History

Tonpeiyaki took shape on the teppan counters of Osaka okonomiya in the 1950s as the pre-meal nibble customers ordered while the main okonomiyaki was on the griddle. Ton (pork) plus pei (a Chinese-style cooking suffix) plus yaki (grilled): the name reflects the Kansai mid-century habit of mashing food vocabularies together. It remains the canonical Osaka bar-stool starter.

Common allergens: Egg, Soy, Fish

Make it at home

Yield 2Hands-on 15 minTotal 20 minDifficulty Easy

Ingredients

  • 200g sliced pork belly
  • 100g white cabbage, finely shredded
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 tablespoon dashi (or a splash of cold water)
  • 1 teaspoon soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons neutral oil
  • Okonomi sauce, kewpie mayonnaise, bonito flakes, aonori, to finish
  • 1 spring onion, finely sliced, to garnish

Method

  1. Heat a wide non-stick pan over medium-high. Brush with 1 tablespoon oil.
  2. Lay the pork belly slices in a single layer and fry 2 minutes a side until lightly crisp.
  3. Add the cabbage on top of the pork, season with a pinch of salt, and toss briefly so it just wilts. Push everything to one side of the pan.
  4. Beat the eggs with dashi and soy sauce until smooth.
  5. Brush the empty half of the pan with the rest of the oil. Pour the egg in and tilt to a thin 22cm round.
  6. When the egg is just set on top, lift the pork-cabbage pile onto one half of the omelette and fold the other half over to encase.
  7. Slide onto a plate. Lacquer with okonomi sauce, zigzag kewpie mayo, scatter bonito flakes, aonori and spring onion.

Tip from the editors. Tonpeiyaki should be the size of a folded napkin, not a full meal; keep it under five minutes so the egg stays soft and the pork stays in the foreground.

Where to eat tonpeiyaki

Tonpeiyaki in Osaka

Okonomiyaki Mizuno ★ 4.0

Okonomiyaki¥¥Dotonbori and NambaFri-Wed 11:00-22:00; Thu closed

A Dotonbori landmark for Osaka okonomiyaki since 1945; nagaimo yam batter and pork belly on a table teppan, with bonito flakes and house sauce.

Order: ['Buta-tama (pork okonomiyaki)', 'Ika-tama (squid)', 'Negiyaki (spring onion)']

1-4-15 Dotonbori, Chuo-ku, Osaka 542-0071

Teppan Sakaba Hiro ★ 4.1

Okonomiyaki¥¥Tenma and Tenjinbashi

A Tenma teppan restaurant serving gluten-free okonomiyaki on request using rice-flour batter with nagaimo yam and pork belly; call ahead to confirm.

Order: ['Gluten-free okonomiyaki', 'Yakisoba teppan', 'Tsukimi okonomiyaki']

6-2-6 Tenjinbashi, Kita-ku, Osaka 530-0041

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

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