Sakuratei

Sakuratei Review

Tucked away between two art galleries that feature works by young Japanese artists, Sakuratei defies other conventions as well: eating here doesn't always mean you don't have to cook. At this do-it-yourself okonomiyaki (a kind of pancake made with egg, meat, and vegetables) restaurant, you choose ingredients and cook them on the teppan (grill). Okonomiyaki is generally easy to make, but flipping the pancake to cook the other side can be challenging—potentially messy but still fun. Fortunately, you're not expected to do the dishes. Okonomiyaki literally means "as you like it," so experiment with your own recipe or try the house special, sakurayaki (with pork, squid, and onions), or monjayaki (a watered-down variation of okonomiyaki from the Kanto region).