A challenge for J. Beisinger.........Okonomiyaki


 
Shaun R

Shaun R

TVWBB Hall of Fame
J. Beisinger, I have been impressed with your cooks and pictures and I could totally see you making this dish.Okonomiyaki (Japanese Pizza) I just don't think I could pull it off. Not only do I think you could pull it off, I think the pictures would be fantastic! Maybe you could help us regular guys find a way to simplify it a little and still get the same effect. C'mon, I hope you will consider it.
 
Yeah Jeff, go for it!!!
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Ok, I'm on it, but I got a do a bit more research first. I'm not familiar with the dish.

it seems like its got a takoyaki feel to it. I've enjoyed a bit of takoyaki and it tends to similarly be piled high with standard, umami toppings (and its foundation is a simple batter).

off to the internets, wish me luck...
 
Originally posted by j biesinger:
Ok, I'm on it, but I got a do a bit more research first. I'm not familiar with the dish.

it seems like its got a takoyaki feel to it. I've enjoyed a bit of takoyaki and it tends to similarly be piled high with standard, umami toppings (and its foundation is a simple batter).

off to the internets, wish me luck...
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I want one of those takoyaki pans now. I have several ideas for one. It looks like there might be an unagi kabayaki sauce on it. Which would taste incredible! It's great to hear you are taking on our version of Iron Chef Japan

Best of luck J.B.!
 
Great idea! I've thought of doing it on the kettle before but never got around to it.
There are several regional variations of this dish, but every once in a while we go to this okonomiyaki joint. Their menu is extensive. Similar to how they're served in Japan they will bring you all the raw ingredients to your table which has a built-in teppan grill. They'll assist you in how it's done but otherwise you're on your own. I love this stuff.
 
I want one of those takoyaki pans now.
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I picked up a cheap CI one, haven't used it yet. I tried to get my wife an electric one so we could cook them at the table. It wasn't that expensive but the shipping from japan was more than the pan itself
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you can see mine hanging in the back on the pegboard.
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It's great to hear you are taking on our version of Iron Chef Japan
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hopefully I wont be the only one trying this
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speaking of the iron chef format, here's what I'm thinking(for a later date):

we get two teams of three (call me a captain and I get to recruit 2 other members for my team). We get the three mvp's to be the judging panel and they can pick the secret ingredient. Once that's announced, each team has to put together 3 dishes (one per team member), one smoked or slow roasted on a kettle or wsm, one grilled, and one anyway (baked, fried, etc).

Submitted pics can be judged on appearance, creativity, and use of secret ingredient.
 
speaking of the iron chef format, here's what I'm thinking(for a later date):

we get two teams of three (call me a captain and I get to recruit 2 other members for my team). We get the three mvp's to be the judging panel and they can pick the secret ingredient. Once that's announced, each team has to put together 3 dishes (one per team member), one smoked or slow roasted on a kettle or wsm, one grilled, and one anyway (baked, fried, etc).

Submitted pics can be judged on appearance, creativity, and use of secret ingredient.
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I'd be up for that, as long as you give us about a month for the comp. as my job has me on the road about 200 days a year, and I don't know my June schedule yet.
 
Mmmmm Okonomiyaki is a firm favourite in my household but only my wife can make it..I've got no idea except the batter base is made from cabbage (Tokyo standard base) and once the base is panfried and set, on goes the bbq plum sauce,egg mayo and bonito(fish) flakes.

Okonomiyaki is more like a Japanese pancake rather than a pizza only that their pancakes usually has all the toppings placed ontop after the base is cooked either in a pan or a flatplate griddle.Australian bbqs are good for this kind of dish because our gassers usually come with half grill bars and half solid hotplate.

The last time I was in Japan which is now about 10 yrs ago now, my wife took me on a tour of Southern Honshu and kyushu and I tried a few different types of Okonomiyaki including the famous Hiroshima base made from Noodles.
The Okonomyaki from Osaka is seafood orientated I beleive but han't tried one yet.

We haven't had Okonomiyaki for some time now so I'll have to wait for my wife to go down to Sydney to get some proper sauce..we are running very low.
The old tummy is rumblin' just by reading these posts.Please don't get me started on Takoyaki...I nearly blew the vacation budget on these alone
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Cheers

Davo
 
Originally posted by j biesinger:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content"> I want one of those takoyaki pans now.
Click to expand...

I picked up a cheap CI one, haven't used it yet. I tried to get my wife an electric one so we could cook them at the table. It wasn't that expensive but the shipping from japan was more than the pan itself
icon_eek.gif


you can see mine hanging in the back on the pegboard.
IMG_5972.JPG


It's great to hear you are taking on our version of Iron Chef Japan
Click to expand...

hopefully I wont be the only one trying this
icon_wink.gif


speaking of the iron chef format, here's what I'm thinking(for a later date):

we get two teams of three (call me a captain and I get to recruit 2 other members for my team). We get the three mvp's to be the judging panel and they can pick the secret ingredient. Once that's announced, each team has to put together 3 dishes (one per team member), one smoked or slow roasted on a kettle or wsm, one grilled, and one anyway (baked, fried, etc).

Submitted pics can be judged on appearance, creativity, and use of secret ingredient. </div></BLOCKQUOTE> J.B. When don't you have meat hanging in the basement?! Cool Tako pan, that's what I will be getting. I may take a ride to Japan Town one day. I am sure they will have one there. As for the challenge, I'm in!
 
we get two teams of three (call me a captain and I get to recruit 2 other members for my team). We get the three mvp's to be the judging panel and they can pick the secret ingredient. Once that's announced, each team has to put together 3 dishes (one per team member), one smoked or slow roasted on a kettle or wsm, one grilled, and one anyway (baked, fried, etc).

Submitted pics can be judged on appearance, creativity, and use of secret ingredient.
Click to expand...

Thats a great idea!

Wanna se that thread
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That pan looks a lot like an aebleskiver pan .
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Its pretty much the exact same concept. I'm not sure if they are somehow related.

I started a new thread for the iron chef business. I figured we might generate more interest, rather than discussing it here. And we can get back to the business of discussing giant, Japanese, cabbage pancakes covered in fish and mayo.

Speaking of okonomiyaki, it might be a couple of weeks before I get around to trying it. I'll post a link to my results in this thread.
 
Okonomeyaki is good stuff. I'm not sure if it would be improved cooked on a grill. It cooks really fast, so a cast iron on the stove works well for me.

It's actually very simple to make. I bet you can use chicken stock or fish stock instead of dashi for similar results. I am not sure if pure water will give you that umami this dish needs. You guys are on the right track with the Takoyaki feel.

Most Asian stores, or even the international aisle of a large supermarket will have the toppings you need. I would reccomend Kewpie mayonnaise instead of the normal stuff for the best taste. Tonkatsu sauce can also be made with simple American ingredients. It's just a mix of ketchup/soy sauce/worchester sauce/ and spices.



Good luck!
 
I started a new thread for the iron chef business. I figured we might generate more interest, rather than discussing it here. And we can get back to the business of discussing giant, Japanese, cabbage pancakes covered in fish and mayo.
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it seems like we lost interest in the iron chef thing. I have a team assembled, we sort of have rules, we're just looking for a challenger
 
Okonomiyaki is wonderful stuff. My wife was mortifed when, we finally had the Hiroshima style she likes, I had to admit I liked the Osaka style more.

I'm not sure the sauce is the same as Tonkatsu sauce - similar yes but they market sauces specifically for Okonomiyaki so I expect a minor difference.

Had a great meal at an Okonomiyaki bar once. Bar seating, there was the familiar glass partition but no refrigeration. Behind that they had flat griddles and 3 staff that did the cooking - one would start the batter and as they added ingredients it was moved along the line, and then served.

Lots of fun.
 
I've been pretty busy and haven't been able to really sink my teeth into this challenge but I haven't forgotten about it.

Saturday, my wife and I were looking for a bite to eat in NYC's Korea Town and saw a Japanese pub that looked promising. They had okonomiyaki on the menu so I had to give it a try. I never had it and have to say it was mighty tasty.

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I feel better now that I've had some first hand. I can't promise that I'll get around to making a version on the grill anytime soon, but it will happen sooner or later.
 
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