Yai Yai's very convenient English menu.

Pan-fried potatoes with anchovy sauce. ¥380

Enoki mushrooms pan-fried on butter. ¥550

The okonomiyaki bar. This is where they make the "Japancakes" for you.

The waiter prepares our Yamaimo yaki for us. Such skill!

Modan yaki with yai yai yaki topping (¥1490) and Okonomiyaki with mixed seafood topping. (¥1290)

Okonomitastic! The mini spatula things were so cute!

Yai Yai Okonomiyaki put the “nom” in Okonomiyaki. Ha! Bad jokes aside, these guys do a pretty mean okonomiyaki. They also have Yamaimo yaki made with Yamaimo dough, Negi yaki and Modan yaki (this has extra noodles on the top). We decided to try one of each leaving Negi yaki for next time. Yes, there will be a next time.

The pick of the day was the Yamaimo yaki with prawn. There was quite a production with this one too. Tossing the prawns, covering it up the mixture so it cooks mysteriously ans finally adding sauces and katsuobushi (we used to call them “dancing fish” when we were little because the fish flakes “dance” in the steam. Sounds weird, I know).

I’m glad we accidentally stumbled upon this traditional looking little restaurant in the backstreets of Harajuku. Yai Yai Okonomiyaki, I will be back.

PS. Sorry if the photos don’t seem up to scratch. I was sans SLR that night but still wanted to share the experience.

Yai Yai Okonomiyaki’s details:

Nearest station: JR Harajuku or Metro Meiji-jingumae (Harajuku)
Address: 6-8-7 Jingu-mae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0001
Telephone: 03-3406-8181
Website: http://www.opefac.com/yaiyai/index.htm (Japanese only)
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 5:00pm-3:00am (last order 2:00am); Saturday 12:00pm-3:00am(last order 2:00am); Sun & holidays 12:00pm-11:00pm (last order 10:00pm)
English menu: Yes