Here are some pics from tonight’s Thursday Night Manga Meetup, which is an event held by the Austin Anime Meetup Group. In addition to some really great conversation about manga, anime, and Japanese cinema with the group, I decided to treat everyone to some okonomiyaki (Japanese pizza), delivered by Osaka Soul.
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So, first of all, you might be asking, There’s okonomiyaki in Austin? Yep. Osaka Soul, a delivery-only okonomiyaki restaurant, opened at the end of August. It’s no wonder that I just found out about them on Wednesday.
Secondly, you might be asking, Well, how was it? I ordered the Bacon & Green Onion and the Shrimp & Cheese okonomiyaki for the group, and everyone thought they were delicious. Personally, I preferred the Bacon & Green Onion.
But, to be honest, what Osaka Soul serves as okonomiyaki is a pretty simplified version. It’s primarily dough, topped with the toppings you select, okonomi sauce, kewpie mayonnaise, and bonito (fish flakes). Real okonomiyaki is a bit more complex than that. (See the video below for Cooking with Dog‘s recipe.) But I understand how the additional ingredients might make the okonomiyaki really soggy during transport.
I spoke with the delivery driver for a few minutes, and he mentioned that Osaka Soul would eventually like to expand its menu and have a physical location. Most likely, in a very Austin-like fashion, they’ll start out in a food trailer before opening a permanent structure.
And let’s be honest here, Austin needs something besides just another Japanese restaurant. I swear, if I had a dollar for every new Austin sushi bar that tries to stand out from the crowd based on some stupid new specialty sushi roll, I’d have … well, probably just about $50. But the fact of the matter is that Austin already has plenty of sushi and hibachi restaurants. We need more traditional and authentic Japanese food (okonomiyaki, takoyaki, yakiniku, ramen, natto, etc.).
Kudos to Osaka Soul for getting the ball rolling in that direction!
You can try your own okonomiyaki from Osaka Soul if you’re in the downtown/campus area. Go to http://www.OsakaSoul.com or call them at (512) 853-9125. (They are a cash-only business, so go by the ATM before you call.)
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Wow, I Wish I could order from Osaka Soul, but I’m 1700 miles away – that’s a slow delivery! If anyone is interested in making Okonomiyaki at home, here is another recipe source (and lots of info). http://okonomiyakiworld.com – Have fun!
Hi, I ‘ve been followed the blog since last month. Thanks so much for all the great info you have on here. I love that you have list of events for otaku in Austin because I recently moved here from San Diego and thought my otaku life’s gonna suffered, lol. Anyhow, I just joined this club and this Saturday (tomorrow) will be my first get together with them. I am very excited (aka desperated) to make some otaku friends and expand my social life further than sitting alone at Barnes & Noble. Thank you and please continue the blog. You are awesome ^___^.
That’s really great to hear. I’m glad the blog has been of value to you. Feel free to follow me on Twitter as well and become a fan of the Facebook page. Occasionally, I put little tidbits on those pages that are too small to make blog posts out of. Enjoy the anime meetup! … Thanks for your comment.
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