Okonomiyaki Koei Ousaka-en

With several packed outlets across Tokyo, the Koei restaurants may have built their reputation on horumon-yaki — grilled beef offal — but Koei’s foray into okonomiyaki has been just as well received. And for good reason — it has a legacy of love behind it. Initially opening in 1989 in the Shin-Okubo district, under the name Okonomiyaki Ousaka-en, the restaurant was forced to shut its doors due to flagging business, but was brought back to life under the Koei banner in a new Shinjuku home. The first thing many commuters smell the moment they step out of Seibu-Shinjuku Station is the smell of grilling okonomiyaki. Lovers of the Kansai staple can look forward to multiple different types of okonomiyaki, from squid to shrimp to even a tongue-in-cheek approach to the Hiroshima approach towards the grilled dish. But more adventurous diners can also dig into dishes that only true Kansai natives would appreciate, like grilled squid guts, which are thick and richly flavored with a salty tang. Okonomiyaki aside, the tonpeiyaki — another Kansai favorite of pork belly and cabbage in an omelette — is another popular seller, and is just as popular a seller as the restaurant’s signature dish.