Japanese Pancakes
Wednesday, March 2nd, 2005 | Journal
Tags: ego, food, okonomiyaki
After work, my friends and I drove to Torrance, and we had dinner at GaJa. This is my second time eating here, and the first time was memorable. The way you get your food in this restaurant is pretty unique. The chef doesn’t cook for you, you are your own chef, and you cook your own food. In the center of each table, there is a frying surface, and this is where you cook your food. On the side of each table, there is a basket filled with numerous bottles, these bottles contain different seasonings that you might need to make your food taste better. After you make your order, the waiter will bring you all the materials and turn on the fire underneath the table, and you can start your own cooking feast.
My friends and I ordered several different pancakes. I think that’s one of their specialties. You are never short of choices: pork, beef, shrimp, mixed seafood and also vegetarian ones. All the materials are put in a medium-sized bowl, on the bottom is flour, and the top part is what you chose. According to the direction, you need to stir well, until everything is mixed with flour. Then you can start cooking pancakes on the frying surface. Don’t worry if you are first-timer and a beginner, if you are lost just ask the waiter and he would bring a sheet with detailed instruction of the cooking procedure. If you follow the cooking procedure dutifully, then you should have some delicious Japanese pancakes down in your stomach by the end of the night.
We had a blast tonight, so much fun during the cooking, I think I made some decent looking pancakes. Everyone was involved, and everyone enjoyed this unique dinner. I believe a picture is worth thousand words, so I will soon post some pictures that my friend took during the dinner. Stay tuned!
March 02, 2005
12:53 pm on Wednesday
dude… you missed the whole point of okonomiyaki: it’s not flour in the bottom, it’s yam powder.
there’s a whole history behind okonomiyaki, read it on the Gaja site ;)
March 02, 2005
2:04 pm on Wednesday
Oh I did not know that. During the entire meal, I thought it was flour.
The GaJa site is all in Japanese, I cannot read.
March 02, 2005
3:23 pm on Wednesday
your link is for the japanese half, the english site is http://www.gajaokonomiyaki.com/ehome.htm
March 07, 2005
11:49 am on Monday
I finally bookmarked your page so now I can check up on your postings. Aren’t you proud of me!! :)
March 07, 2005
11:51 pm on Monday
I am and I am also very moved.