Plenty of cabbage, noodles, and a sweet and spicy sauce, along with a savory aroma.
Okonomiyaki is a convenient way to fill your stomach, a friend of the common people.
In Ibara City, there is a restaurant that offers delicious okonomiyaki packed with dedication.
The restaurant is called Nessei Maruden.
The okonomiyaki served at Nessei Maruden is the classic layered style from Hiroshima.
The friendly owner, originally from Hiroshima Prefecture, is honing his skills to recreate the taste of the okonomiyaki shop he loved as a child.
The okonomiyaki, made with a focus on the preparation as well as the ingredients like noodles, vegetables, meat, and flour, comes in a wide variety from standard to unique options.
Additionally, the side menu is also substantial.
Let's unravel the charm of Nessei Maruden, which makes dedicated okonomiyaki.
Nessei Maruden is a dedicated okonomiyaki shop in front of Ibara Station
Nessei Maruden is an okonomiyaki shop located in Nanokaichi-cho, Ibara City, in front of Ibara Station.
It opened in November 2019 in the northern part of Fukuyama City, in Kannabe-cho.
Then, in February 2022, it moved to its current location in Ibara.
The okonomiyaki at Maruden is the familiar layered style from Hiroshima, where the owner is from.
Every day, a wide range of customers from students to the elderly visit, from individuals to families and groups. Takeout is also available.
There are four parking spaces on the north side of the building.
The south and east sides of the building are adjacent to other shops.
Please be careful not to park incorrectly.
Inside, there are counter seats and tatami mat seating.
Each seat is equipped with an iron plate, allowing you to eat okonomiyaki directly from the iron plate, which is one of the charms of Nessei Maruden.
Menu of Nessei Maruden
Information as of December 2024. Prices include tax.
The okonomiyaki at Nessei Maruden is layered style, with noodles inside.
The noodles that can be added include the standard soba (Chinese noodles), as well as udon and spicy noodles (spicy noodles are an additional 50 yen).
However, the "Tanaka-yaki" is only available with udon.
You can change the noodles not only to double (2 servings) but also to none, semi-double (1.5 servings), or triple (3 servings), which is nice.
Additionally, the amount of cabbage is also increased to adjust according to the increase in noodles.
There are various types of okonomiyaki available depending on the ingredients added and placed on top.
Moreover, there are interesting menu items with unique names related to Ibara, such as Misaki Nikutama and Tanaka-yaki.
Misaki Nikutama is a menu item that can be considered the foundation of Nessei Maruden, corresponding to the so-called "Nikutama Soba (Udon)" and "Buta-tama Soba (Udon)."
It consists of a thinly and roundly grilled batter topped with noodles, cabbage, bean sprouts, tenkasu, pork belly, and egg.
In addition to okonomiyaki, there are also yakisoba, yakudon, fried foods, general dishes, and weekend limited menu items, allowing you to enjoy food while drinking alcohol.
Please check the contents of the weekend limited menu on the blackboard.
As a winter weekend limited menu item, oden has been introduced since 2024.
Many menu items are available for takeout.
It is recommended to order by phone in advance to minimize waiting time and ensure a smooth experience.
Introduction of popular and recommended menu items
Among the many items on the menu at Nessei Maruden, we will introduce the most popular and recommended ones by the owner.
Maruden Special
The Maruden Special is a menu item that represents Nessen Maruden, as the name suggests.
During the interview, the noodles were changed to soba (Chinese noodles).
Based on the Bisei meat and egg, it is topped with ika ten (fried squid) and shiso, and generously garnished with chopped green onions on top.
It is truly a menu item packed with volume.
I think it is a highly satisfying menu that allows you to enjoy the top 3 popular toppings: ika ten, shiso, and green onions all at once.
The Maruden Special is the most popular okonomiyaki at our restaurant.
The amount of green onions piled on is impressive, to the point where the sauce and batter are not visible!
The green onions are also special, using Takarajima green onions from Kurahashi Island in Kure City.
When you take a big bite of the voluminous, piping hot okonomiyaki, the flavors and aromas of the ingredients, the texture and flavor of the noodles, the fluffiness of the egg, and the sweet and spicy taste of the sauce all come together.
Additionally, the refreshing flavor of the shiso and the aroma of the ika ten add a different deliciousness.
The crunchy texture and freshness of the generous chopped green onions add a unique flavor that becomes addictive.
I enjoyed a complex and satisfying blissful deliciousness.
Spicy Curry Mayo
For those who love spicy food, there is the Curry Mayo menu item.
The Spicy Curry Mayo is an enhanced version of that.
It was created in response to requests from customers who love spicy food, asking for "more and more spiciness!"
Based on curry mayo, it adds jalapeño, known as a super spicy chili, making it a dish that sounds like it will make your tongue tingle just by hearing about it.
On top of the noodles, sautéed ground pork and chopped jalapeño are placed.
In addition to ground meat, there is also pork belly included.
The key is to chop the jalapeño and sauté it with the ground meat in the frying pan before adding it to the okonomiyaki.
This way, the spiciness of the jalapeño increases!
As it cooks, the fat from the ground meat seeps out, which makes the noodles crispy and fragrant, adding to the deliciousness.
The Spicy Curry Mayo is topped with sauce, curry mayo, salt and pepper, and sesame seeds.
Curry Mayo is homemade and features Japanese-style dashi as an ingredient.
You can enjoy the unique flavor of Nessen Maruden, reminiscent of Japanese-style curry.
When you eat the Spicy Curry Mayo, the tenderness and gentle sweetness of the cabbage, the sweet and spicy flavor of the sauce, and the mild spiciness and sweet curry flavor of the curry mayo blend well together.
The savory flavor and umami of the ground meat, along with the sweetness, and the crispy texture and fragrance of the noodles made crispy by the fat from the ground meat, enhanced the deliciousness even further.
Occasionally, the pork belly that appears is also fragrant and sweet.
When you eat the jalapeño, there is a moment of sharp spiciness, but it does not linger, blending well with the deliciousness of the other ingredients, making it easy to eat. You can also faintly taste the sweetness, reminiscent of cooked bell peppers.
During the interview, I chose the regular Chinese noodles to clearly understand the flavor of the Spicy Curry Mayo itself.
For those who love spicy food, changing the noodles to spicy noodles for an even spicier experience might be a good idea.
Grilled Mayo Cheese (Spicy Noodle Change)
The Grilled Mayo Cheese is a popular menu item that competes for the top spot at Nessen Maruden.
During the interview, I changed the noodles to spicy noodles for an additional 50 yen.
As the name suggests, Grilled Mayo Cheese is generously topped with mayonnaise and cheese on top of the okonomiyaki, and then grilled with a gas burner.
The base okonomiyaki is Bisei meat and egg.
The reddish spicy noodles have a moderate dark brown char, making them look fragrant.
When you take a bite, it is incredibly hot.
At the same time, an indescribable fragrance and flavor spread in your mouth.
In addition to the flavor of the meat and egg, the crispness and freshness of the green onions, along with the mild taste of the mayonnaise, create a deliciousness that is addictive.
Furthermore, the slightly spicy noodles are fragrant, and the distinct spiciness can be felt clearly amidst the rich flavor of the grilled mayo cheese.
The spatula moved quickly, and before I knew it, I had finished it all.
Grilled mayo cheese is a menu item that is recommended for mayonnaise and cheese lovers, offering a substantial portion. It is a dish with an outstanding impact in terms of appearance, aroma, and taste.
Additionally, there are popular items that originated from grilled mayo cheese, such as Grilled Green Onion Mayo and its derivative Grilled Mentaiko Green Onion Mayo.
Grilled-style okonomiyaki is particularly popular among young people.
Many people seem to become addicted after trying it just once!
It is worth noting that grilled mayo cheese and grilled mentaiko green onion mayo were created in response to customer requests.
Quite Delicious Regular Yakisoba
As a recommended menu item aside from the shop's okonomiyaki, there are yakisoba and yakiudon.
There are several types of yakisoba, including sauce-flavored and salt-flavored.
The basic one is Quite Delicious Regular Yakisoba (formerly known as Maruden Yakisoba), which is a sauce-flavored yakisoba.
The Chinese noodles used for the yakisoba are specially ordered for yakisoba, which is different from those used for okonomiyaki.
The sauce is also blended specifically for yakisoba, separate from the one used for okonomiyaki.
Please compare the Chinese noodles and sauce used for okonomiyaki and experience the difference in deliciousness!
The ingredients for the yakisoba include pork belly, cabbage, bean sprouts, tempura scraps, chopped green onions, and pickled ginger.
Moreover, the pieces of pork and cabbage are larger, allowing for a satisfying taste experience.
The yakisoba noodles have a chewy texture, and you can feel a firm "core" similar to al dente spaghetti, giving the noodles a robust quality.
The sauce has a richer flavor than the one used for okonomiyaki and has a slight spiciness.
The flavor of the sauce blends well with the noodles and ingredients.
Quite Delicious Regular Yakisoba is a standard yakisoba that allows you to enjoy the deliciousness of the noodles, the texture of the ingredients, the flavor of the sauce, and the aroma, making it very tasty.
Rolled Dashimaki Tamago on the Griddle
At Nessei Maruden, there is a wide variety of side menu items.
One of the most popular is Rolled Dashimaki Tamago on the Griddle.
As the name suggests, it is made on a griddle.
A generous amount of 4 eggs is used!
Moreover, the eggs come from Takata Egg Farm in Kasaoka City, known as Takata no Tamago.
The dashi is carefully selected, and as a result of research, seafood-based dashi is used.
When you eat it, the surface of the egg is very fluffy.
Moreover, while it is fluffy, the inside has a creamy texture.
According to the owner, the unique texture of being fluffy on the outside and creamy on the inside is something that can only be achieved with rolled dashimaki tamago made on a griddle. The rich flavor of the egg can be enjoyed, while the flavor of the dashi spreads pleasantly in the mouth, creating a perfect balance between the egg and dashi.
There is also a derivative menu item called Rolled Mentaiko Dashimaki Tamago on the Griddle.
Nessei Maruden is popular for its diverse Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki and side menu items filled with dedication.
I spoke with the representative employee and owner of the operating company Maruden, Tamura Shuu.
Data on Nessei Maruden
| Name | Nessei Maruden |
|---|---|
| Address | 120 Nanokaichi-cho, Ibara City, Okayama Prefecture |
| Contact | 080-1644-0004 |
| Parking | Available Only 4 spaces on the north side of the store Please be careful not to park in the adjacent store's premises |
| Business Hours | 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM (Last Order 1:30 PM) 5:00 PM - 10:00 PM (Last Order 9:00 PM) |
| Regular Holidays | Monday 1st, 3rd, and 5th Tuesday *If a regular holiday falls on a public holiday, the store will be open and closed the following weekday |
| Payment Methods |
|
| Reservations | Accepted |
| Seating | 18 seats total ・Counter: 4 seats ・4-person tatami room: 2 tables ・6-person tatami room: 1 table |
| Smoking | Completely non-smoking |
| Toilet | Western-style toilet |
| Childcare | Child-friendly utensils and chairs available Strollers are allowed inside |
| Barrier-Free | Ramp Wheelchair accessible Toilet is not wheelchair accessible |
| Website | Nessei Maruden Official Instagram |
Misaki Nikutama comes from the Misaki area (formerly Misaki Town) in the northern part of Ibara City, while Tanaka-yaki is named after the sculptor Hirakushi Denchu from Ibara City.