Toshima City, Tokyo, Japan｜Yajiumatei

Really tasty okonomiyaki at unbeatable price, self grill style restaurant but don't be worried if it is your first time. The waiter was very nice, super helpful with everything and had pretty good english. There are also english menus which is great. Great retro vibe inside

The best okonomiyaki I've had in Ikebukuro! Friendly cook and tasty umeshu.

My absolute favorite place in all of Japan, and still a real insider tip! I've been a regular here for 10 years. I always return to Yajiuma on my travels full of anticipation. Because there is no place in Japan where I, as a foreigner and as a human being, have ever been welcomed more warmly than there. The small family business has been run by a friendly duo of father and son for several decades (!). The son (middle-aged) runs the bar, looks after the guests, serves drinks and conjures up the okonomiyaki live in front of the eyes of astonished guests, for which this restaurant is known. Meanwhile, the senior knows how to make all the necessary preparations in the back of a tiny kitchen. Through decades of collaboration, father and son function impressively, without words, like well-oiled clockwork. As Yajiuma continues to gain popularity, the two of them have recently been increasingly supported by a dedicated and attentive young waiter on busy days. Very unusual for Japan: both the bartender and the waiter both speak surprisingly good English! Even more than the delicious food, I am thrilled by the people you meet here and the good conversations that result from it. To understand why, it helps to know how the rooms are structured: The restaurant consists of 2 levels arranged in basements (B1 + B2, the Japanese call it). Through the small entrance in an inconspicuous side street in Ikebukuro, you can take a staircase down to the first level (B1), where the bar with attached kitchen is located. Further down there is a second level (B2). This small room is completely covered with tatami mats. Small groups of young people often sit cross-legged here, happily enjoying an okonomiyaki and having a drink with their friends. Even on my first visit, so many years ago, I was particularly fascinated by the sight of the bar on the B1 level. It exudes an unmistakable charm that always reminds me of the rustic corner pubs in Berlin. To this day, the owners have been able to keep the old flair alive by hardly changing anything about the furnishings over the decades. For example, there is also an ancient, iconic public payphone in pink, which still works. The cozy little bar has 8 seats and is arranged in an L shape so that customers can sit diagonally across from each other. This simple yet ingenious corner-shaped arrangement ensures that all guests are seated close enough to each other to be able to talk to each other if they wish, and can look at each other without having to crane their necks. This is very beneficial for communication. Regular customers sit on these chairs every evening, whether on the weekend or on any day of the week (closed on Mondays). It's often surprisingly busy here, even during the week after 8/9 p.m. Over a beer or long drink (I recommend the sparkling, refreshing "Chu-Hi Lemon", or simply the classic whiskey with cola, called "Coke-Hi" in Japan), it is often easy to start a conversation with the Japanese guests. Unlike other bars I've been to in Tokyo, many guests here are very open to foreigners. A "Kampai", politely but reservedly thrown into the group by a foreigner, can be the starting signal for a friendly conversation to develop. So don't be shy if someone asks you "Where are you from?" in English. should ask :)