zanmaiya

A couple of weeks ago we tried Zanmaiya.

Zanmai means "extravagant" or "luxurious"...the place isn't luxurious at all. (-ya means shop or store)

In fact, it is an okonomiyaki and noodle shop, so it has a kind of rustic feel to it.

After ordering, the food takes awhile to come out because okonomiyaki does take some time to cook.

I enjoyed killing time watching the kitchen especially their amazing gadget, a machine that take care of the noodles.

They throw in a bundle of noodles and the basket, lowers itself into the boiling water, then when it is time, the basket comes back up.

The cook grabs the black handle then shakes out the excess water...neat, yeah?

Oh and the guy in the background is chopping green onions...those blue baskets are filled to the brim with them!

They have many different okonomiyaki sauces mainly from around Osaka and the Kansai area, but they also have some from other areas of Japan too.

I never realized there were so many brands!

We ordered the gyu-suji (beef muscle) yakisoba.

Gyu-suji is simmered for many hours until it is tender...this was melt in your mouth tender.

We also ordered the Kimura-kun okonomiyaki. Kimura is a play on someone's name and the ingredients used in the okonomiyaki.

Kimu is for kim chee, ra is for ra-yu (chili oil) and kun is the informal for mister.

This okonomiyaki was topped with kim chee, ra-yu and some veggies (okra & tomatoes).

I was hoping to try the different sauces they had but this particular okonomiyaki had its own sauce.

I loved the spicy mixed with the fresh veggies and the sweetness of the sauce.

Other than having to wait awhile for the food, we loved this place...we'll be back.

Zanmaiya
Umeda Ichibangai
Umeda, Osaka
Phone: 06.6314.2023