[Eat] Japan, Osaka - Okonomiyaki Dinner at Hatsuse (はつせ)

Always wanted to try and make my own Okonomiyaki in Japan. I got a chance to do so in one of my trip to where the origin of Okonomiyaki came from, Osaka. A restaurant that was introduced by my Japanese friend who got to know that I would like to visit a restaurant where I could make my own okonomiyaki.

Hatsuse (はつせ)

One of the famous self-made okonomiyaki restaurant situated at the busy street at sennichimae where all the delicious gourmet lies. It is also one of the oldest okonomiyaki restaurants in Osaka.

Little to know:

Okonomiyaki is a Japanese savoury pancake with a variety of ingredients. And it has different variety and ingredient according to the different region you are in.

Okonomi means “how you like” or “what you like”, and yaki means “grill”. So in a way, it means “grill as you like”.

Where?

– Subway Namba station exit B21, 3 Min walk
– Nankai line Namba station exit 5, 1 min walk

Cost?

Set Course

1,500Yen -2,100Yen per person( w/tax)

À la carte

700Yen-1,500Yen

For more information: http://www.hatsuse.net/?p=oy1

Interior

Good thing for dining at this restaurant is you will be given individual tatami room. One more good point, you can enjoy your own cooking and have a great chat with your friends as there is no time limit for dining.

Hotplate was heated, and the food/ingredient was served fast.

What did we order?

As our friend helped us ordered a course meal, upon our arrival we will just need to choose what type of ingredients we want. Sennichimae Course meal Includes an Appetiser, Okonomiyaki or Sobayaki (Pork, squid, Prawn), TeppanyakiMoriawase (Assorted Teppanyaki), Yuzu sorbet.

We ordered 2 okonomiyaki and 2 sobayaki: Pork, Ika(squid) Okonomiyaki and Pork ,Ebi(prawn) sobayaki

Seafood and vegetable Yaki

Dinner for the night

Appetiser: Edamame and beer

Teppanyaki set:

Okonomiyaki and Sobayaki:

I made Hiroshima sobayaki before but the steps and ingredients were quite different in Osaka, so you can see the sobayaki below looks a little out of shape.

Tips: For first-timer who had not done this before and really bad at cooking, you can request the staff to help you out, and also ask for the instruction menu where they have step by step guidance.

Overall:

The food was delicious and the portion served was large, and we couldn’t finish all of it. My Japanese friend said that we went at the right time where the seafood tastes the best in the south of Japan at that period of time.

Actually, for me, I felt that okonomiyaki taste all the same as the ingredients prepared for you were raw, and you just have to cook it. What made it taste so good would be its’ sauce that you put on top at the end.

Side story:

Do head down to the Glico Man nearby to have a photo shoot, after your dinner.
He is “upgraded” into a colourful Glico Man, and the background will change into different themes. Looks so beautiful.