Chinchikurin Nagarekawa Store

Imagine this: you're in Nagarekawa, Hiroshima's buzzy downtown area, weaving through its local bar action and lively nightlife. In Butsudan-dori, you turn a corner and slip into a 50-year-old building, seeking a retreat from the sensory explosion. The transition is immediate; the high-energy clamor of pachinko and club music fades into the warm buzz of conversation and the sizzle of an iron grill. This is what you’d get in Chinchikurin Nagarekawa, an okonomiyaki-specialty restaurant that cut its teeth on the Hiroshima-style iteration of the savory Japanese pancakes. The first floor is lined with flat-surfaced teppan grills on the tables, and the menu revolves around the art of okonomiyaki. Unlike the Osaka version, where ingredients are mixed into a batter and cooked together, Hiroshima’s rendition is all about layering. It begins with a simple batter of flour, followed by a sequence of layers: cabbage (a heaping of it), crispy tempura bits, noodles and a perfectly fried egg. Each layer is carefully added and needs to be cooked in the right order, with a final touch of Otafuku sauce, made from a blend of 20 spices that adds depth and richness. Chinchikurin’s noodles, crafted by Isono Seimen, are specifically designed for Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki, and remain delightfully crisp on the outside while soaking up the sauce without becoming mushy. Thankfully, beyond the traditional okonomiyaki, Chinchikurin cuts through the groove with a few creative twists for its menu, like the Italian-inspired pancake laced with truffle oil or England’s “fish and chips” okonomiyaki, which gets crowned with fries, on the ala carte option. On the exclusive course menu, shrimp and avocado are cleverly used for a smart rendition of okonomiyaki. Plenty of thought also goes into the drinks menu, which predominantly involves classic beers like Asahi and Japanese-style cocktails (there’s always the Lemon Sour and Highballs). It might be a weekday night, but Chinchikurin proves that there’s never a wrong time to enjoy okonomiyaki — a sentiment shared by Hiroshima locals. Head to the second floor to dine on spacious sunken kotatsu tables.