Monjayaki in Tsukishima 月島のもんじゃ焼き

Here is a shot of the quaint street (Nishi Nakadori Street) in Tsukishima that is lined with monjayaki shops. Also, be sure to check out the side streets.

Our dinner documented below was at

Okame Hyokkoten おかめ　ひょっとこ店
Tsukishima 3-8-10
03-5548-1508
11:00 - 22:00, no holidays

http://r.gnavi.co.jp/g965400/

Tsukishima for Monjayaki 月島のもんじゃ焼き

Finishing off the monjayaki the mentaiko and mochi are added to the mix, it is spread out into a thin layer and finally topped with cheese. Monjayaki is eaten with a small metal spatula.

Here I am with Yoko-san and Yuki-chan enjoying our monjayaki.

Tsukishima for Monjayaki 月島のもんじゃ焼き

The next step in making monjayaki is to cook the cabbage without the soupy broth. The cabbage is roughly chopped with the metal spatulas. After the cabbage has cooked, create a small circle pool to put in the broth and let that start to cook.

The trick is to pour the broth carefully as it steams when it hits the hot teppan.

Tsukishima for Monjayaki 月島のもんじゃ焼き

My first trip to Tsukishima (月島) about 20 years ago was so exciting. I had no idea that this area existed and as my cousin and I walked down the street, I couldn't believe that there were so many restaurants all serving the same type of food, monjayaki　（もんじゃ焼き）. It was like discovering a foodie hot spot. That thrill returns each time I go back.

I went with my good friends Yuki-chan and Yoko-san recently and they too shared this enthusiasm. Deciding where to go is easy, look for somewhere that is full, but still has a table open, and somewhere that you get a warm welcome to. There are enough restaurants here serving the same food, if they aren't inviting, then keep moving on.

Monjayaki are often compared to okonomiyaki, yet they are very different. To best understand what it is you have to see the photos. We started with our favorite, a combination of mentaiko, mochi, and cheese (double please).

The teppan grill in the middle of the table is turned on by the staff and as it heats up we start drinking ice cold beer, a great match for monja. The trick to making a good monjayaki is to cook up the cabbage and using the soft cabbage to create a pool to pour in the liquid broth.