This should really be called “Faux-konomiyaki,” because it’s not the real deal.
Okonomiyaki is a Japanese pancake made with eggs, cabbage, Japanese mountain yam and a smattering of other delicious things.
This is the last of my 52 omelettes. And I saved the most interesting for last.
Everything goes full circle.
One of the first street food experiences of my life was okonomiyaki. It was from a little cart, in a market under a bridge in Ueno district, way back in 2007, on my first trip overseas.
It was one of the most significant moments of my life.
It was the epitome of foreign. The flavours were unlike anything I’d tasted before; odd, confusing, curious. And if I’m being completely honest, I didn’t love it. Not at first.
Yet it stayed with me. Long after that first experience, I started to crave it. Out of nowhere, without explanation, I would have a strange longing for this odd Japanese pancake.
Many years passed before I had it again. I made it at home. And it hit me hard. The nostalgia, the memories of the market, the perfectly organized chaos of Tokyo, the sights, smells, sounds, rain and umbrellas (IYKYK).
So when I first started this omelette project, okonomiyaki was early on the list. Turning a pancake into an omelette is an easy task. But I wanted to save it for last.
I wanted to save this one for a special occasion. And these flavours aren’t something most people will jump into on first pass.
But if you’ve made it this far, you’ve thrown some strange stuff into folded eggs. So why not keep going?
Most of these ingredients can be found at any Asian grocery store. If you don’t want to commit to a bottle of okonomiyaki sauce, you could make a quick version with ketchup, oyster sauce, Worcestershire sauce and sugar.
This is all about the filling. Make the physical omelette in any style you like.
Amounts are not exact, just suggestions. These recipes are general guidelines roughly aimed towards single egg, individual portions unless otherwise mentioned. Adjust as necessary. Play around. Have fun.
Season everything to taste with salt and pepper.
Disclaimer: Though unlikely, eating undercooked eggs can cause illness.
- 1 strip Bacon, sliced (typically you would use uncured pork belly, but that’s not something most people have on hand)
- 1/4 cup Cabbage, shredded thin
- 1/2 tsp Pickled Ginger, sliced thin
- 1 tsp Panko (Japanese Bread Crumbs)
- 1 Egg, beaten
- 1 tsp Panko (Japanese Bread Crumbs)
- Kewpie Mayonnaise
- Okonomiyaki Sauce
- 1/2 tsp Nori (Dried Seaweed), sliced thin
- 1/2 tsp Bonito Flakes
- Green Onions, sliced thin
- Cook bacon in a pan over medium heat until crisp. Remove from pan and set aside. Leave some bacon fat in the pan and save the rest.
- Add cabbage and cook until soft but not browned. Remove from pan and set aside.
- Mix bacon, cabbage and pickled ginger into the beaten egg. Let sit for at least 5 minutes, preferably longer.
- Heat a little bacon fat in a clean pan over medium-low heat. Stir 1 tsp panko crumbs into egg mixture and add it to the pan, spreading it around into a nice circle.
- After around 30 seconds, using a spatula, carefully flip the omelette to cook the other side. Continue cooking for around 30 seconds longer.
- Slide omelette onto a plate, drizzle with kewpie mayo and okonomiyaki sauce. Top with nori, bonito flakes and green onions.
- Serve.