Japanese Pancake World

Japanese Pancake World is a 5 minute walk away from me, but I just never went in. Always said “we should try that one day”. I have a long list of those places…

Fortunately, last weekend I was grabbing a beer with a friend who remembered this meal he had back in Japan: Okonomiyaki. I said bless you, and moved on.

Turns out, Okonomiyaki is a savoury Japanese pancake. The word literally means “cook as you like”, which sounds pretty good when looking for tasty food done your way. Without knowing what to expect but tagging along with someone who did, we headed to probably the only place in Amsterdam that makes Okonomiyaki (I think?).

The menu offers a couple of cooking styles: Osaka, Hirsoshima or Negiyaki. We chose the Hiroshima style, which is made of noodles, eggs and cabbage; then of course you can choose your toppings. The waiter recommended the Butatama option: with pork strips, cheese and mushrooms. My friend chose that, and I went for cheese and mushrooms.

The waiting time was a bit shorter than mentioned on their menu (30 minutes), as it was late and we were pretty much the only ones around. In around 20 minutes we had our noodle-y, egg-y pancakes ready to eat, together with 2 sauces on the side: a red one similar to Worcestershire, and a slightly sour mayo sauce. Yeah, I wish I could be more specific.

The pancake was very filling and it was tasty. A lot of flavours combining in a way I never experienced before, and I’m always excited about that!

My friend said this is pretty close to what he remembers, although he can’t recall all the cabbage. A quick Google search told me he’s wrong, and there should definitely be cabbage in it.

I enjoyed it, but it’s hard to judge when you have nothing to compare it to. It was interesting, flavorful, and I’m a sucker for noodles, so…I’m happy! So far, though, I think Ramen remains my true Japanese cuisine love.

Hayden had a potato based version of the Okonomiyaki. He said that for once, he actually likes his more than ours. Spoiler: not much of a cabbage guy. He chose the “gypsy style” toppings (don’t shoot the messenger, that’s the name!), which means salami, paprika, shichimi peppers and onion. I had a bite and it was pretty lovely! But in the battle of noodles vs potatoes, noodles win my heart every time.

All in all, an interesting experience and I’m happy to say I ate something I never tried before. Prices are a bit on the high end for this kind of dish in my opinion with an average of 15 EUR per portion. I guess it’s fair when you’re the only guys in town making Okonomiyaki.

Now…on to the fun part of the night. The guys thought it’d be funny to mess with me. Hayden went to the toilet when we got to the place and came back saying “I gotta be honest, I really did not expect that bathroom in this place”. To paint the picture, Japanese Pancake World is a fairly unassuming venue, like most casual eating spots in Japan. It doesn’t look fancy or anything, it’s got an open kitchen…you know, simple. I got excited and asked “Oh my God do they have a proper Japanese toilet?!”, to which he just said “You should really go check it out”. 30 minutes later, my friend comes back with similar comments. Before we leave, I naturally go to the bathroom, hoping it’s got seat warmers, relaxing sounds and who knows what.

Guys. Jesus.

7 years in The Netherlands, and so far I’ve never seen a more disgusting bathroom in my life. It looked like it hasn’t been cleaned since they opened, and just abandoned for years. Spider webs, actual spiders, dirt, everything. Absolutely disgusting.

I have no rating for these kind of things, but hey owner, if you happen to ever read this: fix the bathroom, man! Seriously.

Uhm, so. A good culinary experience with Japanese beers on the side, would recommend a casual visit if you’re looking for something else.

Value for money: 7

Food Quality: 7

Location: 9 (Tweede Egelantiersdwarsstraat 24)

Service: 8

Website: https://japanesepancakeworld.com/