Gastronomic Indulgence

Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki
Taken in Asakusa, Japan (2005)

Since we were in town today, I suggested to Hubby that we grab lunch at my favorite restaurant, Okonomiyaki Chibo Restaurant in the Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center. I know my dining out days are numbered, as I expect to be sequestered at home for a while nursing our (soon-to-be) newborn and watching our budget like a hawk since I’m on LWOP (leave without pay) status for six months. So, I considered this one of my last acts of gastronomic indulgence for a while.

One of the challenges of dealing with gestational diabetes and the resulting low-carb diet is eating out. Unfortunately, okonomiyaki is not known to be a low-carb dish — but the Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki, called yoshokuyaki on the menu, is a lighter alternative to the thick Osaka-style “pancake” okonomiyaki. Yoshokuyaki starts off with a thin layer of batter, like a crepe, with cabbage, ginger and other goodies inside, topped with an egg and covered with the remaining batter. Of course, you can get it with all the fixings like a regular okonomiyaki: plum sauce, Japanese mayonnaise, seaweed powder, and katsuobushi.

I even allowed myself a scoop of green tea ice cream for a perfect conclusion to a wonderful lunch. When I tested my blood glucose levels two hours later, I was only 1 point over my target level of 120. I consider that within the range and was happy with that.

Yum.