MANILA, Philippines – If you’re ready to move from the ramen craze, then look no further – Dohtonbori restaurant just held their grand opening and they’re serving up variations of another Japanese dish, okonomiyaki.

Okonomiyaki is usually called a “Japanese pancake,” according to their site, but the word actually translates directly as “what you like” (okonomi) and “grilled” (yaki).

The usual okonomiyaki is topped with flour, cabbage, bonito and seaweed flakes, and Japanese mayo, but since you can grill anything you want, the possibilities for what you can put in your okonomiyaki are endless.

Dohtonbori, a Japanese franchise, capitalized on these possibilities and are offering all kinds of okonomiyaki combinations for you to cook right at your table.

You can ask for help or give it a shot, but it isn’t complicated. The ingredients you’re served are all measured out for you already at Dohtonbori, you just have to mix them together with the okonomiyaki paste, pour the mixture onto the grill, then flip it after 3 minutes.

Here’s some of what you can get at their newly opened Philippine branch at 8 Missouri St, North East Greenhills, San Juan.

Mixed Okonomiyaki (P290)

A classic okonomiyaki that Dohtonbori features on the first page of their menu and website. This one has squid, pork, shrimp, octopus, tempura bits, red pickled ginger, spring onions, egg, and cabbage, all mixed and held together with okonomiyaki paste.

Our Okonomiyaki being flipped! @dohtonbori_ph @rapplerdotcom pic.twitter.com/LGY1xgoXlh

— vernise tantuco (@verntantuco) November 23, 2015

If you want to try more than one kind of okonomiyaki, then you should definitely visit the restaurant with your family or friends. These Japanese pancakes are great for sharing.

What’s this? Behold the #okonomiyaki or Japanese pancake, the mainstay on the menu of brand new @dohtonbori_ph, opening this November in Manila. The best part is that delicious dark sauce brushed carefully on top, adding depth and richness to the overall flavors. We tasted a number of things on the menu but this was my favorite by far. #pancakes #gastrogram #food

A photo posted by Wyatt Ong (@wyattcaraway) on Nov 23, 2015 at 8:58am PST

Hiroshima Yaki Mix (P440)

This differs from the regular Osaka-style okonomiyaki in that the the ingredients are dumped on top of the paste instead of mixed. Aside from pork, cabbage, bean sprouts, and tempura bits, it’s also topped with yakisoba (fried noodles) and a fried egg.

The Hiroshima Yaki Mix has squid, shrimp, and octopus, but if you can do without the seafood, you can get the regular Hiroshima Yaki for P390.

4-Quattro Formaggi (P240)

Dohtonbori doesn’t just serve okonomiyaki, they’ve got other food on the menu too. This 4-cheese pizza – that’s mixed cheese, mozarella, parmesan, and cheddar – is grilled at the table. Its caramel sauce also gives it an interesting sweet kick.

Mix Yakisoba (P330)

Here’s another thing you can grill at the table – your noodles! Dohtonbori’s Mix Yakisoba has seafood, pork, and veggies mixed in with the noodles. It’s just one of the yakisoba dishes too. Some of the others are the Omelette Yakisoba (P290), which comes with two eggs on top of pork and veggies, and the Gyu-suji Yakisoba, with beef tendon, pork, red pickled ginger, and cloud ear mushrooms.

The raw ingredients for our yakisoba at @dohtonbori_ph @rapplerdotcom pic.twitter.com/3djv7f4Yv5

— vernise tantuco (@verntantuco) November 23, 2015

Tempura (P340)

Don’t worry, you don’t have to cook this one yourself. Dohtonbori’s tempura is served ready-to-eat and without sauce, just salt to enhance the flavor. That said, this tempura doesn’t really need any. Dohtonbori’s tempura has a great flavor and crunchy texture to boot.

Sukiyaki 

Bubbling, plentiful and delicious #sukiyaki from new restaurant @dohtonbori_ph. Captured the reveal after it sat for minutes on the heated surface. #japanesefood #gastrogram #foodgram

A video posted by Wyatt Ong (@wyattcaraway) on Nov 24, 2015 at 2:08am PST

Sweet and filled with various ingredients, the sukiyaki offers up a nice break from the pancake-based entrees. 

Hawaiian Pancake (P280)

Dohtonbori is serving up breakfast for dessert. After frying up your table’s bowl of batter, top your stack of pancakes with the whipped cream and berry mix. You can get this one for a whole meal if you’re alone, but if you’re sharing, one order serves at least 8 pancakes.

Okonomi-cake café au lait (P260)

The okonomi-cake café au lait is like a Japanese pastry shop in the form of an okonomiyaki. It’s packed with a lot of flavors, including coffee, but it’s pleasantly mellow.

It’s fluffy, thanks to the mascarpone. Berries give it a fruity accent. Caramel sauce makes it delicately sweet.

There’s a delightful harmony of textures, too. Pocky sticks are a crunchy surprise, while chewy mochi kind of encourages you to savor the okonomi-cake at a leisurely pace.

At Dohtonbori, the restaurant itself has a great atmosphere, with booths and a room for more privacy between guests, and bits and pieces of Japan on their walls.

Dohtonbori first opened in Tokyo and now has branches all over Japan, in Bangkok, and Taipei. They may be opening new branches in the Philippines too, and at the grand opening, Davao City mayor Rodrigo Duterte even said he wanted one to open in Davao.

In the meantime, you can try their Greenhills branch and check out their Facebook page for updates. 

Will you be trying out Dohtonbori soon? Tell us what you think of the restaurant in the comments below! – Rappler.com