Hiro

If you think you’re out of luck finding excellent authentic Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki in Osaka, think again. When it comes to Hiroshima-yaki, Hiro is the real deal.

Hiro’s unassuming shopfront belies its excellent Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki and other teppan offerings © Angelino Donnachaidh

You might assume that the Osaka okonomiyaki landscape is dominated by the local style. And you’d be right. But this doesn’t mean there are no options for great Hiroshima-yaki in town. Hiro is the perfect spot for local okonomiyaki lovers wanting variety in their savory cabbage pancake routine, for homesick visitors and émigrés from the Chugoku region, and for curious overseas travelers hungry to try some genuine Hiroshima greasy-chopstick cuisine without the shinkansen-ride.

Everything at Hiro is cooked up at the teppan griddle-top right in front of you, which adds to the all-five-senses joy of this style of dining. The savory anticipation of watching your meal take shape while its mouth-watering aroma wafts towards you just makes the meal land that much better. In keeping with the true spirit of okonomiyaki as so-called B-kyu gurume (“B tier gourmet,” i.e. cheap and cheerful working-class chow), Hiro is a no-frills establishment with great value. Thanks to its reasonably-priced menu, I’m apt to splurge a little when I visit, like going for the “stamina-yaki” which adds kimchi and garlic to the meat, veggies, eggs, and soba or udon noodles, or throwing in some sides like the hito-kuchi (“bite-sized”) garlic steak (served on a bed of moyashi bean sprouts) or surume-ika to asupara bataa shoyu itame (squid and asparagus sauteed with butter and soy sauce).

This also means I’m likely to leave a little more stuffed than I intend if I come alone. That said, Hiroshima-yaki tends to be much lighter on the stomach than its Osaka cousin, with lighter portions of batter served as a thin crepe layer amidst crispy fresh veggies rather than the thick cakey consistency of the latter. But unlike standard Osaka style okonomiyaki (and more like the heavier Osaka modan-yaki), it does have noodles to contend with.

If you want to get the most out of Hiro’s deceptively simple but enticing menu, I recommend bringing a friend – or a whole family.

Hiro’s dining room offers both countertop and limited table seating © Angelino Donnachaidh

About Angelino Donnachaidh
Angelino Donnachaidh is a Mexican-American father, author, Japanese-English translator, and longtime resident of Osaka, Japan. His works include the middle grade (pre-)historical fiction novel Tamiu: A Cat’s Tale (Winner of the North Street Prize and CWA Muse Medallion), the YA post-cyberpunk heist adventure screenplay Brother (Winner of the HollywoodGenre 2025 Scifi Screenplay Competition), and the upcoming samurai scifi-fantasy action-thriller novel The Mayhem Protocols.

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Hiro Information

Name in English:
Hiroshimayaki Hiro

Name in Japanese:
広島焼き ひろ

English address:
5 Chome-8-10 Tenjinbashi, Kita Ward, Osaka, 530-0041

Japanese address:
〒530-0041 大阪府大阪市北区天神橋５丁目８−１０

Opening hours:
11:00am-2:00pm, 5:00pm-10:00pm (Tuesday-Friday)
Closed Mondays

Non-smoking area: Yes

Price:
¥1000-¥2000 per person

Nearest transport:
5-minute walk from JR Tenma Station on the Osaka Loop Line
5-minute walk from Tenjinbashisuji 6-chome (“Ten-roku”) Station on the Osaka Metro (subway) Sakaisuji and Tanimachi Lines, and the Hankyu Senri Line

Website: Official website (Japanese)

Customer Reviews:
:: Read customer reviews of Hiro on TripAdvisor.

Near To Here:
Hiro is located in Osaka’s Kita and Umeda district. See our complete list of things to do in the Kita and Umeda district, including places to eat, nightlife and places to stay.

Best Osaka Restaurants
See our list of the best Osaka restaurants for even more ideas about great places to eat in Osaka and our other recommended okonomiyaki in Osaka.

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