Balance, value, and approachability – with something for everyone.
Yukari’s five-cheese fromage-yaki - image © Angelino Donnachaidh
Okonomiyaki Yukari’s menu is varied and covers an impressive range featuring both standard basics and fun innovative twists, its prices are well within the standard range for the dish, and its dining rooms are generally comfortable and reasonably family friendly (though of course diners with small children should always exercise extra caution when eating any teppanyaki, due to the hot griddle-top tables). This compelling balance makes it your author’s go-to choice when taking first-timers to eat, and also just as the occasional personal treat without any muss or fuss.
Chopped cabbage, egg, tenkasu tempura crumbs, scallions, beni-shoga plum-pickled ginger julienne, and a batter of wheat flour and grated yam make up the base of okonomiyaki – with cheese and shiso perilla herb as the toppings for this one - image © Angelino Donnachaidh
Highlights
English, Korean, and Chinese menu available.
Aside from a few creative menu items, Yukari is a good bet for experiencing classic style okonomiyaki served in the most traditional way.
Yukari’s international menu follows the Japanese faithfully, with small explanatory notes added - image © Angelino Donnachaidh
Yukari’s batter, cabbage slicing, and frying technique is decidedly standard in a way that makes it a great introduction to okonomiyaki in general. Compared to other entries on this list, it has a gorgeous understated balance of crispiness, density, and moisture without emphasizing one over the others.
For condiments, it has all the usual fixings – okonomiyaki sauce (a lightly tangy, sweet and salty barbecue style sauce), mayonnaise, katsuo-bushi bonito fish flakes, and dried pulverized aonori seaweed – though diners are usually given the option to skip any they prefer not to eat, which can be especially handy for eaters with limiting preferences, because many places do not ask.
Yukari’s golden-seared, perfectly balanced griddle cake before being crowned with mayonnaise, okonomiyaki sauce, katsuo-bushi bonito fish flakes, and dried pulverized aonori seaweed - image © Angelino Donnachaidh
Go to Yukari for:
- A strong showing of simple standard classics like buta-tama and ika-tama (pork and squid okonomiyaki, respectively).
- Fun creative spins like like fromage-yaki (five kinds of cheese tied together with shiso perilla herb) or Indian-yaki (sausage and a blend of curry-style spices).
- The positively massive Osaka-jo (“Osaka castle”), topped with whole large prawns and three fried eggs, for competitive eaters or just groups looking to share.
- An overall approach to presentation and condiments that is a good representation of the dish in its traditional iconic form.
- Great yakisoba, modan-yaki (okonomiyaki with a layer of fried noodles cooked in), Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki, and side salad options.
The Yukari Sonezaki location shopfront - image © Angelino Donnachaidh
Locations
Yukari has seven locations in Osaka, one in Tokyo, and one in Yokohama. Its Osaka locations are generally clustered around Osaka/Umeda station area or Namba station area, in the northern and southern city centers, with one location each in the Tennoji station area and Minami Morimachi station area. The photos above depict the Sonezaki location, but for atmosphere your author loves the Tensan location best.
Yukari Tensan Branch Information
Name in English:
Yukari Tensan-ten
Name in Japanese:
ゆかり 天三店
English address:
3-1-12 Tenjinbashi, Kita-ku, Osaka, 530-0041 Japan
Japanese address:
〒530-0041 大阪市北区天神橋3-1-12
Opening hours:
11:30am-10:00pm
Closed irregularly
Non-smoking area: Yes
Price:
Fromage-yaki from ¥1680
Nearest Transport:
5 minutes walk from Minamimorimachi Station (exit 3) of Osaka Metro Tanimachi Line and Sakaisuji Line, or Osakatemmangu Station 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
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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