Chugoku

Is Hiroshima Okonomiyaki Worth It? Locals Say Skip the Famous Shops — "The Tiny Neighborhood Joints Are Several Times Better, and Cheaper"

Under a viral rundown of Hiroshima's four most famous okonomiyaki shops, the top local comment (438 likes) says the obviously tourist-oriented picks lose to the tiny neighborhood joints, which are "several times tastier — and cheaper." "These are all shops locals don't go to" (205 likes) sums up the pushback, but the tone is affectionate, not angry: every Hiroshima native keeps a personal favorite shop (331 likes), the really good ones stay secret so they don't get crowded (157 likes), and okonomiyaki is supposed to be an everyday ¥700 niku-tama-soba, not something you queue for. A few regulars push back — famous Hassho and Koshida really are that good, they say — and locals name a dozen real shops they'd send you to instead.