Interview with owner Kei Onishi
We spoke with Kaede owner Kei Onishi.
The road to opening and the origin of the shop’s name
Could you tell us how you came to open the restaurant?
Onishi (honorific omitted)
I got my chef’s license while I was a student, but after graduating I worked operating a forklift, a job completely unrelated to food service. At the time, I pictured cooking work as being “shut away in a kitchen,” and it didn’t appeal to me.
The turning point was starting work at Okonomiyaki Gama in Kazuyama, Kurashiki City. I enjoyed chatting casually with customers while cooking in the open kitchen. I gained about eight years of experience there, then went independent in 2014.
What was the deciding factor in going independent?
Onishi
As I gained experience, I developed my own way of cooking and gained the confidence and sense that I could make it on my own.
Another reason was my family.
I lost my father when I was young, and I always felt that I had to be responsible. I thought that opening my own restaurant might be a way to repay my mother, who raised me on her own.
Could you tell us where the name “Kaede” comes from?
Onishi
The name comes from a plant.
Since this is a Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki restaurant, I wanted a name connected to Hiroshima. The first thing that came to mind was the Japanese maple. That led me to “kaede,” another name for the same kind of tree.
Its flower language is “precious memories.”
I want customers who visit the restaurant to make good memories. I chose the name with that wish in mind.
What makes the okonomiyaki special
What makes your okonomiyaki special?
Onishi
We take particular care with how we cut the cabbage.
We shred it all by hand, without using a machine. Cutting it by hand with a sharp knife helps prevent excess moisture from coming out of the cabbage. That way, it doesn’t turn watery when cooked.
I hear you also take care with the noodles.
Onishi
That’s right. We use fresh noodles, not packaged ones, and boil them just before adding them. I asked a local noodle maker to make the noodles just the way I wanted them.
Aiming to be a beloved local restaurant
Do you have a message for our readers?
Onishi
We aim to be a restaurant loved by the local community, carefully grilling each pancake with special attention.
We also have a great selection of side dishes and teppanyaki, so you can enjoy the restaurant as an izakaya. When you do, enjoy a drink and be sure to finish with okonomiyaki.
From the Writer
For the interview, I sat at the counter directly in front of the large griddle. Before me, Mr. Onishi deftly prepared one dish after another.
Watching the ingredients cook, the noodles being boiled, and the moment the pancake was flipped, I was so excited to see the okonomiyaki come together that the wait seemed to fly by.
On the restaurant’s Instagram, you can also see videos of cabbage preparation and cooking. If you’re interested, be sure to check them out.
Okonomiyaki Kaede details
| Name | Okonomiyaki Kaede |
|---|---|
| Address | 1345-1 Sasaoki, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture |
| Contact | 086-421-1172 |
| Parking | Available 10 spaces (shared parking lot) |
| Hours | 11:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m. 5:00 p.m.–9:00 p.m. |
| Closed | Monday Open if Monday is a public holiday; closed the following weekday |
| Payment methods |
|
| Reservations | Accepted Reservations by phone |
| Seating | 16 seats total ・Counter: 4 seats ・Three four-person tables with sunken kotatsu seating |
| Restroom | Western-style toilet |
| Website | Kaede Instagram |
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