The menu in an okonomiyaki-ya lists the main ingredients available; an order of okonomiyaki consists of a bowl of batter, a dish of diced vegetables and sometimes noodles, and the main ingredient, such as shrimp or pork. A regular order of shrimp okonomiyaki is called ebi-ten (or ebi-tamayaki); some restaurants also serve monja-yaki, which makes for a somewhat thinner and more watery pancake.

Dunno if I'd say that about monjayaki.  but...I can't come up with anything better.  It's not much like a pancake not eaten like one.  The batter is thin, but holds together.  It doesn't rise like okonomiyaki/pancakes, and you just eat monjayaki off the griddle.

Also okonomiyaki is not just an Osaka thing.  There is also Hiroshima-fu (style), which is made by not mixing all the ingredients together.  You have the batter first on the bottom, then toss the ingredients on top, but you make a volcano like opening in the middle and drop in the egg (raw, shelled).  Not my favorite... I prefer Osaka myself.

    The waiter or waitress turns on the grill at your table and brushes the surface with oil; after that, you're on your own. First you mix together all the ingredients, then you pour the mixture onto the grill when it's hot enough. You use small spatulas for flattening the pancake and pushing it into shape, and a larger spatula for turning it over (not as big as Ukyou's, though!).  Before and after turning, you can brush the top of the pancake with Worcestershire sauce, then you can sprinkle it with aonori (green seaweed powder) and katsuo (dried bonito shavings) before eating it.

katsuoboshi (dried bonito flakes)

Okonomiyaki sauce is not worcestershire sauce, though it has some resemblance to it.  Okonokiyaki sauce is more similar to Tonkatsu sauce, however it is sweeter.  Both are a plum based sauce with other ingredients which I never bothered to read (not like I care to make it myself or are allergic to anything).  Tonkatsu sauce is used on Tonkatsu (pork cutlets).

Note... Okonomiyaki goes well with beer...which is what is usually served at such restaurants.  And no, Okonomiyaki is NOT that widely available in Japan...at least not good ones.  Gotta be in Hiroshima, Kansai (Osaka/Kyoto region), OR Kanto (Tokyo region).  In Tohoku (northern Honshu) the restaurants are few and far between...

Japanese pizza.  Haven't has Pizza Hut yet and I don't even like Domino's in the US, but the rest aren't the same...even if you get pepperoni with extra cheese... just not the same.  Be very sad.  But italian in general can be had fairly easily in Japan, and on a whole is not bad at all.

J

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