🌱 JIROKICHI: DEVOUR HIROSHIMA’S SOUL FOOD

次郎吉

"Devour classic Hiroshima-style Okonomiyaki with a plant-based twist."

Hiroshima touched my heart and soul. The city is much more than its devastating history. It’s a peaceful and beautiful place to lose yourself in.

Toward the end of our quick 2-day trip, we completed our Hiroshima adventure with a visit to the impressive Jirokichi!

Jirokichi is a cozy izakaya, run by a single chef with the help of a server. The izakaya is small and can get quite busy (we visited on a Thursday night) so you might be turned away.

However, reservations are welcome. So if you’re worried about securing a seat, get in touch beforehand.

On arrival, we were shown two seats in front of a huge teppan (iron griddle/metal plate). We were seated right in front of the action. Right in front of the chef. Right where the magic happens. A nightmare for introverts.

Faintly in the background, we could hear the Hiroshima Toyo Carp's baseball game. Behind us, shelves were overflowing with manga. Although we were pushed out of our comfort zone, we had an awesome time watching the chef prepare various okonomiyaki dishes for his customers.

It was mesmerising and even more exciting when we were served our own okonomiyaki.

The menu at Jirokichi caters to both vegans and meat eaters. If you’re following a plant-based diet, you get a special menu!

I chose the vegan okonomiyaki (as I had been dying to try the Hiroshima style). You can select either udon or spicy ramen noodles. I opted for the thin spicy ramen noodles and it was superb! You’re also given a bottle of vegan mayonnaise (Kewpie brand) and vegan okonomiyaki sauce.

Vegan meals are cooked with love and care—the chef takes a lot of care when preparing and cooking all vegan meals. The teppan (griddle) is cleaned properly, along with the utensils. The ingredients and condiments are labelled and kept separate.

Jirokichi’s special vegan menu includes two main dishes:

• Vegan okonomiyaki ¥950
• Jirokichi vegan roll (contains vegan egg and cheese) ¥1280

Additionally, the izakaya snack-style selection is quite impressive!

• Eggplant and ponzu
• Mushrooms steamed in foil (with sauces)
• Garlicky potatoes
• Edamame
• Lotus root (sautéed in olive oil)
• Chilled tomato slices
• Chilled tofu
• Vegan ice cream (vanilla)

Whatever you’re feeling—be it okonomiyaki or just some light izakaya-style snacks—Jirokichi will look after you. Jopaz says it's the best okonomiyaki she's tried yet. It's simple but flavourful enough to keep you coming back for more.

I can’t seem to find a website for Jirokichi, but their phone number is 082-249-8632. The chef understands and can speak a bit of English. Do not miss out on Jirokichi’s okonomiyaki and authentic izakaya experience!

Take the time to explore Hiroshima and all it has to offer, it will change you in ways you wouldn’t expect.

Until next time,

Lana