Okonomiyaki Mizuno at Dotonburi Osaka (お好み焼 美津の)

We had intended to try the famous Okonomiyaki Mizuno (お好み焼 美津の) when we were in Osaka, Japan in a previous trip, but were thwarted by long queues. Our trip in winter this year (Jan 2020) was a different story. We are not sure if it was the cold weather or the off-peak timing but there was no queue to get into the Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant in the crowded Osaka Dotonburi area this time.

Dotonburi Osaka

Okonomiyaki Mizuno is located within one of the covered arcades in the Osaka Dotonburi area. It is a stone’s throw from the iconic Glico signboard and about 5 minutes walk from Namba metro station.

Okonomiyaki Mizuno is located in a small building with a tiny footprint. There are tight dining spaces on each floor. Here is a picture of the ground floor.

Okonomiyaki Mizuno Menu

There are different types of okonomiyaki on the menu. Here are pictures of some portions from the Mizuno menu, featuring their top selling okonomiyaki. We decided on the #1 Yamaimo-yaki (990 yen for a small portion) and the #2 Mizuno-yaki (1430 yen).

The Food

We were seated along a grill where the chef prepares the okonomiyaki. He serves the two groups of diners at this table as well as the folks seated at tables which do not have a grill. A grill-side seat is best especially for tourists as we can get to see all the action. The downside is that it can get a bit hot, especially in summer.

According to Wikipedia, Okonomiyaki is a Japanese savory pancake containing a variety of ingredients. Derived from the word okonomi, it means “how you like” or “what you like”. Okonomiyaki is widely as available as a type of street food in Osaka. It is also served in restaurants. 

Our Yamaimo-yaki was prepared first. I had expected this yam based version to be lighter, but it was not very different. The pancake was possibly not as stretchy as the usual flour version, but I may not notice the difference in a blind tasting. We picked squid as our choice of topping but the quantity of the seafood was limited.

Our Mizuno yaki was a normal size serving with toppings of different types of seafood food and pork. We thought that this was a more tasty okonomiyaki.

Okonomiyaki is one of our favourite local foods of Osaka. I had heard so much about Mizuno, with many saying that this was the best okonomiyaki in Osaka. We did not think that it was better than those the other specialist okonomiyaki restaurant in Osaka Chibo. We would certainly want to eat at Mizuno again, but not if there is a long queue.

Ratings:
Food: 3
Service: 3
Value: 3
Atmosphere: 3
Overall Rating: 3 TOPs

Okonomiyaki Mizuno お好み焼 美津の
1-4-15 Dotonbori, Chuo-ku
Osaka 542-0071, Japan

Opening Hours: 11 am to 10 pm

The Ordinary Patrons | Real Dining Experience of Ordinary People
an independent Singapore food blog