Is it okonomiyaki or a burger and what is the name of this place?

With the World Expo, a recent Pokémon Go Fest, and the overall surge in tourism to Japan, Osaka has become quite the bustling city recently. Many of our Tokyo-based writers have made the trip there, including Ikuna Kamezawa, who in addition to seeing the sights, also wanted to try some of the local cuisine.

One particularly notable Osakan dish is okonomiyaki, which is a pile of cabbage and other ingredients like meat mixed in a batter and grilled into a pancake-like disk. It’s such a classic meal that Ikuna is no stranger to it and wanted to try something different, which is when she found out that national fast food chain Lotteria was selling an Okonomiyaki Burger only in Osaka and only until October.

She decided to check it out, but being a stranger in a strange land, the multi-level intertwining stations and shopping complexes of the downtown Namba area were very difficult to navigate, even with a smartphone map. Luckily, a kind security guard was able to send her the right way to…

▼ Ikuna: “Zetteria?!”

She double-checked the website on her phone which clearly said a Lotteria was in that location, but the sign in front of her also clearly said that this was Zetteria. The name “Lotteria” is a combination of the parent company’s name, Lotte, and the word “cafeteria” whereas “Zetteria” is “cafeteria” plus the name of their main menu item, the Zeppin Burger.

The logo and overall atmosphere of the restaurant was just like Lotteria, and the similar name would also suggest Zetteria is at least related to Lotteria somehow. But beyond that, Ikuna still wasn’t sure what the difference between a Lotteria and Zetteria was. Apparently, this restaurant changed names sometime after the Okonomiyaki Burger was released last May, but as long as they were still serving it here, it would be fine by her.

Inside, our reporter was relieved to see the limited-time item was available, so she bought it in a combo with a salad and Yuzu Lemon Soda for 860 yen (US$6).

She opened the wrapper to her burger, which had a large “OKONOMIYAKI” sticker that partially obscured the label indicating it was a hamburger, and found what appeared to be just okonomiyaki.

She knew the buns were going to be actual okonomiyaki disks, but she expected them to be more mechanically produced into smooth, round shapes. These buns, however, had all the unevenness of actual okonomiyaki.

Looking under the hood, she found a lightly fired egg, beef patty, some okonomiyaki sauce, and a little extra cabbage to go with the cabbage grilled into the buns.

Biting into it, Ikuna realized there was also some pickled ginger to give it an added zing. The fried batter of the okonomiyaki buns felt softer and less full of cabbage than the real thing, but she liked it that way. She also wasn’t sure if it was intentional, but the plumpness of the egg reminded her of shrimp, a very common okonomiyaki ingredient.

Ikuna has certainly had her fair share of outlandish novelty burgers fast food chains often put out for promotion, but this one felt especially well crafted and really captured the authentic okonomiyaki feel.

If there was one complaint, it would be that it was too much like actual okonomiyaki and hardly resembled a hamburger at all. It made her wonder why she shouldn’t just get regular okonomiyaki instead. Still, there’s something to be said for an okonomiyaki that you can eat with one hand.

▼ Ikuna noticed afterward that Zetteria had been following her…

As filling as an okonomiyaki hamburger with egg sounds, our writer found herself still a little hungry afterward and also grabbed a Zeppin Chicken fried chicken breast for 290 yen. The breading was very crispy and nicely complemented the extremely tender meat inside.

Overall, Ikuna felt that the Okonomiyaki Burger was good enough to be added to the regular menu, despite it barely registering as a hamburger. But unfortunately, it’s only available for a limited period so next time you go to Osaka for one of its many events, be sure to stop by a Lotteria or Zetteria or whatever else they’ll be calling themselves at that time.

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