Snackshot Of The Day: Village Yokocho's Cheese Okonomi Yaki

The Daily Meal's editors, contributors, and readers dig into some pretty great restaurants, festivals, and meals. There's not always enough time to give a full review of a restaurant or describe in depth why a place, its food, and the people who prepare it are noteworthy, so Snackshot of the Day does what photographs do best, rely on the image to do most of the talking. Today's Snackshot is a photo of cheese okonomi yaki at Village Yokocho, the second-floor, Japanese small-plates joint in the East Village that houses the door to the not-so-secret "hidden" cocktail spot Angel's Share.

Okonomi is available all over Japan but is said to be most popular in the west, specifically in Osaka and Hiroshima. In Japanese, "okonomi" is said to mean "to one's liking," though it tastes more "I'm Lovin' It" than "Have It Your Way." Scallion pancake with chicken fillet, cheese, and blended ketchup — Village Yokocho's cheese okonomi yaki actually doesn't sound like something you'd really like to eat. And when it's set down on the table, it doesn't really even look like something you'd really like to eat.

Then you dig in. Salty pancake, mouth-scalding creamy chicken, melted cheese, sweet ketchup — it's oily, it's sweet, it's so wrong. You shouldn't want to take another bite. You probably shouldn't take another bite. And yet, you do. Another. And another. And another. Then suddenly, it's gone.

Read more about The Daily Meal's Snackshot feature. To submit your own photo, email jbruce[at]thedailymeal.com, subject line "Snackshots."

Arthur Bovino is The Daily Meal's executive editor. Follow Arthur on Twitter.