Micchan Souhonten

Micchan Souhonten is widely credited as one of the founding establishments of Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki, tracing its roots to 1950 when the dish was still evolving in the city's post-war street stalls. The shop sits near Shintenchi in Naka Ward, close to the Peace Memorial Park, and occupies a compact space with an iron teppan griddle at the counter that has been in near-continuous use for decades. The version of okonomiyaki served here is often described as the template from which Hiroshima's style developed: a thin, lacy crepe base, a mountain of shredded raw cabbage, thin pork belly slices, yakisoba noodles, egg, and a generous finish of Otafuku sauce with aonori (dried seaweed) and katsuobushi (bonito flakes). The atmosphere is wholly unpretentious — worn wooden counters, worn stools, yellowed photographs on the wall — and the cooking is theatrical, performed in full view of seated diners. Micchan also produces an ikaten variation that adds a tender fried squid cake to the standard build, giving the finished pancake a chewier, maritime dimension. The restaurant has resisted expansion; this main shop retains the original single-room format. Arriving at opening time or after the lunch rush is advised, as the small space fills quickly. Prices remain some of the lowest in the Shintenchi area for a full meal. The shop is particularly popular with older Hiroshima residents who regard it as an institution, lending it a local atmosphere that the newer multi-stall complexes do not replicate.