Okinoshima

The Osaka-​style okonomiyaki, yakisoba and parfait made a great lite dinner!

NOOOOOOOOOO! I can’t believe that this place closed! (Confirmed on their facebook page.)
Why is life so horrible?!

Osaka street food, or rather «treat food». Wonderful takoyaki and amazing hashimaki.

I came once, planned, and you were closed on the hours you were said to be open, and on my next trip, this was a plotted destination to see if the reviews were true. I have to say you are a 4 on my scale, and from the two times I have been here it was a good experience. This is not a fast meal by any stretch, look up how one of these Japanese pancakes are made, what goes into it and expect to be patient, not too long, but it’s not a dog on a grill ready to be wrapped in a bun. These things are made to order, so there is no one finger cooking involved, but some real cooking to make the pancake of your choice. The wait was around 10 plus minutes, but what you get is an authentic okonomiyaki with your choice of meats, or no meat… if you like.
It’s hard to find this dish, as most places who have it, they are already pre-​made and frozen, and I was looking through the small window into their kitchen while they were preparing my order. A mixture of batter, cabbage, egg and chicken or pork (as I had both, each on seperate trips!) all put together in one flat package, I was awaiting this meal, and you can smell all the flavours coming out of this little cart, and once it comes out, it is on a tin foil covered plate, with all it’s fluffy goodness. You know it’s nice and hot when the bonito flakes are just trembling left and right from the rising heat from the okonomikayi. Topping it off with sprinkles of laver and pink ginger, with a nice zig-​zag design of Japanese mayo, it had it all, and then some. I wish there was more bite, and it maybe the cabbage that they are not using enough of, or maybe it just needs to be cooked more through to make it more solid, but in all essence this was a great meal, don’t try to eat it yourself, as it can be pretty big, and you will be stuffed! Also, they probably could use more meat bits, as it was hard to find some in certain areas of the okonomiyaki, not spread evenly, so your left with just cabbage and egg to deal with.
Our friends, they ended up ordering the yakisoba, and wow… this was one of the best stir fried noodle dishes I have had, and it’s coming from a food truck, ok, what gives, how are they doing it better than a restaurant? Big meat bits, mixed perfectly with veggies and noodles. Each bite had a great bounce from the noodles, but also one where you were getting everything, definitely a must try if your coming to this lot. Whether you are here at lunch, or really late at night (was here both times!) this one is a great find. They have a small two seater table that we decided to take up in the middle of the night if you need something to hold your plate!

From Osaka, Boston, and Portland, the proprietor here is an innovative and experienced chef.
He’s been around the world and it really does seem fitting that you’d find such great talent inside a small mobile kitchen in a place like Portland.
We got an okonomiyaki, a japanese take on the pancake but much more savory and delicious. It was topped with octopus and pork, which was a custom order but accommodated with a smile. Japanese food is incredibly flavourful and if you’ve never had bonito flake, prepared to say wow.
Gems everywhere in this city, Okinoshima included.

This was mine and Janette’s first food truck stop in PDX.
Yakisoba w/​pork — this was the best yakisoba I had. the noodles were thicker than the soba noodles I am used to, which was great! good texture and flavor. The yakisoba sauce and kewpie mayo were good: creamy, slightly fruity and spicy. The pork was fried separately, and didn’t have the same spices and seasoning as the noodles and sauce. However, it WAS side pork/​pork belly cuts, which added a nice fattiness to the dish that didn’t conflict with the mayo.
Okonomiyaki w/​squid — same sauces as the yakisoba, or at least similar enough, and complimented the pancake the same way it did with the yakisoba. The egg was perfectly fried and hand some yolkiness to it, which made it even better. The squid was perfectly seared and added a nice poppy texture to the omelette.
While the preparation takes a bit long, the product is worth the wait. Yakisoba? more like YUMMYSOBA! and the okonomiyaki was good too. I just wish they had takoyaki, but then again, we came right before they closed for lunch, so that was to be expected.

Osaka street food on the streets of Portland? Yes Please! This was my first meal after flying into Portland. It’s not too far off the MAX red line so I was able to hop off from PDX relatively quickly and easily and go back to PDX to meet up with my ride. I made it a point to check this off my list ASAP as I’ve been wanting some okonomiyaki for some time now. You know how hard it is to find that shit in Chicago? I got the squid okonomiyaki and the vegetarian yakisoba. The okonomiyaki is huge. It’s best to share that one but I managed to eat it all after hardly a breakfast and no lunch, still on Chicago time. It’s pretty good, I prefer it crispier and crunchier with a little more kewpie mayo but still pretty darn good. The yakisoba was very tasty. Lots of veggies and good flavor with plenty of wok marks on the veggies so it was very fragrant and flavorful. Delicious. With an over easy egg amongst the fried noodles. My only complaint is to go easy on the bonito flakes. They put on way too much for my liking. bleh.
I saw that they have Hiyashi Chuka on their summer menu! Must return to try out their rendition. Cold noodles on a hot Portland summer day. Perfection.

I remember my study abroad in Japan almost 10 years ago. A bunch of us would take advantage of our Friday nights and just go exploring. We ate at a few places and took in the nightlife. Some of the food we had included okonomiyaki (a savory Japanese pancake) and takoyaki (a savory puff ball filled with octopus).
A man and woman headed this cart. Not sure if they are a husband-​and-​wife team, but they were indeed speaking Japanese to one another.
Okonomiyaki starts with a savory batter; shredded cabbage (and possibly other vegetables); eggs (scrambled into the pancake); and your choice of meat, tofu, or seafood.
I went with the pork okonomiyaki ($ 7) this time. After cooking, the okonomiyaki is topped with Japanese mayo; aonori (seaweed flakes); a sweet, thick okonomiyaki sauce; and a bunch of bonito flakes. The okonomiyaki sauce is like a sweeter, thicker version of Worcestershire sauce.
This okonomiyaki all but took me back to my study abroad trip. Very well prepared. A lovely golden brown on the outside. A healthy amount of shredded cabbage on the inside. The top was basically a thin layer of juicy pork slices. I could feel the authenticity in this dish.
It took a while (perhaps at least 10 – 15 minutes) to receive my meal, even though I was the only one who ordered anything at the cart the entire time I was there. It’s probably safe to assume that the wait is longer during the usual downtown lunch rush. Might be something to keep in mind if you’re pressed for time.
The takoyaki ($ 5) at this cart is filled with octopus, tenkasu (deep-​fried bits of flour batter to add texture and crunch), pickled ginger, scallion, and minced cabbage.
Hiyaki Chu-​ka ($ 7) is basically a cold noodle dish with sesame vinegar, egg, cucumber, tomato, and sliced turkey.
Hashimaki ($ 4) is their take on a savory cabbage crêpe rolled on chopsticks. It’s served with an egg on top. (Hashi = chopsticks)
Yakisoba is also popular at this cart. It’s served with cabbage and an egg on top. $ 7 for pork or tofu; $ 8 for seafood.
For summer hours, this cart opens for lunch at 11 a.m. From Wednesday through Sunday, they break in the middle of the afternoon and prep for the dinner rush. This cart is closed on Tuesdays.
On Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, there is a lunch special from 12 to 2 p.m. Okonomiyaki, cold noodle, and yakisoba dishes are $ 1 off.
It might not be familiar food to people in Portland, but I hope people give this food cart a try.

I was very nervous about trying out this place but decided to go for it when the patron next time me said everything is good. My hesitation was around seeing octopus and seaweed on the menu, since I’m not a big fan of sea flavors. I ended up ordering the pork Yakisoba and it was delicious. The pork was nice and tender, the noodles perfectly flavored and the runny egg was a treat. Highly recommended!

Bloggers and Unilocal reviews show a lot of love for this food cart. It is a shame if I caught the cart on an off day.
I ordered a takoyaki and okonomiyaki with pork. The order took about 15 minutes to prepare. I was very excited to dig in when the food came out piping hot. Unfortunately, the takoyaki was not cooked all the way through and it the batter was still dribbling out when I bit into it. The okonomiyaki in concept is great, but lacks salt.
Perhaps this type of food cart establishment doesn’t make sense. This type of food should be left to Japanese sit down restaurants or Japanese food courts in the Japanese malls.
Otherwise — the guy managing the food cart was plenty nice,

Visited: May 30^th 2013.
It was brisk cold day in Oregon and I felt hunger for some warm comfort food. I looked up Japanese cuisine on Portland Food Cart, and found this location not too far from PSU. I do have okonomiyaki ingredients at home, but I still have trouble making Osaka style. Upon ordering, it took about 15 ~ 20 minutes for the food to be ready. It appeared new employee was in training but I received extra takoyaki as a reward so I did not mind :)
Okonomiyaki was huge — it filled the plate perfectly! Thick and piping hot, the dried bonito flakes danced with heat. It was so hot I had to wait five minutes before I could start eating it. I was surprised to find chunks of eggs mixed with cabbage. It was delicious but oh-​so-​filling! Lot cheaper than eating at Shigezo but I order Hiroshima style there. I had no idea udon was offered in winter, it is nice to know there will be seasonal items.

Just noticed he rolled out a summer menu, with several new items. Hiyashi chuka (cold noodles and sauce with various toppings, including seaweed, turkey slices, tomatoes, and cucumber) — tasty, and apparently something of a summer Japanese treat! And also takoyaki («octopus puffs», but they look much better than that sounds to me), which I haven’t tried.
If you haven’t been by in a while, I suggest you try them out. I love carts whose offerings change with the seasons.

I love okonomiyaki. There is something about pancakes that regardless which culture makes is, whether it’s Korean, Chinese, Japanese, American, they are just comforting. I came here because my partner came the weekend before and claimed it was legit. Well, I don’t like it as much as he does.
I think mine was too soft, too much batter. I wasn’t getting the cabbage «crunch» factor. The pork one I got is interesting because they put the sliced pork on top, acting like a crust. The pork slices were on the dry side and for the first few bites I couldn’t tell I was eating pork. All I was wondering was how come there’s no pork inside my okonomiyaki? I do enjoy eating traces of scrambled eggs inside the pancake as well as I enjoyed the toppings. All the yummy goodness, the Japanese mayo, BBQ sauce, bonito flakes, dried laver, and pickled ginger.
Our friends ordered the yakisoba and that was amazing! The noodles were bouncy with great texture. The sauce was slightly salty but not too overwhelming. The stuffings like shicken, shredded cabbage were all plentiful and fresh.
I would go back and give the okonomiyaki another try but I know if I am going back, the yakisoba is a must.

I’m perplexed at the five-​star ratings for this cart. I held off writing a review until I went back a second time. The confusion remains.
The first time I visited, I ordered the mixed combo okonomiyaki. Visually, it looked perfect. It had all the right sauces and condiments on top. Sadly, that was the best thing about the okonomiyaki. The actual «pancake» of egg and cabbage was underwhelming. It had no flavor, the egg was undercooked, and the meat was tough and lukewarm. I also had to wait 20 minutes for my order, despite the fact that only one customer was before me.
I went back a second time to try their yakisoba. Once again, the sauce tasted fine, but the noodles were overcooked. The vegetables were odd too. It included lots of bean sprouts (I’ve never had bean sprouts in yakisoba) and the pieces of broccoli were so small. If all the pieces were put together, I doubt there was even one broccoli floret in the entire dish. This time, I waited 25 – 30 minutes for my food.
I understand that carts are usually a one-​cook operation and I do expect to wait a certain amount of time. But I’ve been to busier carts with solo cooks and have never waited as long as I have for this cart. I can only guess that this cart doesn’t have adequate cooking equipment (enough heat and space).
Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.

The taste of mayonnaise, sweet salty sauce, and bonito flakes on an egg cabbage crêpe melt in your mouth on a cold Portland noon. This, is Heaven.
By the taste of this very unique dish, one can see that the Japanese cuisine never goes wrong. The Japanese dishes are a form of art, and this is no difference. However, I would group this as an abstract form of art. Egg cabbage like crêpe with beef cubes/​chicken/​seafood/​pork/​etc topped with all those goodness form an excellent dish with extraordinary tastes, presented in a very messy presentation. That may freak some people out, but this is a form of Japanese street food.
The curry rice was also fantastic, I loved it. However, it’s on the spicy side. They are made fresh, so preparation takes a while. I had to wait 15 – 20 mins, which is okay for the amount i ordered. The shop owner was very nice, engaging in conversations and citing some Indonesian phrases he knows, which I find interesting, since not many people know I’m Indonesian.
All in all, I would suggest to just have it on site. i had mine to go, and I wished I hadn’t. It still tasted very good though. I would definitely come again. However, please take note of their opening hours and their menu changes every season (very interesting).

Authentic comfort food from Osaka, served better than most Japanese restaurant. I tried curry and it’s really tasty and spicy! I will try mix okonomiyaki next.

Oh, do I love this place. I’ve been singing its praises at work (my building is right across the street and I can see the cart from here) and have sent a few coworkers down to try, and they are devoted disciples now. It’s not a quick cart but it’s worth a few minutes wait. The proprietor is a perfectionist about his product and it shows in the quality of the food. It’s also surprisingly inexpensive.
The okonomiyaki is the must-​have if you go. If you haven’t had it, it basically looks like someone went into the compost bin, grabbed a handful, slapped it on the grill and then slathered it in mayonnaise. But oh man. So good, you guys.

I had the yakisoba and hashimaki (okonomiyaki as described by the other reviewers, but smaller and rolled on chopsticks to go or for a snack.).
Hashimaki was great, good amount of flavor and the egg-​sunny-​side-​up on top was messy but delicious and added a bit more substance to the whole package. (Hashimaki with egg isn’t listed on the menu, but the owner suggested it to me and it’s $ 4)
Yakisoba is nice, noodles firm and not soggy or mushy, loads of flavor (Worcestershire sauce, mayo, red pepper, nori and katsuobushi (bonito flakes)), veggies were nice and crisp, and another egg-​sunny-​side-​up on top. Price was in line with other carts at $ 6.
Overall, definitely recommended if you’re familiar with okonomiyaki and yakisoba or want to broaden your horizons when it comes to Japanese food.
Also available on the menu was kare-​raisu, a Japanese-​style curry over rice, a staple in Japan. I didn’t get to try this but it would be really hard to mess this one up. And apparently oden is planned for the next winter season. Oden is various things like fish cakes, eggs, tofu, etc, boiled in a broth great for winter and perfectly suited for a food cart.
Oh, and the place is open until 2am on Saturdays, so it could definitely be a late night after-​drinking-​destination.

Best okonomiyaki in Portland. Granted, I can only remember one other okonomiyaki in town, but this cart is way better. Warm, savory, seafoody goodness between rubber-​banded styrofoam trays, perfect for toting back to your office on a rainy day. Your salivating co-​workers will be jealous — or think you’re a sadist — as you awkwardly chopstick goopy chunks of meat & magic into your gaping maw.
The owner is super friendly and chatted with us about Osaka while he prepared our food. Good things take time — but be warned, the prep time here is about as long as I’ve experienced at any cart.

A new food cart joins the 3^rd st food car pod off of stark. It’s open late on the weekends as well.
This cart specializes in Osaka style street food serving up dishes like Okonomiyaki (pancake), yakisoba, curry etc.
The dude making the food is very nice. the food is reasonably priced and tastes great.
I tried the pork okonomiyaki and it was just amazingly tasty! be prepared to wait a few minutes while he prepares the food from scratch.