Yesterday, I found myself just a stone's throw away from an old haunt of mine back in the day - Second House okonomiyaki restaraurant in Furue (古江 - "Old Inlet") on the western outskirts of Hiroshima - and as I was feeling a bit peckish I decided to see if the place was still in business and, if so, if it was open.
It was! It was!
So in I popped, and there was master, just the same as usual, and the lady wife, her hair whiter than I recall it being last time I was there, about ten years ago I'd guess!
Hiroshima Carp Memorabilia
I got there after one o'clock, so most of the lunchtime customers had gone. There was just a couple sitting at the hot-plate chatting to master about the perennial topic of this particular restaurant - baseball. More specifically, the fortunes past and present of the local baseball team, Hiroshima Carp.
Inside the restaurant, there is Hiroshima Carp memorabilia on every wall, even on the ceiling. A glass case of signed baseball balls has pride of place. A signed basedball shirt and cap hung immediately behind my seat. Dozens of autographed messages line the main wall. The messages tell us that Second House has been visited by a lot of Carp players over the years, and the restaurant has featured on local TV several times too.
Back in the Day...
Back in the day, I used to hang out at Second House while waiting for my daughter to finish her ballet class at a nearby ballet school. I'd settle in with a bottle or two of Kirin beer until she came, and then we'd order some grub; yakisoba (fried noodles with various toppings) for the daughter, and okonomiyaki (with meat, egg, soba noodles, cabbage (of course), shrimp, and cheese) for me.
Second House master is always cheerful, and always keen to talk about baseball and engage foreign diners in conversation, but discreet enough not to overdo it!
Okonomiyaki - Hiroshima's Signature Dish
As for the okonomiyaki, which is Hiroshima's signature comfort food, it's a kind of savoury pancake topped with chopped cabbage, noodles and various other ingredients "just as you like." The very name of the dish, "okonomiyaki" means something like "fried as-you-like-it."
It's best when eaten straight off the hot plate, but if you are at one of the tables, your okonomiyaki will be served on a plate. Many of the locals use the metal spatula to cut the okonomiyaki into bite-sized pieces and then eat straight off the spatula.
Master told me that he has quite a few foreign customers these days as there are a lot of guest houses in Furue. Furue is conveniently located for the tram to Miyajima (the "holy island" with the famous Shinto shrine and red torii gate in the sea), and an easy tram ride into the city centre. It's also just three stops away from West Hiroshima JR station. I guess the guest houses are cheaper in Furue than in the city centre, so if you visit Hiroshima, consider making Furue your base camp, and pop into Second House for a bit of local Hiroshima - and Hiroshima Carp - flavour!
Second House is not marked on Google Maps, but I think my Pinmapple pin is correct. It's just round the corner from the Wants / Daiso store!
If you are on Instagram, you can find the restaurant here: https://www.instagram.com/secondhouse3333/
Cheers!