AIKO Street Food’s Okonomiyaki

Tastemaker

By Anna Faller | Aug. 5, 2023

The brainchild of chef Ryan Mateling, AIKO Street Food (which means “little loved one” in Japanese) blends local ingredients with Izakaya cuisine, and the flavors are anything but small! Our go-to dish, and a truck menu staple, is a savory Japanese street pancake called Okonomiyaki. It starts with a handful of crunchy veggies: fresh-shaved carrot and cabbage with a trio of herbs. From there, the mixture is studded with green onion, ginger, and serrano chili before the whole shebang is cooked to perfection on the flat-top and finished off with “pancake” batter, which features egg whites for extra fluff. It’s served with a touch of hot sauce, kewpie mayo, and savory Furikake seasoning. We’ll have our cake, and eat it too, please! Find the Okonomiyaki ($12, plus $2-$8 for protein) at AIKO Street Food, located at the DAM Shop in Elk Rapids (118 Bridge St.). For seasonal menus and hours of operation, visit aikostreetfood.com.