Best Of CLE: Japanese Pancakes

When it comes to the okonomiyaki ($9) at Domo Yakitori & Sushi, the whole is certainly greater than the sum of its parts.

To describe it — a layered cabbage pancake — simply doesn’t do it justice. Chef and owner Carmen Paponetti, who first stumbled across an okonomiyaki recipe on his Kindle a decade ago, starts by pouring savory pancake batter onto a griddle so it thins out like a crepe.

Meanwhile, a cook steams a mound of shredded cabbage, crisps a pile of cooked yakisoba noodles into a cake, fries up some bacon and cracks an egg on the griddle, allowing it to cook wide and flat.

As they work in tandem, each part is layered on top of the other along with custom-ordered additions such as shrimp, octopus and plump shiitake mushrooms. Finished with a tangy sauce, spicy mayo, scallions and smoky bonito flakes, this pancake is more than a mouthful.

“There are a bunch of complimentary flavors and varieties of textures,” Paponetti says. “It brings together everything a dish should have.” 3441 Tuttle Road, Suite 405, Shaker Heights, 216-316-5534

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