History

Negiyaki was trademarked in 1994 by Yamamoto, a Yodogawa-ku okonomiya in Osaka that had served the scallion-led pancake since 1965. The hostess invented it to feed her children, lighter on flour and heavier on naga-negi than okonomiyaki; customers asked for it on the menu and it stayed. Negiyaki spread across Kansai by the 2000s; Kobe pairs it with the local Doro sauce, while Osaka's defining version is still folded thinner and brushed with soy plus Worcestershire.

Common allergens: Gluten, Egg, Soy

Make it at home

Yield 2Hands-on 20 minTotal 30 minDifficulty Easy

Ingredients

  • 200g naga-negi (Japanese leek) or 8 large spring onions, sliced 3mm
  • 100g plain flour
  • 1 tbsp katakuriko (potato starch)
  • 1 tsp dashi powder
  • 150ml cold dashi stock or water
  • 2 large eggs
  • 100g thinly sliced beef belly (or pork belly)
  • 100g cleaned squid tubes, sliced thin rings
  • 1 tbsp tenkasu (tempura crumbs)
  • 2 tbsp benishoga (red pickled ginger), chopped
  • 3 tbsp neutral oil
  • 4 tbsp soy sauce mixed with 1 tbsp Worcestershire (for brushing)
  • Kewpie mayonnaise, to drizzle
  • Aonori and katsuobushi, to finish
  • 1 lemon, cut into wedges

Method

  1. Whisk the flour, katakuriko and dashi powder in a bowl. Whisk in the cold dashi and eggs to a smooth batter.
  2. Stir in the sliced spring onion, tenkasu and benishoga. The mixture should be 75 percent spring onion to 25 percent batter, not the other way round.
  3. Heat a wide heavy non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Brush with 1 tbsp oil.
  4. Pour in half the negiyaki mixture and press flat with a spatula to a 20cm round 1.5cm thick.
  5. Lay half the beef slices and squid rings over the top. Press down so they stick.
  6. Cook 4 minutes until the underside is deep gold. Flip carefully (use two spatulas).
  7. Cook another 4 to 5 minutes until the second side is gold and the centre is set.
  8. Brush both sides with the soy-Worcestershire mixture and cook 30 seconds more so the sauce lacquers.
  9. Slide onto a plate, drizzle with kewpie mayo in a zigzag, scatter with aonori and katsuobushi.
  10. Repeat for the second negiyaki. Cut into wedges with a spatula and eat with a lemon squeeze.

Tip from the editors. Negiyaki is lighter than okonomiyaki because the batter is glue for the spring onions, not the main ingredient. Slice the negi very thin so they wilt in.

Where to eat negiyaki

Negiyaki in Osaka

Dotonbori Imai Honten ★ 4.0

Udon¥¥Dotonbori and NambaThu-Tue 11:00-22:00; Wed closed

One of Dotonbori's oldest udon restaurants; the kitsune udon recipe has been unchanged since the 1940s; dashi is simmered in a 70-year-old clay pot.

Order: ['Kitsune udon', 'Kakiage tempura udon', 'Ankake udon (winter)']

1-7-22 Dotonbori, Chuo-ku, Osaka 542-0071

Kadoya Shokudo ★ 4.2

Ramen¥Horie and Nishi-kuWed-Mon 10:00-15:00; Tue closed

A Shinmachi ramen institution since 1957: house-milled noodles in duck and shoyu broth. Queues form by 11:30 and the kitchen closes when soup runs out.

Order: ['Duck soba', 'Gyoza']

4-16-13 Shinmachi, Nishi-ku, Osaka 550-0013

More cities are in research. Want negiyaki covered somewhere specific? Tell us where you want to eat.

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