Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Okonomiyaki

Chef Ricky Dolinsky channels New York’s iconic breakfast sandwich in the Hiroshima version of Japan’s classic layered cabbage pancake.

Serves
1 serving

PHOTOGRAPHY BY YO+SHOKU

By Ricky Dolinsky

Published on December 6, 2022

New York City restaurant Yo+Shoku’s take on okonomiyaki combines the classic Japanese cabbage pancake with New Yorkers' favorite breakfast sandwich: bacon, egg, and cheese. This okonomiyaki is made Hiroshima-style, which calls for keeping the cabbage separate from the pancake batter, then cooking both on top of yakisoba noodles. (Osaka-style okonomiyaki, on the other hand, involves folding the cabbage directly into the batter.) When making this at home, chef Ricky Dolinsky, who drew on his Japanese heritage to develop this recipe, uses a non-stick skillet, rather than a traditional Teppan grill, to cook the components of the dish separately before layering them. For flipping the pancake, spatulas with a wide surface help (like a flipper or a fish spatula).

Look for instant dashi, yakisoba noodles, aonori, and bonito flakes online or at your local Asian grocer.

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Ingredients

¼ cup plus 1 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp. mirin
½ tsp. instant dashi (see headnote), dissolved in ¼ cup water
3 Tbsp. sesame oil, divided
1 cup shredded green cabbage (3 oz.)
1 scallion, trimmed and thinly sliced
2 bacon slices
2 cup fresh yakisoba noodles, or boiled dried yakisoba noodles (see headnote)
2 Tbsp. ketchup, plus more for serving
1 tsp. Tabasco, plus more for serving
2 American cheese slices
Freshly ground black pepper
2 large eggs
Kosher salt
Aonori, or nori strips, for serving
Bonito flakes, for serving
Kewpie mayonnaise, for serving

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Instructions

Step 1

In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, mirin, and dashi to make a smooth batter.

Step 2

To a 10-inch nonstick skillet set over medium-low heat, add 1 tablespoon of the sesame oil. When it’s shimmering and hot, ladle in ¼ cup of the batter, then use the back of a spoon to spread it into an 8-inch circle. Top with the cabbage in an even layer, then sprinkle with the scallion. Lay the bacon side by side on top, then drizzle the remaining batter evenly over the bacon. Cook until the edges are beginning to brown, about 2 minutes. Using two wide spatulas—slipping one underneath the pancake and placing the other firmly on top—flip, then cook until the bacon is golden-brown, about 8 minutes more. Transfer to a plate.

Step 3

To the empty pan, add another tablespoon of the sesame oil, then add the yakisoba noodles, ketchup, Tabasco, and 2 tablespoons of water and toss to coat. Using a spatula, nudge the noodles into a flat 8-inch circle, then cook, undisturbed, until the bottom edges are beginning to brown, about 4 minutes. Lay the cheese slices side by side on top of the noodles and season with black pepper. Using the two spatulas, transfer the cabbage pancake (bacon-side down) onto the noodles. Cook until the noodles’ edges are browned, about 2 minutes more. Transfer to a plate.

Step 4

Wipe the pan clean and return it to the stove. Add the remaining tablespoon of sesame oil and turn the heat to medium-low. Crack the eggs into the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly scrambled, about 1 minute, then gently shape into a flat 8-inch circle and season with salt and black pepper to taste. Cook until just set, about 3 minutes more. Using the spatulas, slide the pancake onto the eggs, then flip the okonomiyaki onto a serving plate (the eggs should be facing up).