Yagenbori Hassho - The most famous okonomiyaki restaurant in Hiroshima!
Soba Nikutama
Yagenbori Hassho 薬研堀 八昌
Yagenbori Hassho
Hassho probably is the most famous okonomiyaki restaurant in Hiroshima, having snaking long queues after nightfall even on a weeknight. Of course, they are serving up Hiroshima style okonomiyaki.
They also have a Bib Gourmand and Tabelog Hyakumeiten Okonomiyaki award for 2019 and 2018 to their name.
Oysters
Yagenbori Hassho 薬研堀 八昌
Salt and Pepper
Yagenbori Hassho 薬研堀 八昌
Oysters (¥935)
Ordered oysters too while waiting for the okonomiyaki to be made, plus oysters are in season during the time of visit (just not peak season yet).
I mean this definitely can’t compare (and also unfair comparison) to an oyster speciality restaurant like Kakiya which we ate in Miyajima. So just being very objective here.
Taste: Sweet and creamy grilled oysters, grilled meat always go well with salt and pepper. In this case, it elevates and also adds a contrasting taste to it.
Texture: A bit chewy on the outside layer, but when you bite in it is soft and juicy. Size-wise it is smaller than the regular ones we had at Kakiya.
Overall: It is hard to go wrong when you have nice produce to work with, especially on a straightforward grilling method.
Rating: 3.25/5
Soba Nikutama
Yagenbori Hassho 薬研堀 八昌
Soba Nikutama (¥880)
The long-awaited Hiroshima style okonomiyaki after queueing 1.5 hours outside (and around 30 minutes for the okonomiyaki to be made) - Soba Nikutama!
Just a quick summary of Osaka and Hiroshima style okonomiyaki:
Osaka - No noodles, mixes most of the ingredients into a batter, and then adding a final layer of meat into the mix
Hiroshima - Cooking the layers separately before stacking it up 1 by 1
You can refer to my Kiji review, which is one of the most delicious Osaka styled okonomiyaki.
First impression, super generous noodles serving as you can see the egg looks so mini compared to the size of the okonomiyaki. To be honest, it is too much carbs for me haha! But hey, different strokes for different people, probably many others would enjoy a large amount of noodles to their meal.
Texture: Crunchy from the different layers (batter, cabbage, beansprouts, pork, fried egg), plus the fresh noodles being grilled till firm and slightly crispy on the outer layer.
Taste: Sweetness from the grilling/boiling of the fresh cabbage, as they also added water onto it during the process. The okonomiyaki and mayonnaise sauces also added sweetness into the mix.
Overall: A vastly different style compared to Osaka style, the main difference will be the crunchiness from the different layers, and the addition of noodles.
I would say both Hassho and Kiji are very good, and rate them both on the same level. You definitely won’t go wrong with either.
To conclude, it will depend on your preference towards a certain style more that will decide the winner in this tie.
For us, our preference lies with the Osaka style in this context.
Rating: 3.5/5
Note 1: They also provide okonomiyaki sauce and mayo sauce on the side for you to add-on if you require more.
Note 2: They only uses double yolks eggs, which is to say very interesting for us as it is our first time seeing that. You could refer to more of my photos below which includes almost the step by step of their cooking process and the double yolks eggs!
Menu
Yagenbori Hassho 薬研堀 八昌
Menu
Yagenbori Hassho 薬研堀 八昌
Grilling the noodles
Yagenbori Hassho 薬研堀 八昌
Adding the crepe
Yagenbori Hassho 薬研堀 八昌
Making it nice
Yagenbori Hassho 薬研堀 八昌
Looking neat here
Yagenbori Hassho 薬研堀 八昌
Frying the eggs, notice the double yolks!
Yagenbori Hassho 薬研堀 八昌
Stacking the eggs on the other end of the okonomiyaki
Yagenbori Hassho 薬研堀 八昌
The finishing touch of adding the sauces and condiments
Yagenbori Hassho 薬研堀 八昌
Lighted Signboard
Yagenbori Hassho 薬研堀 八昌
Shop Front
Yagenbori Hassho 薬研堀 八昌
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Address: 広島県 広島市中区 薬研堀 10-6
Opening Hours: 4pm-10.30pm Tuesday to Saturday, 4pm-9pm Sunday. Close on Monday, 1st and 3rd Tuesday of the month.
Payment Method: Cash
Tabelog: https://tabelog.com/en/hiroshima/A3401/A340110/34000100/
(Last visited: November 2019)