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Okonomiyaki

If you had to compare it to something, you might say it was a cross between a pizza, a pancake and an omelette.Essentially its batter, egg, vegetables and trimmings formed into a thick patty and spread with a thick brown sauce.

It usually comes cooked or partly -cooked to a teppan (hotplate) at your table but don't ask for the manager if the ingredients come raw, just beat the egg and batter, stir in the fillings and flatten the mixture onto the griddle with the metal spatula provided, turning after five minutes.

Aim for crisp and browned on the outside while still soft on the inside.You can get okonomiyaki with gyu (beef), buta (pork), ebi (shrimp), ika (squid), tako (octopus) or yasai (vegetables) and even hotate (scallops) or kaki (oysters) though this is by no means a comprehensive list. Okonomiyaki literally means, "cook what you like" and just about anything goes with these, dashi seasoned patties.

Get a mikkusu (mixed okonomiyaki) for a bit of everything.There are two places in Japan where okonomiyaki should certainly not be missed.First, Osaka, the home of okonomiyaki.Here, all the ingredients are mixed into the seasoned batter and spread onto the hotplate to cook together.

Second is Hiroshima where okonomiyaki is cooked in layers with mountains of shredded cabbage and often noodles added.Okonomiyaki parties are also a popular way to celebrate at home with friends.