Okonomiyaki (savory Japanese pancakes) in Saitama Prefecture! 9 picks by area, centered on Saitama City

Photograph:ハル@東京グルメ

"Teppan Dining Mogura" is a Teppan-yaki restaurant in Omiya Ichibangai Shotengai (Omiya First Street Shopping District). On the teppan in the center of the restaurant, the chefs put on a lively cooking performance.

The restaurant has calm lighting and jazz playing, giving it a grown-up atmosphere. Even though it is in Saitama's busiest downtown area, you can still relax and take your time there.

Photograph:Megrei

The “Mogura tokusei okonomiyaki (Mogura special savory pancake)” is packed with cabbage and has a crisp, crunchy texture. It is said to be thick and very filling.

You can also enjoy other varieties, such as the “butatama okonomiyaki (pork savory pancake)” made with pork and the “mochi cheese okonomiyaki (rice cake and cheese savory pancake)” with the rich taste of cheese.

Photograph:たいむまん

The menu centers on Teppan-yaki, with a wide lineup that includes okonomiyaki (savory Japanese pancake), seafood, a la carte dishes, and desserts. They also serve many kinds of steak, including Outside skirt, Strip loin, and Tenderloin.

One of the best parts of Teppan-yaki is that you can request how you want it cooked.

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Janjan, about a 5-minute walk from JR Kita-Urawa Station, is an izakaya loved by Saitama locals where you can enjoy a lineup of Osaka gourmet dishes.

The interior has a bright and lively feel, with a compact total of 25 seats. Sports are shown on the TV, and on game days the whole place comes together and gets excited.

Photograph:みくり坊や

You can enjoy Kansai-style okonomiyaki (savory Japanese pancake) made by mixing the ingredients into the batter before grilling. The standard choice is the "Osaka Meibutsu (Osaka specialty) Butatama with a soft and fluffy batter full of yamaimo (Japanese mountain yam)," a classic okonomiyaki said to be packed with cabbage and pork.

People say you can fully enjoy a flavor loved in Osaka right here in Saitama.

Photograph:do_it0913

"Kushikatsu" is also one of Osaka’s signature local foods. It is a kushiage (deep-fried skewer) dish made by skewering ingredients such as meat, vegetables, and seafood on bamboo sticks and frying them until crisp.

Another feature is that it is served with sauce in a silver container. There is also a local Osaka rule that you dip each skewer in the sauce only once.

Photograph:☆planetlove☆

Osaka Bar Eeyan is a casual place where you can enjoy Osaka’s famous local food in a bar-style setting. It has a full lineup of popular dishes including okonomiyaki (savory pancake), takoyaki (octopus balls), and kushikatsu (deep-fried skewers).

The hideaway-like space, decorated with stylish interiors throughout, is part of the appeal. They also offer a wide selection of drinks.

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The grilled dishes are said to be made healthy with plenty of tororo (grated yam) kneaded into the batter.

The “Fuwatoro Okonomiyaki (fluffy and creamy savory pancake)” is said to have a crisp outside and a soft, melty batter inside. There is also a wide range of flavor variations, including a light ponzu sauce version and okonomiyaki topped with plenty of green onions.

Photograph:⌇rina

The takoyaki batter is also said to be excellent, and the “fuwatoro takoyaki (soft and gooey takoyaki)” is known for its rich dashi flavor, letting you enjoy an authentic Osaka taste. This classic style of takoyaki is made by adding octopus to the batter and cooking it into perfectly round balls.

They also offer many kinds of sauce, which makes it easy to share.

Photograph:チワワちゃん0228

The okonomiyaki (savory Japanese pancake) features a light, fluffy batter made with plenty of yamaimo (Japanese mountain yam) and real dashi (Japanese soup stock). You can also get a lesson on how to cook it, and they even provide a timer to measure the cooking time. Even first-time visitors can feel at ease.

With a wide range of ingredients including meat and seafood, you can enjoy all kinds of combinations.

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They offer an All you can eat course where you can enjoy as many grilled items as you like within the time limit. Even just the okonomiyaki lineup includes 12 varieties.

Monjayaki, a Tokyo shitamachi (old downtown) specialty that you cook while mixing, and yakisoba, which is perfect to finish the meal, are also All you can eat.

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Waizu Urawa Ten is a local chain Teppan-yaki restaurant with locations mainly in Saitama. This large restaurant has about 150 seats in total, with box seats and zashiki (tatami seating), and many families and groups visit.

With support from the staff, guests can cook the food themselves and have a fun time.

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The batter is said to be soft and light, bringing out the sweetness of the cabbage and other ingredients. The secret sauce has just the right acidity, making it taste light and refreshing.

The most popular item is the "Waizu-ten." It contains pork, mochi (pounded rice cake), and yamaimo (Japanese mountain yam), with the richness of cheese as an accent.

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To finish the meal, many people order the "Waizu yakisoba (fried noodles)." It is a flavor packed yakisoba with big pieces of pork, squid, and octopus.

They recommend giving it a quick stir fry so it cooks through, then eating it while changing up the taste with mayonnaise and sauce.

Photograph:nogourman

This okonomiyaki restaurant is located inside the commercial complex Urawa Parco, just a 1-minute walk from JR Urawa Station. You can casually enjoy Teppan-yaki dishes made with carefully selected ingredients and dashi (Japanese soup stock) while taking a break from shopping.

The space has a calm atmosphere with a Japanese modern theme. The staff cook the food at your table, so you can relax and enjoy your meal.

Photograph:はんなりどうふ⭐️

The okonomiyaki (Japanese savory pancake) is made with top quality flour and mountain yam for a light, fluffy finish, and people say it tastes great thanks to the deep dashi made from seafood and Domestic chicken bones.

The photo shows the “Marugoto Camembert Cheese no Mille-Feuille Yaki,” which is mixed in and cooked. When you cut into the finished okonomiyaki, rich melted cheese flows out from the center, giving it a full, satisfying flavor.

Photograph:Saitama-Gourmet

The oyster okonomiyaki (savory pancake) with large Hiroshima kaki (oysters) uses plenty of oysters from Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan’s top production region. Their rich flavor is said to soak right into the batter.

Cooking them gives the kaki a plump, springy texture, and wrapping them in the batter helps keep all that juiciness locked in.

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Noneka Okonomiyaki is an okonomiyaki restaurant quietly tucked away in a residential area of Koshigaya, founded in 1986. It is a community rooted spot that locals of all generations visit.

The restaurant has tatami seating in a Sunken kotatsu seating style where you can relax and take your time. Since the ventilation ducts are running, the smoke from Teppan-yaki is not much of a concern, and the space feels clean.

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The standard dish at this restaurant is Nonaka-yaki. It is made with a completely additive-free batter using Hokkaido wheat and a strong seafood dashi stock.

Its signature style is to bind sweet cabbage and pork with egg, locking in all the flavor. At your table, the staff will finish cooking it to perfection.

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The “Fuwapo” series is an original okonomiyaki (Japanese savory pancake) with a cute shape that looks just like a pancake.

They say you can enjoy its fluffy and creamy texture made with a unique method. There are toppings like cheese and seafood, and the most popular is said to be plump shrimp.

Photograph:河井継之助

Aoi Yume Asaka Ten, about a 3-minute walk from Kita-Asaka Station, is a place where you can enjoy fluffy okonomiyaki (savory Japanese pancake) made with plenty of Domestic yamato-imo (Japanese mountain yam).

Inside, the space is casual and lively, with a fun izakaya-like atmosphere, filled with the sounds of Teppan-yaki cooking and the nice aroma drifting through the air.

Photograph:カナポリーヌ

A distinctive batter made without using any flour as a binder, finished using only Domestic yamaimo (Japanese yam). Its irresistibly light and airy texture is a big part of the appeal.

The most popular item is "Hekiten," a mix of shrimp, squid, and octopus. Another nice point is that it is served cut into bite-size pieces.

Photograph:汁なしオヤジ

Kujo negi-yaki (griddled green onion pancake) is a type of Teppan-yaki similar to okonomiyaki. It uses plenty of green onions, held together with just a little batter.

The crisp texture and flavor of the green onions take center stage. It is said to be a perfect dish to go with drinks, enjoyed in a light way with soy sauce or ponzu sauce.

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Okonomiyaki BanBan House, about a 5-minute walk from Shin-Tokorozawa Station, is a popular spot for Hiroshima-fu okonomiyaki (Hiroshima-style savory pancake) made with chewy noodles. It also gets good reviews for its wide variety of menu items, including Teppan-yaki dishes and small plates.

There are 50 seats in total, with table seating and zashiki (tatami floor seating), among others.

Photograph:Nobuppe

Hiroshimayaki (Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki) is a type of okonomiyaki loved in Hiroshima Prefecture, made with plenty of vegetables and yakisoba (fried noodles) wrapped in egg.

It is topped with a rich sauce, and the soft, creamy texture of the egg blends into a very tasty whole. The vegetables steam up nicely inside, bringing out their natural sweetness.

Photograph:Nobuppe

They offer a wide range of snack-style dishes made on the Teppan-yaki grill. They are perfect to pair with drinks.

The "Setto-yaki (assorted grilled seafood)" is a simple plate of large pieces of seafood grilled with butter. By cooking everything at once on the Teppan-yaki grill, the natural texture of the ingredients really stands out. It is packed with squid, shrimp, and scallops.