Who would have thought that a restaurant above a bicycle shop in an old building outside central Tokyo would catch the attention of Michelin Guide, and three years in a row at that? Even the reviews from diners posting on Tabelog ranked Naniwa to be among the 11 best okonomiyaki restaurants all over Japan. I was oblivious of those feats up until we were about to pay our bill. It was then when I saw the display of awards on the cabinet near the entrance. Naniwa definitively deserved the recognition. Everything we ordered was flavorsome and the service was terrific. The serving staff approached our table from time to time, teaching us how to make takoyaki and suggesting ways to enjoy our grilled meat and yakisoba. Helpful tips: 1. Make a reservation before making your way to this 25-seater restaurant. 2. Sit at the table near the windows so you won’t get teary-eyed from the smoke coming from the teppan.

+3

Very good restaurant. Food is pretty tasty. Great atmosphere. Very clean. Staff is friendly and eager to help out.

+3

Amazing!

An okonomiyaki restaurant in Nerima listed in Tabelog's Hyakumeiten. A renowned place also selected for the Michelin Bib Gourmand. I usually eat Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki, but my wish to try the okonomiyaki here someday finally came true. It was a holiday, and reservations were for 17:00 or 19:00. We went at 17:00. It's on the building's 2F. We were shown to a window-side table and started with a draft beer toast. The kimchi sent directly from Tsuruhashi, Osaka, was exquisite. For my mushroom-loving friend, we ordered the 5-mushroom mix with butter. It even had wood ear mushrooms. As for the wagyu offal teppanyaki… there was no photo of it cooked. (Presumably we were too absorbed in eating) The restaurant's signature cook-your-own takoyaki is fun & delicious too. When you turn the takoyaki over, the offal on the neighboring griddle sizzles and splatters, making your arms hot. I think we chose the mixed okonomiyaki? This one comes cooked. Oh, this is delicious! We then added fresh Japanese flying squid grilled in butter as a drinking snack. Just when I thought we'd get 1 more okonomiyaki, it was mixed monja, topped with Baby Star. I'd recently had a few chances to eat monja in Tsukishima, so I taught them how to build the wall. (Made them do it) They did a great job, so I praised them lavishly while just doing the eating myself. We finished with yakisoba. The noodles were thick, with a flavor that paired well with alcohol. The restaurant gets quite hot when full, so I imagined summer must be tough. I'd like to return during cooler weather.

+3

As the weather was getting colder, we felt like okonomiyaki and the like. Since it's a Hyakumeiten restaurant, I thought a reservation the day before would be impossible, but I called without much hope and somehow got a booking from 17:00 with a 2-hour limit. Apparently the owner is from Osaka, and lively Kansai dialect fills the restaurant. As someone from Kansai, I've had many disappointing experiences at Tokyo okonomiyaki restaurants, so I was skeptical this time too. But I was thrilled to find unmistakably delicious Osaka okonomiyaki. This time we had Butatama Kakitama Butter-grilled oysters Thick-cut beef tongue Takoyaki Kimchi assortment Grilled chicken neck meat 5-mushroom mix with butter And more. The okonomiyaki is served fully cooked. The takoyaki is cooked together by everyone, which is fun. The okonomiyaki here truly didn't disappoint at all. Thank you for the meal.

+3