Okonomiyaki is the Japanese street-food pancake cooked with cabbage and often topped with mayonnaise and bonito flakes.
The batter usually contains flour, eggs, and shredded cabbage. Depending on the region and restaurant, it may include pork, seafood, green onion, or grated yam. After cooking on a hot griddle, it is commonly finished with okonomiyaki sauce, Japanese mayonnaise, aonori seaweed, and dancing bonito flakes.
The two best-known styles are Osaka-style and Hiroshima-style. Osaka-style ingredients are mixed into the batter before grilling, while Hiroshima-style layers batter, cabbage, toppings, and often yakisoba noodles. The dish is associated with casual restaurants, festivals, and food stalls.
The name means roughly “what you like, grilled,” reflecting its flexible toppings. It is not the same as monjayaki, whose batter is much more liquid and is cooked into a softer, spooned texture on the griddle.