New Okonomiyaki Burger flips up the fast food scene in Japan

Exclusively available in one area of the country.

With so many fast food giants in Japan, some of the smaller chains have to really push the boat out in order to get noticed. That’s what Lotteria Japan is doing right now, with the announcement of its brand new Okonomiyaki Burger.

▼ To be exact, this is an “Okonomiyaki Burger with Egg“

Okonomiyaki literally translates to “how-you-like grill”, in reference to the fact that it contains a savoury pancake-like batter filled with whatever vegetables and/or meat you choose. Born in Osaka, this tasty dish remains a popular local specialty to this day, and its popularity has spread so far and wide it can be found right around the country.

▼ Okonomiyaki is typically made by either staff or customer, with the mixed batter poured onto a hot grill until it’s nicely fried…

▼ …and then it’s all topped with a BBQ sauce-esque sauce, green laver, bonito flakes, and mayonnaise before being eaten.

Lotteria captures all the main ingredients found in okonomiyaki and serves it up in burger form, with a mound of shredded cabbage and pickled ginger at the bottom, a meat patty and egg on top, and okonomiyaki sauce, mayonnaise and a sprinkling of bonito flakes providing distinctive mouthfuls of flavour.

The main draw, though, is the discs of okonomiyaki that sandwich the filling together in place of traditional buns, giving us a new take on Osaka’s popular soul food.

▼ The new burger is set to retail for 590 yen (US$3.92.

While fast food chains like McDonald’s have attempted to capture the essence of okonomiyaki in their own special limited-edition burgers, we’ve never seen one that replaces its buns with savoury pancakes, so this is a unique creation that looks set to be a hit with customers.

The only drawback is it’s exclusively available for sale in one area of the country, with 28 Lotteria and Zetteria stores in Osaka Prefecture adding it to their menus for a limited time from 10 May, while stocks last. That means those of us outside the prefecture will just have to satisfy our cravings for Osaka-style food with the new Takoyaki Burger from rival chain Wendy’s.

Participating stores: 19 Lotteria stores in Osaka, 9 Zetteria stores in Osaka
Source, images: Press release
Insert photos©SoraNews24
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