Konichiwa foodies! Today I'm sharing my experience of trying Okonomiyaki and its cousin, Monjayaki in Tokyo, thanks to my amazing friend, Shinya Fukuda, who really have my eye opened!
On my last trip to Tokyo, I had the pleasure of reconnecting with my previous roommate from Vancouver, who also happens to be Japanese (Isn't hanging out with a local from anywhere you go the best thing to do during traveling!). Shinya took me and my boyfriend, Kevin, on an exciting adventure exploring Tokyo, and of course, we had to try the local cuisine.
Our first stop was TeamLab Planet, an interactive and trippy art installation that was a blast to explore. I love that A LOT but for foodies like us, nothing can excites us more than food! Shinya took us to Monja Street, a street named after the famous Monjayaki dish. It was amazing to see the whole street dedicated to one type of food.
** They also have the same street for ramen! I can't imagine they have mochi street, dango street or that sort of stuff though. That sounds a little too intense!
We were thrilled to try both Monjayaki and its cousin, Okonomiyaki. Monjayaki is a lesser-known specialty in Tokyo, made with a batter of flour and water, mixed with various ingredients such as seafood, meat, and vegetables. The ingredients are chopped and mixed together on a hot iron griddle, creating a gooey and savory dish. They way they eat this is also super cute. We got a small spoon (2 cm I swear!!) to scoop the food. To be honest, it was good but the mushy texture wasn't really the best for me. Oh wait, the star of it is the fish roe though! I love that it gives the dish a little kick of fishiness that all us Asians love!!
On the other hand, Okonomiyaki is a more popular dish eaten throughout Japan (a lot more in Osaka where we tried a bunch of it along with takoyaki there). Now a little more about Okonomiyaki, it's resembling a savory pancake made with cabbage, meat, and seafood, topped with a variety of sauces and condiments.
I have to say, I preferred Okonomiyaki over Monjayaki. The combination of the crispy exterior and the soft, fluffy interior of the Okonomiyaki made it a more enjoyable dish for me. However, I still appreciated the unique texture and flavor of Monjayaki, and it's definitely a dish worth trying if you're there in Tokyo.
We also tried Yaki Soba, and it was actually my favorite dish among all the food we ordered. Yaki Soba is a stir-fried noodle dish with vegetables, meat, and seafood, all mixed together with a delicious savory sauce. The noodles were perfectly cooked, and the combination of flavors was amazing.
What made this experience even more special was the Japanese hospitality that Shinya showed us. He went above and beyond to ensure we had a great time and even surprised us with a big bag of souvenirs from Japan at the end of the night. I felt lucky and grateful to have a friend like him who could show us around and come hang out together for a few hours.
When visit Tokyo, make sure to visit Monja Street and try both Monjayaki and Okonomiyaki. And if you're lucky enough to have a local friend like Shinya, your experience will be even more unforgettable!