Best Food in Japan?🤯Only Locals Know!

Best Food in Japan?🤯Only Locals Know!

Let me show you one of Japan’s best comfort foods. I know it looks kind of gross, but trust me, you need to try this. After eating dinner in Osaka, I came across this local restaurant. They serve a dish called moja. And the crazy part, it was invented by kids in Tokyo. They used to cook it on hot plates at snack shops after school for fun. Surprisingly, now it’s a full-on local dish. I ordered the one with butter, mushrooms, and meat. They cook it right in front of you. And while I waited, I was chugging my tea mixed with alcohol. Voila, ready to eat. You use this tiny spatula to eat it. It’s gooey, salty, and addictive. And the best part, if you let it cook longer, you get these crispy bits. Total flavor bombs. It’s delicious and very fun to share with friends. The best part, the dish was only $10.

What Is Monjayaki? – A Taste of Tokyo’s History
Monjayaki, or “monja,” is a unique savory dish that originated in Tokyo, believed to date back to the Edo period. It started as a simple mixture of flour and water used by children to practice writing on hot griddles—eventually evolving into a flavorful street food. Today, monja is made with a runny batter mixed with chopped cabbage, seafood, meat, and various toppings. It’s cooked directly on a teppan (hot plate) and eaten straight from it using small metal spatulas.

The Tsukishima neighborhood in Tokyo is considered the birthplace of monja and is now famous for its “Monja Street,” lined with dozens of specialized restaurants. Unlike okonomiyaki, which has a pancake-like form, monja stays gooey and crispy at the edges, offering a fun, interactive dining experience that brings people together around the grill.