Where to Eat Okonomiyaki in Tokyo: Sakura-tei Harajuku

Discover where to eat the best okonomiyaki in Tokyo! This complete guide covers what okonomiyaki is, how to cook it yourself, and why Sakura-tei Harajuku is the perfect spot for your first okonomiyaki experience.

Not as well-known abroad as sushi and ramen, okonomiyaki, remains one of Japan's most beloved comfort foods. It also happens to be one of my favorite Japanese dishes, to the point where I once asked a friend to prepare one to use as my birthday cake which we even topped with candles!

The combination of incredible flavor, comforting texture, and interactive cooking experience makes okonomiyaki a must-try dish for anyone visiting Tokyo.

What is Okonomiyaki?

Okonomiyaki (お好み焼き) literally translates to "grilled as you like it," and this Japanese comfort food lives up to its customizable name.

Osaka-style okonomiyaki is the most popular version of okonomiyaki worldwide. It's a savory pancake cooked on a Japanese teppan griddle made with flour, eggs, tempura bits called tenkasu, dashi broth, and most importantly cabbage.

Okonomiyaki is highly customizable thanks to the wide variety of ingredients you can add either in the batter or as a topping: pork, seafood, kimchi, pickled ginger, cheese green onion, and even mochi, are popular choices.

To top everything off, okonomiyaki is drizzled with a generous amount of savory okonomi sauce, Japanese Kewpie mayo, and katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes) that “dance” atop the piping hot okonomiyaki due to the radiating heat.

While there are many restaurants dedicated to okonomiyaki, you can also find booths serving them at Japanese matsuri festivals.

Osaka vs. Hiroshima Style Okonomiyaki: Key Differences

While Osaka-style okonomiyaki mixes all ingredients into one cohesive batter, Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki takes a layered approach. I like to think of Hiroshima-style Okonomiyaki as a “deconstructed version” of the Osaka-style.

Instead of mixing everything and making a batter, Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki is made of different layers including a layer of yakisoba noodles and a thin omelette layer. Like the Osaka-style, it’s topped with the savory okonomi sauce, mayo and bonito flakes.

Where to Eat Okonomiyaki in Tokyo: Sakura-Tei in Harajuku

With so many okonomiyaki spots in Tokyo, it can be hard to choose just one. That’s why I want to introduce you to Sakura-Tei in Harajuku. It’s a fun, hands-on restaurant where you can cook your own okonomiyaki in the heart of the city.

Sakura-Tei is just a short walk from Takeshita Street and is super foreigner-friendly with an English menu and a super unique, colorful interior that doubles as an art-gallery. They offer all-you-can-eat options, along with gluten-free and vegan choices.

The Sakura-tei Experience: DIY Okonomiyaki Cooking

The preparation is part of the okonomiyaki experience, either by watching the chefs skillfully making your order in front of you, or cooking the okonomiyaki yourself.

At Sakura-Tei, you get to make your own okonomiyaki! Every table comes with its own teppan hot plate and a variety of sauces and seasoning all labeled in English.

I don’t have a gluten intolerance, but I decided to try one of their gluten-free okonomiyaki to see how it compared to the classic version.

Since the gluten-free and vegan dishes aren’t part of the all-you-can-eat menu, I went with their specialty: their signature Sakurayaki—an okonomiyaki loaded with pork, scrambled egg, and plenty of fresh seafood.

How to Prepare Okonomiyaki: A Step-by-Step Guide

Soon after placing my order at Sakura-tei, the staff brought over a bowl of raw ingredients, a side plate with sliced pork and an egg, and a plastic sheet with step-by-step cooking instructions in English.

At home, I usually mix okonomiyaki batter gradually in a bowl before pouring it into a frying pan. But here, the setup is different.

Mixing everything in the provided bowl is tricky, so the idea is to oil the teppan (griddle), pour the ingredients onto it, and mix thoroughly using the small metal spatulas.

The Okonomiyaki Cooking Process

Once the mixture is well combined and shaped into a thick pancake, lay the pork slices on top and let it cook for eight minutes.

I was a little skeptical at first since eight minutes felt long compared to the five minutes per side I usually do at home. But I trusted the process, and it didn’t burn!

When time was up, I used both spatulas to flip the okonomiyaki over in one swift move. Only a small piece broke off the edge- not bad! Then it was another eight minutes on the other side.

If you’re dining solo, the wait can feel a bit long, but this kind of place is meant to be enjoyed with friends.

Adding the Final Touches: Egg and Toppings

Next up: the scrambled egg. This part was new for me. You crack the egg right onto the hot plate and scramble it quickly—it cooks in seconds. It wasn’t the prettiest, but thankfully the toppings make everything look good.

Speaking of sauces, the waitress even brought me the gluten-free version of the okonomi sauce. It's good to know that they are paying attention to it without having to ask them.

I topped my okonomiyaki with a drizzle of sauce, a bit of mayo, and finished it with aonori (seaweed) and katsuo powder. I was slightly disappointed it was powder and not flakes since watching the bonito flakes dance from the heat is part of the okonomiyaki fun, but no big deal.

Now, it's time to eat! いただきます!

Sakura-Tei Okonomiyaki Taste Test

So...how did it taste? It was delicious! I could really taste the pork and seafood in the okonomiyaki and honestly, if I hadn't ordered it myself, I wouldn't have noticed that it was gluten-free.

Even if there is an all-you-can-eat offer, one okonomiyaki is more than enough to feel satisfied without needing a post-meal nap.

Final Thoughts

Okonomiyaki might not be as flashy as some of the other dishes you’ll try in Tokyo, but it’s a comforting, flavorful favorite that I highly recommend not just for the taste, but for the fun, memorable experience that comes with making it. 

The best part of it is that, if you love okonomiyaki as much as I do, the only ingredients you will need to bring home from Japan are the okonomi sauce and the katsuobushi flakes, which are cheap and easy to find in local supermarkets.