Japanese Food Culture

Have you ever tried Okonomiyaki or Monjayaki in Japan?
If not, please do!!

Okonomiyaki is popular among Japanese people, and you can find different types of Okonomiyaki by region.
You can enjoy them at Okonomiyaki restaurants, or some cook them at home.

If you go to the Okonomiyaki restaurant in Kanto area, you get a chance to make
okonomiyaki by yourself.
It is a chic experience, but if it's your first time, you might feel a little anxious.

So here we will show some tips, not for making a "perfect" okonomiyaki, but to avoid failing your meal.

Okonomi Yaki

The first hurdle is to choose the menu.
For the beginners, these are the safe choices;
-豚玉（butatama）/pork
-シーフード/seafood (squid, shrimp, shells)
-餅チーズ/mochi & cheese

One okonomiyaki will be enough for 2 ppl.

If you order okonomiyaki, you will receive a small bowl filled with ingredients.
You mix them, and put them in circle on an iron plate.
Since one side is cooked, you flip it over with big iron spatulas like a pancake.

When the other side is cooked as well, it's time to eat!!
Cut the okonomiyaki with spatula into slices, choose your piece, and choose the toppings.
The major ones are okonomiyaki sauce, mayonaise, bonito flakes, and aonori (seaweed flakes).
Some like to add soy sauce or fried egg, but acutally whatever is good.

Find your favorite toppings and just enjoy!!

Monja Yaki

Monjayaki is a bit difficult to make compared to okonomiyaki, but also highly recommended.
Don’t be fooled by appearances. It's really good!

These are the safe choices;
-明太子（mentaiko）/spicy cod roe
-Cheese
-Mochi
You can find a menu that combine all of them.

You will receive a small bowl, quite similar to the one of okonomiyaki.
This time you don't mix it, but you pull out all the solid ingredients and keep the liquid in the bowl.
You stir and cut them on the iron plate. When it is almost cooked, try to make a donut shape.
Then, you pour the liquid into the donut hole, little by little.
Keep the liquid warm on the plate, and since it gets sticky, you mix them all and spread them on the plate.
You eat your monja yaki with small monja yaki spatula, just like scraping off the skin.