Go ahead, play with your food
Before we go any further, a foodie PSA: Monjayaki is not for everyone. Especially if you’re the type who insists on dishes that taste AND look good. Now that we’ve gotten that disclaimer out of the way, here’s a brief and most likely inaccurate history lesson: the beginnings of Monjayaki, the often forgotten cousin of the better known Okonomiyaki are as mysterious as its contents. Some say its origins can be traced to WWII when rice and other staples were in short supply which forced hungry Tokyoites to basically dump everything they had on a grill and somehow figure out how to make it taste okay. Others claim that bored and hungry schoolchildren came up with the modern Monja by cobbling together various snacks and leftovers together into an anything-goes free-for-all. Whatever its history, everyone can agree on this one fact: it tastes so much better than it looks.
Learn more: https://black-buddha.com/eat/monja-street