In Japan, okonomiyaki has been a popular and casual dish for a long time. Often described as a “savory pancake,” the dish is cooked on a griddle right before your eyes and is loaded with meat, vegetables, and sometimes noodles.
True to its name, okonomi meaning “what you like” in Japanese, it offers a variety of ingredient combinations. The individuality of ingredients, varying from one restaurant to another, is one of the reasons why okonomiyaki is a mainstay in popularity.
At “Kotekichi Ueno no Mori Sakura Terrace” (referred to hereafter as “Kotekichi”) located just in front of Ueno Station, you can enjoy creatively crafted okonomiyaki with distinct flavors.
Deliciousness guaranteed no matter what you choose! Top 4 popular dishes at Kotekichi in Tokyo
At Kotekichi, you can enjoy meticulously crafted okonomiyaki, from the cooking methods to the essential sauce for finishing touches.
Among the regularly available 13 varieties, here are four of their particularly popular okonomiyaki.
The “Kotekichi Special” is hearty dish loaded to the brim with tons of delicious ingredients
The “Kotekichi Special,” named after the restaurant, is the shop’s signature dish. It’s a voluminous okonomiyaki topped with a large fried egg.
“こて吉スペシャル,” Kotekichi Special 1,815 JPY (tax included)
The okonomiyaki batter used is filled with pork, large shrimp, and squid, providing a satisfying bite. The batter also incorporates Japanese grated yam, giving it a particularly fluffy and gentle texture, enhancing the distinct textures of the other ingredients.
Not to be forgotten is the indispensable sauce for okonomiyaki. The special house sauce crafted by Kotekichi is fruity, sweet, and of such high quality that the chefs claim it’s a fantastic match for more than just okonomiyaki.
The Kotekichi Special is enhanced by the addition of cheese as a topping. This imparts a richer flavor to the sauce and leaves a lingering taste that customers won’t soon forget.
The okonomiyaki was nice and thick, and eating it gave me a sense of luxury. With its variety of ingredients, it was quite a fun adventure to eat it. Also, the half-cooked sunny-side-up egg was wonderfully gooey; it was great!
Enjoy the wonderfully varied textures of the the “Sujimochi Modern”
The “Sujimochi Modern” topped with simmered beef tendons, raw egg, and green onions is also a popular menu at Kotekichi. It’s name is a reference to modanyaki, or a modern-yaki, which is a type of okonomiyaki that uses yakisoba or udon noodles as a layer within its batter.
The generously cut beef tendons are seasoned with soy sauce, offering a distinctive chewy texture.
“すじもちモダン,” Sujimochi Modern 1,815 JPY (tax included)
You can enjoy the flavor of the simmered beef tendons on their own by mixing them with raw egg and green onions. Alternatively, you can savor them alongside okonomiyaki. Th dish offers two ways to enjoy it in one.
The sauce from the simmered beef tendons, the raw egg, and okonomiyaki sauce mix up well with the noodles underneath the okonomiyaki, making it even more delicious.
Similar to the Kotekichi Special, this dish is quite filling, making it a recommended choice for those who want to eat to their heart’s content!
I loved the perfect combination of sweet and savory sauce with the noodles.
Also, I recommend it to foreigners who want to try raw eggs in Japan. It really helps you understand the deliciousness of Japanese raw eggs!
Changing the concept of okonomiyaki with the “Double Shrimp Tomato”
One menu item especially popular among international diners is said to be an okonomiyaki dish featuring shrimp.
The “Double Shrimp Tomato” okonomiyaki, filled with plenty of shrimp, turns the image of okonomiyaki on its head with generous servings of sauce and mayonnaise, offering a distinctive and unique flavor.
“トマト海老W,” Double Shrimp Tomato 1,925 JPY (tax included)
The signature feature of the dish is not only the amount of shrimp used in it but also the homemade tomato sauce.
For the finishing flourish, fresh tomatoes are added to enhance the acidity of the okonomiyaki, leaving a refreshing aftertaste that lingers pleasantly.
I highly recommend this not only to foreigners trying okonomiyaki out for the first time, but for seasoned okonomiyaki aficionados as well!
The combination of cheese, tangy tomato sauce, and okonomiyaki sauce brings to mind the flavors of pizza.
The fresh and juicy shrimp were absolutely delicious too.
The healthy hit, “Grated Mountain Yam and Shiso Cheese Mix”
Matching the Double Shrimp Tomato as a unique okonomiyaki is the “Grated Mountain Yam and Shiso Cheese Mix.”
“山芋しそチーズMIX,” Grated Mountain Yam and Shiso Cheese Mix 1,815 JPY (tax included)
The batter of the Grated Mountain Yam and Shiso Cheese Mix is made exclusively with yamaimo (Japanese mountain yams) without using wheat flour as a binding agent. This results in an especially fluffy texture that stands out among the offerings at Kotekichi.
Mixing it in a way to incorporate air is regarded as the key point for achieving the fluffy texture.
Additionally, adding cheese to the batter enhances the protein-rich flavor of the yam, giving it an extra punch.
You can enjoy the Japanese-style flavor of Grated Mountain Yam and Shiso Cheese Mix in between bites of other types of okonomiyaki. This refreshes your palate and changes the mood of your dining experience.
Umami bites write Steven praised it, saying, “It makes you want to order more,” emphasizing how its charm stands out even more when enjoyed alongside other okonomiyaki.
The usual okonomiyaki has a strong and impressive sauce flavor, but this dish really stands out with its refreshing combination of yam and shiso.
The fluffy texture and gentle taste were so delightful that it made you want to order more!
Kotekichi takes pride in their okonomiyaki prepared by skilled culinary craftsmen
In a time when many restaurants adopt a style where customers cook their own okonomiyaki, Kotekichi stands out by having skilled craftsmen cook each one individually upon order.
This dedication comes from their commitment to providing the most delicious okonomiyaki possible.
They meticulously adjust their cooking methods based on the seasonal changes in temperature and humidity, ensuring consistency and quality.
Achieving a thick okonomiyaki cooked thoroughly from the inside requires a delicate balance in steaming.
From the amount of ingredients that affect taste, aroma, and texture, each okonomiyaki at Kotekichi is a carefully crafted masterpiece, showcasing the chef’s skill in every detail.
Kotekichi’s okonomiyaki, crafted with skill and dedication, is sure to satisfy you.
Information
| Store name | こて吉 上野の森さくらテラス店 Kotekichi Ueno no Mori Sakura Terrace |
|---|---|
| Address | Ueno no Mori Sakura Terrace 2F, 1-54 Ueno Koen, Taito-ku, Tokyo
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| Acesss |
Ueno Station（UEN） 2-minute walk from Ueno Station Shinobazu Gate
Keisei Ueno Station 2-minute walk from Keisei Ueno Station Main Exit
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| Phone number | 03-5812-7527 |
| Reservations | Accepted Phone, Official Website, Tabelog, GURUNAVI, Hot Pepper Gourmet |
| Payment |
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| Service charge/Table charge | 418 JPY (tax included) dinnertime only |
| Hours | Mon-Fri 11:00-15:00（last order 14:30）, 17:00-23:00（last order: food 22:00, drinks 22:30） Sat-Sun. & nat’l holidays 11:00-23:00（last order: food 22:00, drinks 22:30） |
| Closed | No holidays excluding Ueno no Mori Sakura Terrace holidays |
| Seating | 40 table seats |
| Smoking | All seats are non-smoking |
| Official website | http://www.rincrew.co.jp/kotekichi_okonomi/ |
| Other information |
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※Menu contents, prices, store information, etc. are current as of November 2023.
