Visited on December 27, 2021 for a business trip dining alone. My usual spot was full, so I got turned away from the sushi place. Now, what should I eat? I also want to have a little drink. Passed by a food stall village. Alright. Let's try going in here. [Okonomiyaki Yoo-chan] The owner was running the place by himself. At first, it was a bit awkward being just the two of us (laughs) Well, however. As time passed, he started chatting with me more, and I had a fun meal. I found out about the owner's background and life story, and I felt that he had an interesting way of living. Had pork kimchi okonomiyaki, yakisoba, tamagoyaki, and a few drinks. Thank you for the meal ^^;

Hiroshima okonomiyaki restaurant in Kitami Jiman Village. I was curious about it, but I was already full and thought it would be difficult to eat just one okonomiyaki. However, when I peeked inside, I found out that they offer takeout for all items. That changes everything. I decided to get a Hiroshima okonomiyaki and a deliciously spicy kimchi yakisoba to go. I can take them to my friend's place later and have a taste. First, I tried the kimchi yakisoba. The portion is quite big. It doesn't look very spicy at first, but oh, this is delicious. The combination of kimchi and yakisoba is great. It's lighter than the usual sauce, and I actually like it. Oh, the spiciness hits you later on! It's quite spicy. This would be perfect as a beer snack. Now, onto the Hiroshima okonomiyaki. I've had okonomiyaki from street stalls and touristy places before, and they were just okay. But this one is delicious! The thin batter makes it feel like I'm eating yakisoba with cabbage, though. The mayo is surprisingly tasty. Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki from a proper restaurant is really good. However, even though the taste is satisfying, I feel like the large portion might be challenging for those who come for a second or third round in Jiman Village. It might be a good idea to offer a half portion of yakisoba or add grilled dishes like oysters, scallops, squid, and shrimp to attract customers for a casual drink.

I visited this restaurant for the third time. It was past 2 am, with one customer before me and two customers after me. I ordered okonomiyaki and beer, and the beer glass was ice cold. The batter and noodles were crispy, which may be a matter of personal preference, but I enjoyed them.

This is our fifth stop today. We started with two people, and now we are three. We had a good time eating our way through different places. Today, we even squeezed in some wine in between, but none of us ended up being clumsy or a disaster. The fifth stop was chosen by the youngest one, right? It's a okonomiyaki restaurant called Kitami Jiman Village. It's like a food stall village. Isn't this a new place? I remember this used to be a vacant shop. I sit at the short end of the L-shaped counter. The previous customers were an elderly man and woman, but they are not a couple. It's a bit suspicious. The owner is a tall, skinny man handling the teppan grill alone. I order a beer, and it comes in a frosty mug. I love ice-cold beer, but this might be a bit too much. The beer feels diluted. I couldn't quite figure out what the other two ordered from the photos. What is the "otōshi"? We ordered okonomiyaki, and I appreciate that they cut it into three pieces for us. I watched them cook, but it didn't seem very professional. I hate to say it, but it was quite amateurish. They kept peeling off the batter and adding more oil underneath. It felt a bit rough. And when they flipped it, the cabbage scattered everywhere. They had to gather it back up and put it back on top. It's like Hiroshima-yaki, right? It has yakisoba in it. I should have just ordered yakisoba. As for the okonomiyaki itself, I'm not sure. I'm not an expert, so I don't mind, but it didn't taste like a delicious okonomiyaki. The surface was too hard from excessive oil, and even though they cut it into three pieces, the presentation was sloppy. It was just not quite there. Maybe they will improve with practice. It's a new place, so I want to support them and wish them the best. But it seems like they opened the restaurant not as professionals, but to become professionals. So, Papa is like a guinea pig, and we are like practice partners. Yome-san said it's a 2.0 at best, and I agree. But, with all that said, let's support them.

In November 2018, I visited four bars in Kitami, and one of the purposes of this trip was to visit the shop called "Yochan" that I saw in Holy Papa's review. Even though it was late at night, there were about two groups waiting outside. The young owner was working hard at grilling. I waited for about 30 minutes, and finally, the Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki was ready. It was divided into three portions, but the presentation was a bit lacking. The grilling style seemed to be the same as when Holy Papa tried it. I couldn't really judge the taste because it was a bit undercooked. Hopefully, they will attract regular customers soon. After finishing the meal, I wandered the streets alone...

This is in Kitami. I ate yakitori at the second place. I haven't moved around just by JR, so I'm not hungry, but I want to eat carbohydrates. Across from the yakitori shop, there is a place called Kitami Jiman Village. I cross the road and go there, and lo and behold, there is a Hiroshima okonomiyaki restaurant! I decide to go in. There are no other customers. Since it's already open, I have no choice but to enter. I don't need any more alcohol, so I order oolong tea and okonomiyaki. Huh? Kimchi? A 300 yen appetizer? I should have just ordered the oolong tea! They don't even have water. It's probably because they specialize in nighttime service, right? He starts grilling earnestly. The yakisoba is burnt. He starts grilling the batter. Lots of oil. He keeps adding oil to grill the batter. Again and again... He adds cabbage, meat, shrimp, etc. Finally, he adds eggs. A young person who started his own business after quitting his job in September this year. He's still inexperienced, but how's the taste? The batter and yakisoba are too oily and overcooked, right? It's tough... The cabbage is good though. Maybe it should be a bit looser. Keep researching and practicing so you can perform better! Right now, it's obvious that you're inexperienced. The bill is 1,600 yen... Keep working hard to improve! Since it's still early in the business, I'll give it a +0.5 service. Thank you for the meal.

The Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki I had was quite different from what I've had before. The batter was overcooked and crispy, the noodles were also overcooked and crispy, and the cabbage was not piled high and lacked sweetness. It lacked the overall harmony of flavors that you would expect from okonomiyaki. If I were to eat here again, I would opt for the yakisoba instead. Unfortunately, I wouldn't come back for the okonomiyaki.

First of all, there are no images this time. I just didn't feel like taking any. So, I went to "Yo-chan" to try Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki. I ordered okonomiyaki and some drinks. The appetizer was kimchi... but it was like regular kimchi mixed with chili peppers. It was so spicy that it upset my stomach. Meanwhile, they started spreading the batter thinly on the grill. And for some reason, they were spraying oil on the batter. Why? A storm of "Why?" Then they piled a bunch of cabbage on top. I was wondering why so much cabbage! But then I realized they were grabbing a handful of cabbage and cooking it on the grill instead of on the batter. I ordered the 1,000 yen Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki, but is this all the cabbage you're giving me, boss? Well, maybe it's a style with less cabbage but more fillings? The batter was getting crispy. It was like an "edible plate." I remembered the words of the president of a popular ramen shop on "Money Tigers." "It's the beginning of a new era." Indeed, they started stir-frying the cabbage on the grill. The fillings were... pork and tenkasu... or was it moyashi... did they have it? It's so ahead of its time that my memory is failing me (laughs). They stir-fried the noodles, mixed them with sauce, and let them sit for a while... Oh, it's like a "firm yakisoba" style? A Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki with a crispy batter, a minimal amount of cabbage, tenkasu, pork, firm yakisoba, and a new-style egg. They couldn't even include the word "Hiroshima" in it. They served it on a hot plate, so it was piping hot. I took a bite. The batter was so crispy that it felt like it could cut my mouth (laughs). The yakisoba was also crispy. A customer who came in later asked if they were from Hiroshima. They said they were from Kitami and learned Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki in Tokyo... Oh, I see. They must have learned the okonomiyaki of the future? If you think of it as a delicious new-style okonomiyaki, you can enjoy it. A fluffy, thin batter with a lot of cabbage, moyashi, squid tempura (or tenkasu), topped with yakisoba and egg. This restaurant may not be suitable for those expecting traditional Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki. Once again, I'll quote the famous words of the "Money Tigers" tiger: "If you're served something basic in such a playful manner, it's unacceptable. Don't mess around, you idiot! That's what I'd say." In conclusion, the Otafuku sauce is an amazing "spice" that makes it taste delicious.