Hiroshima-Style Okonomiyaki at Teppan Baby in Shinjuku — Discovering the True Taste of Teppan in Tokyo

It was a place in a back alley of Shinjuku with a long teppan counter running along it beneath a ceiling where red steel beams were left fully exposed. The sign read TEPPAN BABY. I…

Tokyo · Teppan Baby

It was a place in a back alley of Shinjuku with a long teppan counter running along it beneath a ceiling where red steel beams were left fully exposed. The sign read TEPPAN BABY. I'd eaten Osaka-style okonomiyaki often enough back in Korea, but here it was Hiroshima-style. Rather than mixing ingredients into the batter before cooking, they spread a thin crêpe-like base, pile cabbage high on top, then layer yakisoba noodles and egg, pressing them down as they cook. Finding a restaurant in the heart of Tokyo that prepares it this way was the real discovery of the day.

A Kewpie Doll Waiting at Our Seats

As I reached for the chopstick wrapper at the counter, I found a small Kewpie doll placed beneath it. The wrapper featured two spatulas and the shop's round-faced logo, with three maple leaves at the bottom. They'd embedded momiji—the maple leaf, Hiroshima's symbol—into their logo. It was a quiet way of saying: we may be in Tokyo, but our roots are in Hiroshima.

My companions hid the doll behind the wrapper, leaving just its face peeking out. It's the reason the ten minutes before our food arrived weren't boring. A small prop like this goes a long way toward easing the awkwardness of sitting at a counter.

Inside the Restaurant and the Price List on the Wall

The kitchen has no full glass partition or divider. There's nothing between the guests and the teppan, so the sound of sizzling oil and the aroma of sauce caramelizing waft right over. A staff member in a red HIROSHIMA Baby shirt works the batter at the teppan while another in black handles the cooking in the back. A chalkboard on the wall read Welcome to TEPPAN BABY, with today's recommendations written below in chalk.

• Today's Special: Iwashi (small sardine) Tempura ¥680
• Today's Recommended Sake ¥900 / Sparkling Sake "TEPPAN" ¥680
• Hiroshima Fish Cake Gansu ¥580
• Gyoza ¥480
• Draft Beer ¥550, Glass Wine ¥750
• Original Baby Sauce 1 bottle ¥600 (before tax), 6 bottles ¥3,000 (before tax) — available for purchase

These were the prices posted on the wall at the time of our visit, so they've likely gone up by now. It's best to check with the restaurant directly. It was early evening, yet already more than half the customers were foreign, and with English menus and a "Yokoso Japan" sign posted on the wall, there was no difficulty ordering.

The location is within the block east of Shinjuku Station. Since it's tucked down a side street off the main road, it's best to use a map while walking. With seating primarily at the counter, groups of three or more may have to wait, but if you're alone or a pair, there's a good chance a seat right in front of the teppan will be open. If you want to watch the cooking, just ask for a seat facing the teppan.

A Beer First

It was a summer evening, so we ordered beer first. Even the glass had the shop's logo printed on it in black. The head was about a third of the way up the glass, and the glass itself was so cold it was frosted. Sitting in front of the teppan is noticeably warmer than other spots in the restaurant. The heat from cooking hits you directly in the face, so you tire quickly if you don't have a drink.

Dashimaki Tamago — An Unexpected Starter

Since the okonomiyaki takes time to cook, we ordered the tamagoyaki first. It came on a black rectangular plate with a spoon, and once you cut into it, you understand why the spoon is needed. Broth inside spills out onto the plate.

When you pick it up with chopsticks, you can count about six layers. There's almost no sweetness—the broth-seasoned flavor comes through. If you're expecting the sugar-sweetened tamagoyaki common in Korea, you might find it bland, but given that a rich, sauce-laden dish is coming next, this order makes sense. You need to eat it while it's hot. After waiting 2–3 minutes to take a photo, it definitely lost its quality.

The True Taste of Okonomiyaki in Tokyo — Two Hiroshima-Style Plates

The cooking method here differs from Osaka-style. They spread flour batter thin like a crêpe and cook it, then stack shredded cabbage a bowlful high on top. They add bean sprouts and pork, flip and press it down to steam the cabbage, then transfer the whole thing onto yakisoba noodles that have been cooked separately on the side. Finally, they lay down a fried egg and flip it all over again. The key to Hiroshima-style is the layering rather than mixing ingredients into the batter.

For the first plate, we ordered the one with squid and soba noodles. A thick layer of sauce was topped with aonori (seaweed powder), and crispy noodles were sticking out around the edges. Those crispy noodles are the best part. The fun of this dish is using your spatula to scrape off the parts that are crisped and stuck to the pan.

The second plate had a completely different character. Mayonnaise was drizzled in a net pattern across the plate, a handful of finely chopped scallions was piled in the center, and a raw egg yolk was placed right in the middle. When you burst the yolk and mix it with the scallions, then drag it across the hot okonomiyaki, the sweetness of the sauce is toned down and everything becomes much creamier. Even though there seems like a lot of scallions, the strong flavor of the base below matches it perfectly.

When you pick up a bite, you can see the structure. The top has sauce and mayo, the middle has crispy noodles, and the bottom has cabbage that has lost its crunch but retained some crispness. Since all three layers need to go in your mouth together for the real flavor, it's best to take bigger bites. Though they provide a plate, many customers cut it with their spatula and eat it straight from the teppan.

This is an out-of-focus shot that failed, but I'll leave it anyway. Rushing to shoot with one hand while holding chopsticks resulted in a few like this. The speed at which the plate empties is usually proportional to the number of failed photos.

Things Worth Knowing Before You Go

• Cooking takes time. If you order just okonomiyaki and wait, you'll have empty hands for close to 20 minutes. It's better to order something like tamagoyaki or gyoza first.
• The counter seats facing the teppan have great visibility but it's hot. If you're sensitive to heat, request a table seat in the back.
• Hiroshima-style has more cabbage and noodles than Osaka-style, so it fills you up. Two plates of okonomiyaki and one side dish were plenty for two adults.
• They sell the original sauce in bottles. The sign showed 1 bottle at ¥600 (before tax). It adds luggage, but it's worth buying if you plan to recreate it at home.
• Prices and hours are based on the wall postings and may change. It's recommended to verify directly before visiting.

I think I'll come back the next time I find myself with an evening to spare in Shinjuku. There's still the Hiroshima fish cake gansu and sardine tempura that I didn't get to this time.