Kurumi: Teppan Izakaya Known for 40-Minute Okonomiyaki

Kurumi has been working its iron griddle in Shinsakae for about 40 years, and in 2025 it was the only restaurant in Aichi on Tabelog's okonomiyaki top-100 list. The signature okonomiyaki is griddled for around 40 minutes into a tall, soft, almost custardy cake with an egg yolk hidden inside. The walls are covered in autographs from musicians who play nearby venues, and staff will happily tell fans what their favourite artist ordered.

Reviewers almost unanimously say there are no misses on the menu. The dishes they name most often are the okonomiyaki (deluxe, pork or shrimp), the moyashi itame (bean sprouts stir-fried so they stay crisp), doteni (beef tendon slow-cooked in red miso) and asparagus wrapped in beef. The griddled jagaimo corned beef, red-chicken negima skewers and fresh sashimi also get steady praise, as does a well-run, attentive floor.

The criticism is fairly consistent. The menu carries no prices, which leaves some guests uneasy, and a few found the bill high. Several people independently describe an older male staffer who was curt or condescending on the phone when they called to book. Service can slow down at peak times.

Because nothing is priced, reviewers quote bills rather than dishes. Between 2024 and 2026, edamame, the asparagus beef roll, a pork okonomiyaki and one shochu soda came to around ¥3,580. Six dishes with four drinks cost about ¥8,500, a full solo evening about ¥7,430, and four people drinking until closing paid ¥32,000. The listing gives a dinner budget of ¥5,000–6,000, while reviewers' bills more often land at ¥8,000–10,000; one guest paid over ¥11,000 a head in 2023. There is no lunch service.

Most reviewers found the bill fair for the quality, though a minority felt it was pricey. If cost matters, order in moderation.

• Getting there: 3 minutes on foot from Exit 1 of Shin-Sakaemachi Station (Higashiyama Line); the restaurant is in the Shato Murase building.
• Booking: a reservation is needed; walk-ins only occasionally get in late in the evening. Phone 052-242-1915. For other days, call 14:00–17:00 or after 21:00; no bookings more than one month ahead, and tables after 20:00 are taken only on the same day. Let the restaurant know of any change in party size.
• Seatings: 17:30 and 19:30, with a 2-hour limit.
• Payment: the listing says credit cards are accepted (brands not stated); electronic money and QR payments are not. Some reviewers report cash only, so bring enough cash.
• Ordering: two-drink minimum per person; a macaroni-salad cover dish is served automatically. Order okonomiyaki and potato dishes first, as they take 30–40 minutes.
• Seating: 50 seats, including counter seats and a tatami room; a private room for 6, with groups of 6 or more by arrangement. Private hire is possible.
• Smoking: fully non-smoking.
• Parking: none.
• Photos: sharing photos of the autograph wall publicly may be restricted.