Dohtonbori to undertake a daring new anime okonomiyaki tie-in.
When it comes to Japanese foods, okonomiyaki is surely one of the most widely loved. I’ve never met a person who didn’t enjoy at least one variation of this griilled concoction of cabbage and whatever other ingredients you want. And yet, despite this degree of popularity and flexibility, okonomiyaki restaurants don’t seem to collaborate quite like other places.
Sure, there’s been okonomiyaki burritos and okonomiyaki pizzas, but okonoimyaki itself has never been made in the image of something like a women’s magazine or smartphone game quite like other foods of its caliber have…until now!
Nationwide okonomiyaki chain Dohtonbori has announced that they will join up with the hit anime/manga series Demon Slayer for a line of limited-edition dishes based on six of its characters, each priced at 1,200 yen (US$11).
Feast your eyes on this:
The image above gives a brief description of each:
・Tanjiro Kamado’s “Charcoal Grilled Chicken Flavored Green Onion Tama”
A standard okonomiyaki (tama) topped with plentiful green onion and squares of seaweed to simulate Tanjiro’s cloak pattern. Inside is chicken seared to perfection by none other than charcoal which harks back to Tanjiro’s days before the demons came.
・Nazuko Kamado’s “Blood Burst Mentaiko Mayo Tama”
Modeled after Nazuko’s Blood Burst technique which causes all of her shed blood to ignite, this tama is topped with a thick layer of mayonnaise, stained with the fiery flavor of spicy pollock roe (menatiko).
・Zenitsu Agatsuma’s “Hekireki-issen Akashi Flavor Tama”
This fluffy tama is seasoned with Japanese pepper and a savory broth to give it a taste like the eggier predecessor of takoyaki, akashiyaki. The top is layered with fried egg and seaweed cut into the shape of Zenitsu to recreate the famous moon-silhouette scene during one of his pivotal uses of the hekireki-issen technique.
・Inosuke Hashibara’s “Headlong Stamina Tama”
Although masked with a dull grey sauce and cut-out shapes of a boar’s face, inside this hearty tama is a spicy blend of pork and garlic. There also appears to be something with a bright turquoise color inside that I can’t figure out.
・Giyu Tomioka’s “Calm Seafood Tama”
Speaking of bright turquoise, this tama is topped with a jarringly blue mayonnaise to simulate the water-based techniques of Giyu. Also much like the ocean, underneath the calm blue surface is a bounty of seafood ingredients.
・Shinobu Kocho’s “Butterfly Dance Playful Pancake”
No disguises here. As the name suggests, this is just a super-fluffy pancake topped with a bunch of cream cheese and whipped cream.
Dohtonbori has done some festive character-based okonomiyaki before, but this time they’re going full-throttle with some pretty outrageous designs. Okonomiyaki certainly has a distinctive look on its own but these layouts take it to a whole other level, reminiscent of a Baskin Robbins display case.
However, the downside to these masterpieces is that once eaten, they cease to exist. So, Demon Slayer and Dohtonbori will also give a free plastic file folder for each okonomiyaki ordered so that you can remember and cherish the experience. The character on the folder is random, however, and may not match the character’s okonomiyaki that was ordered.
▼ Dohtonbori’s mascot is a tanuki, in case you were wondering why everyone looks like a raccoon.
If that wasn’t enough, they’ll also be selling buttons featuring each of the highlighted characters in stores from 1 July.
Then, starting 20 July, another wave of merch will be sold in the form of acrylic stands, again featuring each of the six aforementioned characters.
Needless to say, there’s lots to see and eat for any fan of Demon Slayer and/or okonomiyaki. It all kicks off on 1 July and runs until 31 August, so be sure to visit a Dohtonbori near you for one of these revolutionary meals. The hardest part is choosing just one.
Source: Dohtonbori
Images: PR Times (Unless otherwise noted)
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[ Read in Japanese ]