Hotels near Okonomimura

Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki is layered rather than mixed, which is the argument the city has with Osaka. A thin crepe goes down first, then a mound of shredded cabbage, bean sprouts, pork belly, a nest of fried yakisoba or udon noodles, and an egg on top, finished with a sweet-savoury sauce. It is assembled in front of you on a hot plate and eaten with a metal spatula.

Okonomimura stacks around 24 small independent stalls across four floors of one building in Shintenchi, each with its own griddle counter and its own regulars. The format dates to post-war street carts that were gathered into a permanent building in 1992. Expect to pay JPY 900 to 1,400 and to sit at the counter rather than a table.

Pro Tip: Skip the second floor, which catches most of the tourist traffic, and climb to the third or fourth where the stalls are quieter and the cooks have more time. Ask for soba rather than udon if you want the crisper version.