Monja & Okonomiyaki Audio Guide
Scraped from a hot griddle with a small spatula, monja is a humble flour-based dish born in Tokyo's old downtown, grown from a children's game. Across six parts we trace its downtown history, contrast it with Kansai's ok…
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Welcome to the World of Monja & Okonomiyaki
Welcome to the world of monja and okonomiyaki. On the hot iron griddle before you, a loose batter sizzles and sends up a savory cloud of steam. You scoop a little at a time with a small spatula and blow on it before each hot bite — monja is a humble, warming griddle dish born and raised in the old-town neighborhoods of Tokyo. Once it was a treat that children enjoyed in the corner of a penny-candy shop, made from just a few coins of pocket money. Over time it grew into a dish that adults gather around too, and today the back streets of the old town are lined with monja shops. Together with its close cousin okonomiyaki, cooking it with your own hands and sharing the griddle with others may be the real feast this dish offers. For a traveler, it is a plate that puts you in direct touch with the everyday life and easy warmth of ordinary Tokyo. Over the next hour or so, let's trace the story hidden behind this old-town creation. Stop wherever a shop catches your eye, and listen at your own pace. To begin, let me tell you how this griddle dish came to be — with the history of monja.
What you'll hear on site
- The History of Monja ¥200 · 7 days
- Versus Okonomiyaki ¥200 · 7 days
- The Tsukishima Culture ¥200 · 7 days
- How to Cook It ¥200 · 7 days
- When Do They Eat It? ¥200 · 7 days
- Enjoying Monja ¥200 · 7 days
Unlock all stops for 7 days — ¥200 / 7 days
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