflation here as the original prices were crossed out and replaced with a higher one. Totally okay as long as the quality of the food remained the same. We ordered pork okonomiyaki and pork katsu.

The grandma said that it would take a while as she was old and the only one managing everything.

🥺 Aww We were saying daijoubu desu, daijoubu desu, isoide imasen kara (it’s okay, we are not in a rush).

Honestly, there was a lot to see in this shop. I felt like it was a house, and things and trinkets were accumulated through time. Random flower decors, pictures, glass souvenirs, and whatnot.

✨But the place was super clean.✨

It was summer and the heat was double because we were in front of the teppan. So we ordered an iced cold cola to refresh up a little.

Grandma started mixing the batter and the cabbage. She carefully put the batter in the center of the teppan.

_{I have to avoid taking pictures of grandma's face as I do not have permission.}

She squished the top a little to make it flat. Ahh~ the sizzle and aroma made me more hungry. 😋 She flipped the okonomiyaki to reveal the crispy side.

I bet she was so used to making okonomiyaki that her muscle memory knew when to do the flipping. She then brushed the sauce on top while still hot.

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I realized that the chopstick holder was a coral. Ahhh~ So cute! 🥺

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Look at the okonomiyaki goodness~ Crispy on the outside, soft on the inside. Glazed with the brown sauce, bonito flakes, and aonori (seaweed).

I got a perfect balance of umami- sweet and savory. 😋🥰

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On our left were two elders, I guess they were a couple having a night's drink. In my peripheral vision, I know that they were wondering why foreigners go to such places, which are not touristy, haha. 😆I mean, that was our goal- to explore beyond tourist spots.

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Next, we got a big portion of pork katsu. It was served with a cabbage salad drizzled with sesame sauce, pickles, and mashed pumpkin.

Perfectly cooked pork, crispy and tender. Not too breaded, just the right amount of panko crumbs.

The cabbage salad was light and fresh just another contrast of taste. The pumpkin was different for me, kind of discovered a new favorite. 😁

It was light and earthy. It was just a small portion so I have to make every bite worth it.

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Every bite, I wished that I could eat this kind of food every day, haha. 😁

The elders chatter and clink away their drinks, as I was just focusing on the food. I admire grandma for running the shop alone, doing all the cooking and cleaning.

In addition, she was standing all the time in front of the heat. Aside from the food, I loved the atmosphere of the shop, authentic and inviting.

So, I do hope many customers, including tourists, visit the place.

Shop name and location:

お好み焼き みやこ
1-chōme-13 Hanazonominami, Nishinari Ward, Osaka, 557-0015, Japan

Thanks for reading! ✨

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That is it for this blog. I will see you at the next one!
📸 All photos are owned and taken by me, otherwise credited. ©️jijisaurart