Chef pioneers 'mayonnaise art' on Japanese-style pancakes

Inspired by latte art in which baristas draw hearts and pine trees out of foam, a chef at a popular okonomiyaki shop in Japan has developed a reputation for using the Japanese-style pizzas as blank canvases for her deft mayonnaise art.

Among Osaka's regional delicacies is the okonomiyaki, often referred to as Japanese pizza or savory Japanese pancakes. The batter, made up of flour, water, eggs, and dashi, can also be filled with a variety of other ingredients including shredded cabbage, pork, green onions, octopus, squid, and vegetables.

The flat pancakes are fried on a teppan, or griddle, and topped with condiments like okonomiyaki sauce, described as a thicker Worcestershire-type sauce, and mayonnaise.

At the Okaru restaurant in Osaka, one okonomiyaki-maker has proven to be particularly deft with a pack of mayonnaise, drawing well-known local landmarks like a lighthouse on one pancake, and Disney character Mickey Mouse on another, reports Japanese English news site Rocketnews24.com.

Other popular okonomiyaki eateries in the city include Tengu, Kuro-Chan and Mizuno, says CNNGo.

Meanwhile, social news site BuzzFeed recently curated a collection of "food imitating art" that includes a portrait of "The Girl with the Pearl Earring" made entirely of jelly beans and a Michelangelo masterpiece, "The Creation of Adam," stippled on a banana.

Watch the mayo art at http://bit.ly/Oxil01 .