Plenty of cabbage and noodles, a sweet-and-savory sauce, and a mouthwatering aroma.
Okonomiyaki is an easy, filling meal and a favorite of everyday people.
In Ibara City, there’s a restaurant serving delicious okonomiyaki made with great care.
The restaurant is Nessei Maruden (Nessei -).
The okonomiyaki served at Nessei Maruden is made in the classic Hiroshima-style layered format.
The friendly owner, who is from Hiroshima Prefecture, puts his skills to work to recreate the flavor of the okonomiyaki restaurant he loved as a child.
Carefully prepared from the cooking method to the ingredients—including noodles, vegetables, meat, and flour—the menu offers a wide range of okonomiyaki, from standard options to distinctive creations.
There’s also an extensive selection of side dishes.
Let’s take a closer look at what makes Nessei Maruden’s carefully crafted okonomiyaki so special.
The information presented was current when this article was published in January 2025. Please note that it may differ from current information.
Nessei Maruden is a specialty okonomiyaki restaurant in front of Ibara Station
Nessei Maruden is an okonomiyaki restaurant in Nanaokaicho, Ibara City, in front of Ibara Station.
It opened in November 2019 in Kannabe-cho, northern Fukuyama City.
Then, in February 2022, it moved to its current location in Ibara.
Maruden’s okonomiyaki is made in the layered style familiar in Hiroshima Prefecture, the owner’s hometown.
Every day, customers of all ages—from students to seniors—come in, and the restaurant is bustling with everyone from solo diners to families and groups. Takeout is also available.
There are four parking spaces on the north side of the building.
The land on the south and east sides of the building belongs to neighboring businesses.
Please take care not to park there by mistake.
Inside, there are counter seats and tatami seating.
There’s a griddle at every seat, and being able to eat okonomiyaki straight from the griddle is another of Nessei Maruden’s charms.
Nessei Maruden’s menu
Information as of December 2024. Prices include consumption tax.
Nessei Maruden’s okonomiyaki is made in the layered style, with noodles inside.
You can choose from the standard soba (Chinese-style noodles), udon, spicy noodles, and more (spicy noodles cost an extra 50 yen).
However, the “Denchu-yaki” is available with udon only.
It’s nice that you can also choose options such as no noodles, a semi-double portion (1.5 servings), or a triple portion (3 servings), in addition to a double portion (2 servings).
Another point worth noting is that the amount of cabbage is adjusted to match the increased noodle portion.
There’s a wide variety of okonomiyaki, depending on the ingredients mixed in or added on top.
It’s also fun to see menu items with distinctive names connected to Ibara, such as “Bisei Meat and Egg” and “Denchu-yaki.”
Bisei Meat and Egg is a signature item at Nessei Maruden, similar to the familiar “meat-and-egg soba (or udon)” or “pork-and-egg soba (or udon).”
It consists of a thin, round-cooked batter topped with noodles, cabbage, bean sprouts, tempura scraps, pork belly, egg, and more.
Besides okonomiyaki, the menu includes yakisoba, yakiudon, fried dishes, regular dishes, and weekend specials, so you can enjoy a meal along with alcoholic drinks.
Check the chalkboard for the weekend specials.
Since 2024, oden has also been offered as a winter weekend special.
Many menu items are available for takeout.
We recommend ordering by phone in advance to reduce your wait and make pickup smoother.
Popular and recommended menu items
Among the many items on the menu at Nessesu Maruden, here are some popular choices and the owner’s top recommendations.
Maruden Special
As its name suggests, the Maruden Special is the signature dish at Nessesu Maruden.
When we visited, we chose soba (Chinese noodles) for the noodles.
Made with Bisei meat and egg as its base, it is topped with ika-ten (crispy fried squid) and shiso leaves, then generously covered with chopped green onions.
It is truly a hearty dish.
You can enjoy three of the most popular toppings—ika-ten, shiso leaves, and green onions—all at once in this satisfying dish.
The Maruden Special is our most popular okonomiyaki.
The sheer amount of green onions, piled so high that you can’t see the sauce or batter, is impressive!
They take care with their green onions, too, using “Takarajima Negi” from Kurahashijima Island in Kure City.
This hearty, piping-hot okonomiyaki brings together the flavors and fragrance of the ingredients, the texture and aroma of the noodles, the fluffy egg, and the sweet-and-savory sauce in every bite.
The refreshing aroma of shiso and the fragrance of the ika-ten add another layer of deliciousness.
The crisp, juicy texture of the generous helping of chopped green onions, along with their distinctive flavor, makes this dish irresistible.
I enjoyed its complex, deeply satisfying flavor.
Spicy Curry Mayo
“Curry Mayo” is a popular choice among people who like spicy food.
The “Spicy Curry Mayo” takes it up a notch.
It was created in response to requests from customers who love spicy food: “Make it even spicier!”
Curry Mayo is topped with jalapenos, known for their intense heat. Just hearing about it is enough to make your tongue tingle.
Stir-fried ground pork and chopped jalapenos are placed on top of the noodles.
It also includes pork belly, not just ground pork.
The key is to chop the jalapenos, then fry them in a pan with the ground pork before adding them to the okonomiyaki.
This makes the jalapenos even hotter!
Another secret to its deliciousness is that, as it cooks, fat seeps out of the ground pork, making the noodles crispy and fragrant.
Spicy Curry Mayo is topped with sauce, curry mayo, salt and pepper, and sesame seeds.
The curry mayo is homemade, and its distinctive feature is the addition of Japanese-style dashi.
Enjoy a flavor unique to Nessesu Maruden, reminiscent of Japanese-style curry.
In the Spicy Curry Mayo, the tender cabbage and gentle sweetness pair well with the sweet-and-savory sauce, the mild heat of the curry mayo, and its sweet-and-spicy curry flavor.
The fragrant, savory sweetness of the ground pork, along with the aroma and crisp texture of the noodles cooked in its fat, made it taste even better.
The occasional pieces of pork belly are fragrant and sweet, too.
The jalapenos give a brief, sharp kick that doesn’t linger, blending with the other ingredients’ flavors to make them easy to enjoy. There’s also a subtle sweetness, like cooked green peppers.
When we visited, we chose regular Chinese noodles so the flavor of the Spicy Curry Mayo itself would come through clearly.
If you love spicy food, you might enjoy making it even hotter by switching to spicy noodles.
Seared Mayo Cheese (with spicy noodles)
The Seared Mayo Cheese is one of Nessesu Maruden’s most popular dishes, with fans vying for the top spot.
When we visited, we paid an extra 50 yen to switch to spicy noodles.
As its name suggests, Seared Mayo Cheese is topped generously with mayonnaise and cheese, then seared with a gas torch.
The okonomiyaki base is Bisei meat and egg.
The vermilion spicy noodles have just the right amount of dark-brown searing, making them look fragrant.
With the first bite, it’s incredibly hot.
At the same time, an indescribably fragrant aroma and flavor spread through your mouth.
Along with the flavor of the pork and egg, you get the crisp, juicy freshness and flavor of the green onions, plus the mellow taste of mayonnaise. It’s delicious in a way that keeps you coming back for more.
The spicy noodles are also fragrant, and their distinct heat comes through clearly amid the rich flavor of the seared mayo cheese.
I kept digging in with my spatula and finished it in no time.
Seared Mayo Cheese is a hearty dish recommended for mayonnaise and cheese lovers. It’s an outstanding dish with an impact to match its appearance, aroma, and taste.
Other popular options include “Seared Green Onion Mayo,” the dish that inspired Seared Mayo Cheese, and “Seared Mentaiko Green Onion Mayo,” a variation on it.
The “seared” okonomiyaki dishes are especially popular with young people.
Many people seem to get hooked after trying them once!
Seared Mayo Cheese and Seared Mentaiko Green Onion Mayo were created in response to customer requests.
A Really Tasty, Classic Yakisoba
Among the restaurant’s top recommendations besides okonomiyaki are yakisoba and yaki udon.
There are several kinds of yakisoba, including sauce and salt flavors.
The basic option is “A Really Tasty, Classic Yakisoba” (formerly called “Maruden Yakisoba”), a sauce-flavored yakisoba.
The Chinese-style noodles used in the yakisoba are different from those used in the okonomiyaki. They are custom-made specifically for yakisoba, which is one of the restaurant’s points of pride.
The sauce is also an original blend made specifically for yakisoba, separate from the one used for okonomiyaki.
Be sure to compare them with the Chinese-style noodles and sauce in the okonomiyaki and experience the difference in taste!
The yakisoba ingredients are pork belly, cabbage, bean sprouts, tenkasu, chopped green onions, and beni shoga.
The pieces of pork and cabbage are also generously sized, so you can really savor them.
The yakisoba noodles have a chewy, springy texture, with a firm “bite” like al dente spaghetti. They’re hearty noodles with plenty of substance.
The sauce has a richer flavor than the one used for okonomiyaki, with a slight spiciness as well.
The sauce flavor clings nicely to the noodles and ingredients.
A Really Tasty, Classic Yakisoba is a standard-style yakisoba, and it’s delicious, with tasty noodles, the texture of the ingredients, the flavor of the sauce, and a fragrant aroma all coming through.
Dashi Omelet Rolled on the Griddle
Nessho Maruden also has a wide selection of side dishes.
One especially popular item is the “Dashi Omelet Rolled on the Griddle.”
As the name suggests, it’s made right on the griddle.
They use a generous four eggs!
And the eggs are “Takata Eggs” from Takata Ransan, a poultry company in Kasaoka City.
They take great care with the dashi, and after much experimentation, settled on seafood-based dashi.
When you eat it, the surface of the egg is wonderfully fluffy.
And while it’s fluffy, the inside has a soft, creamy texture.
According to the owner, the distinctive texture—fluffy on the outside and creamy inside—is something that can only be achieved by making a dashi omelet on a griddle. The rich flavor of the egg is complemented by the pleasant dashi flavor that spreads through your mouth, making this an exquisite dish with a well-balanced combination of egg and dashi.
There’s also a variation called “Dashi Omelet with Mentaiko, Rolled on the Griddle.”
Nessho Maruden is popular for its diverse selection of Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki and side dishes, all made with care.
We spoke with Tamura Shu, the representative member and owner of Maruden LLC, which runs the restaurant.
Nessho Maruden Information
| Name | Nessho Maruden |
|---|---|
| Address | 120 Nanokaichi-cho, Ibara City, Okayama Prefecture |
| Contact | 080-1644-0004 |
| Parking | Available Only four spaces on the north side of the restaurant Please take care not to park on the neighboring business’s property |
| Hours | 11:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m. (last order: 1:30 p.m.) 5:00 p.m.–10:00 p.m. (last order: 9:00 p.m.) |
| Closed | Mondays First, third, and fifth Tuesdays ※If a regular closing day falls on a public holiday, the restaurant is open and closes on the next weekday |
| Payment methods |
|
| Reservations | Accepted |
| Seating | 18 seats total ・Counter: 4 stools ・Two Japanese-style rooms with seating for four ・One Japanese-style room with seating for six |
| Smoking | Entirely non-smoking |
| Restroom | Western-style toilet |
| Families with children | Children’s tableware and chairs available Strollers can be brought inside |
| Accessibility | Ramp Wheelchair access to the restaurant Restroom is not wheelchair accessible |
| Website | Nessho Maruden Official Instagram |
What would you like to know about Kurashiki?
Enter a word to search articles on this site
Bisei Meat and Egg is named after the Bisei area (formerly Bisei Town) in northern Ibara City, while Denchu-yaki takes its name from Hirakushi Denchu, a sculptor from Ibara City.