Abeno - Covent Garden - London
Okonomiyaki.
What a wonderful phrase.
Okonomiyaki! Aint no passing craaaze.
(You see where I'm heading with this? :D )
It means... "What you want - GRILLED."
When a dish has this literal meaning as it's name, you just know that it will be what dreams are made of.
What is Okonomiyaki?
This is essentially Japanese soul food.
It could be described as a savoury pancake/frittata/omelette kind of tiing; and is made with okonomiyaki flour, eggs, shredded cabbage, and usually contains bacon, shrimp, seafood and/or vegetables.
Everything is mixed together and grilled until it's crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Then topped with Okonomi sauce, mayonnaise, dried seaweed and/or dried fish flakes.
You don't need me to tell you how amazing this was, I know I already had you when I mentioned bacon :P
Where can you find such soul food?
Situated loud and proud in Covent garden is Abeno.
When you get given your own spatula, you know the restaurant has the right idea.
Who doesn't like being armed with their very own food SLICER/SLAPPER.
You even have your own personal Okonomiyaki chef, who cooks the okonomiyaki right in front of you on a hot plate.
If you squint you can just see the juicy prawns being layered in.
Sizzzling the bacon
Bacon crowns
Flipping ze pancake
Watching and waiting for your food cook with hungry eyes, is a torturous affair when you're starving.
So, whilst I was patiently waiting for my Okonomiyaki to finish sizzling.
I just had to curb the hunger pangs with some tempura.
Adding on the final touches with Okonomi sauce, mayonnaise, and dried fish flakes.
Ambiance?
I've always been a sucker for smaller, cosy restaurants with that unassuming vibe.
It has a certain charm about it, that make it that place you can keep coming to countless times.
Sex Appeal?
Tokyo Mix - Pork, Squid, Prawn £12.50
London Mix - Pork, Bacon, Cheese & Salmon £15.95
Naturally, I was eyeing up the Tokyo Vs. London Okonomiyakis.
Initially, I was slightly outraged at the sheer price of the pancake in comparison to the size.
I couldn't help thinking that the one pancake wouldn't be enough to satisfy the bottomless pit I call my stomach.
But don't let your eyes deceive you, like they did mine.
That pancake is unashamedly filling and insanely tasty.
Think, like a seriously fluffy pancake with a crispy outer layer and fluffy centre with an explosion of flavour filled with everything you could possibly want.
Pancake customisation baby.
It was worth every penny.
YEAH-O-Meter?
Yummei's 9/10
Labels: Authentic Japanese, By Area - Covent Garden, By District - Central, cheap eats, food, Japanese, Japanese soul food, Okonomiyaki, Restaurant, Restaurant Review, street food, Where to eat in London, Yummei
posted by Unknown @ 15:46
2 Comments
2 Comments:
My brother always seems to make something similar to this, it looks delicious.
Meg | Meghan Silva's Blog
Wow this looks amazing! I'll have to add it to places I must try out.
FoodNerd x
www.foodnerd4life.com
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