Okomen Queensbay Mall

Intrigued by the name and numerous sharing on social media,
 I leaped in joy when I got the opportunity to review this place. Look for them on Instagram,
it's mouth-watering-guaranteed looking at those dashi flakes dancing.

Why Okomen?
Apparently it's not some superhero that I thought who came from a manga.

Okomen stands for Okonomiyaki and Ramen, which are the main highlights of the restaurant.

I'm pretty sure most of you know what Ramen is, but Okonomiyaki is absolutely something new for me.

Originated from Osaka, Okonomi(what you like/what you want) yaki(grilled)
is a Japanese savory pancake with the basic ingredients such as
 pork, egg, sliced onion and shredded cabbage.
In Japan, okonomiyaki is considered a main dish.

There are 4 categories in the family:
Okonomiyaki, which I have mentioned above;
Modanyaki, derived from the word Modern, similar with okonomiyaki,
 but comes with a layer of fried yakisoba/udon within;
Takoyaki, ball-shaped Japanese snack filled with diced octopus;
Omu Soba, fried yaki soba wrapped in omelette.

Done with the explanation, now to the food!

Green tea [RM1.80], an essential in Japanese cuisine.

Pork Oko [RM16.80]

The basic and must-try, look at the pretty latte mayonnaise and okonomiyaki art on top!
A combination of sweet and savoury, layering goodness of soft egg, crunchy pork slices and cabbages.
I highly recommend this as the portion is just right and the taste is satisfactory.

Seafood Modanyaki [RM26.80]
As compared to the previous one, a dollop of mayonnaise
was added on top instead of pretty wave, mew.
Tastewise, it's almost the same with Pork Oko but with seafood instead and fried yaki soba within!

A peek into the filling; This gigantic portion could serve up to 3 person!

Mochi & Cheese Oko [RM18.80]
Such appetizing color isn't it?

Distinctive, not overpowering cheese flavor but not mochi,

probably it was chopped into too tiny pieces.

If you'd like to go meat-less, this is absolutely a great option!

Pork Omu Soba [RM16.80]
Slightly different from the above, the yaki soba is wrapped in a layer of omelette,
 together with pork slices, shredded cabbages and drizzled with okonomiyaki sauce.

Opt for this if you prefer to savor more of fried yaki soba. 

All comes with a small bowl of dashi flakes,

sprinkle on top to add to the flavor(or just to watch them tango).

Overall I think okonomiyaki is a pretty healthy and fulfilling dish

 that I would definitely come back for more.

Buta O Nankotsu Ramen  [RM20.80]

 *egg was added for illustration purpose only

Pork bones were boiled for 18 hours for the broth, the pork cartilage was really soft.

The broth is not as thick as I expected but it was flavorful.

I think most people would prefer this than those super thick ones as it's not cloying.

Aka Oni Tontoro Ramen [RM20.80]

Using the same broth as Buta O Nankotsu Ramen, with the addition of kara miso.
In curiosity and doubt, I tried a thin slice of tontoro,
which is the meat from the pig's face! Surprisingly, it was crunchy and yummy!
Very limited supply everyday cause, how big is a pig's face?

Gekara Cha Shu Ramen  [RM18.80]

*egg was added for illustration purpose only

Gekara is 激辛 in Chinese, which means spicy. Sure love the vibrant color.

It's not as spicy as it looks, just a slight chili kick.

Two thumbs up for their cha su! So thick and succulent.

Important highlight:

They have very strict quality control on their food and would

 throw away the whole pot of broth(after boiling for 18 hours) if it isn't up to par!

There is zero MSG added so you could drink the soup

till the last drop(without your hair dropping along the way)!

Unagi Hot Stone Rice [RM24.80]

Out of my expectation, this is simply heavenly!

Generous amount of succulent and tender grilled unagi,

 topped with sunny-side-up and seaweed flakes, comes with a bowl of miso soup.

Here are some side dishes we sampled:

Mentai Mayo Takoyaki [RM14.80]

Fried Gobo [RM9.80]

Light, not oily, guilt-free snack which kind of taste like arrowroot(chi gu).
Best accompanied with beer or friends and a good movie. Kampai!

Gyoza [RM12.80/5 pcs]

Soft Shell Crab [RM26.80]

Huge pieces of yummy, crunchy soft shell crab!
Dip some ebiko roe and mayonaise, squeeze lemon all over for extra flavor and happiness.

A BTS of serious food paparazzis and a pair of happy couple to end this post.

Huge thanks to Okomen for the invitation :)

Okomen Japanese Restaurant

Facebook page

Opens 11A.M. - 10P.M. daily

No. 3F, 21A, Queensbay Mall, 100, Persiaran Bayan Indah, 11900 Penang

(in front of Humble Beginnings)

04-6468828