Kyochabana (Kitashinchi)

Swankier dinner date spot for those ready to delve into a decidedly different depiction of the dish.

Kyochabana might not be the spot to start if you want to get a first impression of okonomiyaki in its most orthodox form, but if you think you’ve seen every possible twist and variation under the sun or just want to try a take that challenges notions of what the dish can be, then it should definitely be your next stop.

Highlights

Most okonomiyaki lovers familiar with Kyochabana, when describing it to friends or coworkers around Osaka, are apt to refer it as “the teppanyaki place that does tomato okonomiyaki and avocado yakisoba,” or more simply, “the Italian fusion okonomiyaki place.” Both of these labels are unfairly reductive, but the spirit behind them is well-earned and not too far off the mark.

Though the restaurant does more than that, these two signature dishes are almost certain to be the most memorable for most of its local dining crowd, as they’re the most unlike anything at any other teppanyaki restaurant.

The mozzarella tomato okonomiyaki is a squat griddlecake permeated with a generous helping of fresh cheese that together with the batter forms a nice crisp outer layer, complemented by a hearty mixture of demi-glace-like sauce and lightly-stewed tomato chunks that is poured on from a gravy boat, completely replacing the usual okonomiyaki sauce and mayonnaise. As far as it goes to challenge the conventions of the dish, it’s still undeniably okonomiyaki – and undeniably delicious.

What the Kyochabana menu rather undersells as “avocado yakisoba” actually feels like so much more than that, and in your author’s opinion is the restaurant’s crowning achievement in terms of both creativity and sheer joy to eat. Green tea buckwheat noodles sautéed with pork belly, dark greens, red onions, cherry tomatoes, assorted other seasonal veggies, and avocado chunks tied together and vastly elevated by a creamy green sauce packing a subtle and balanced wasabi kick, topped off with dried nori seaweed for extra texture. This is one part fried noodle, one part cream pasta, and one part gustatory euphoria.

Notes

Ordering is done via smartphone, by camera-scanning a QR code and accessing a web menu.

Seating includes both a one-drink minimum and mandatory tsukidashi appetizer as is common in many Japanese restaurants and traditional izakaya pubs. Compared to many more traditional places, however, the tsukidashi is often something more likely to be friendly to western palettes, such as smoked duck or barbecued meat.

Locations

Kyochabana has locations in Kitashinchi, Kyobashi, Shin-Osaka, and in Kyoto. The information above refers to the Kitashinchi location.

Kyotochabana Kitashinchi Branch Information

Name in English:
Kyochabana Kitashinchi-ten

Name in Japanese:
京ちゃばな 北新地店

English address:
1F Sister bldg., 1-2-28 Sonezakishinchi, Osaka, 530-0002 Japan

Japanese address:
〒530-0002 大阪市北区曽根崎新地1-2-28 シスタービル1F

Opening hours:
6:00pm-4:00am (Mon-Fri), 6:00pm-11:00pm (Sat and holidays)
Closed Sunday

Non-smoking area: No

Price:
Tomato mozzarella okonomiyaki ¥1390

Nearest Transport:
2 minutes walk from Kitashinchi Station (exit 11-41) of JR Tozai Line

Website: Official Website (Japanese)

Where Is This Restaurant Located?

All of the restaurants in Osaka Okonomiyaki Guide are shown on the following map. They’re also listed on our main Osaka map.

More Information

• Insider’s Guide to Osaka Okonomiyaki Restaurants
• Best Osaka Restaurants

About the author: Angelino Donnachaidh is a translator/interpreter, food lover, history enthusiast, and longtime resident of Osaka, Japan. He is also the author of the middle grade historical fiction illustrated novella Tamiu: A Cat's Tale, the forthcoming YA post-cyberpunk AI heist adventure Brother, and the forthcoming sci-fi samurai epic The Mayhem Protocols. Find him on the web at saica-creative.com/angdonn.

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