Konpai!  It all started with a big mug of beer and went from there to sake, whiskey and finally to tea…..oolong tea for digestion at the end of the meal. Who would guess that we were there to taste the famous Osaka Okonomiyaki Pancake?!!!

Osaka is famous, I was told, for the Okonomiyaki Pancake.  Okonomi means whatever you like and yaki means cook or fry.  It was brought to the table with a dramatic flare.  It smelled wonderful.  We cut it into wedges and shared it.  Describing it hardly does it justice.  It was at once, creamy and rich and crunchy and fresh.

In Japan, it seems, the meal may feature a local specialty, but, it still includes sushi, miso soup, ginger, wasabi, fermented veggies and rice.  I’m experiencing withdrawal symptoms just thinking about the aromas and flavors.