Moo No Shison is a restaurant near Waseda University that specializes in monjayaki. Monjayaki (monja for short) is a type of Japanese pan fried batter with many different kinds of ingredients. A specialty of the Kantō region, monjayaki is similar to okonomiyaki but is made with more liquid-like batter.
The way to enjoy monja is to take the top ingredients (vegetables, meat, shrimp) off with the large spatula and cook them up first. Once the vegetable and meat are cooked through, you gather the ingredients up to make a circle, create a hole in the middle, and then poor the batter in. Monja has consistency a little softer than oat meal, and it is eaten right off the grill with the small spatula.
Moo No Shison is famous for a couple of things. The first is having different varieties of monja, including kimchi monja, spicy calamari monja, and sukiyaki monja. This store also serves dessert monja, which has cinnamon batter, corn flakes, and seasonal fruits (we tried the mixed fruit, apple, and pumpkin monja). The second is their prices. Moo No Shison has deals that many college students and low budget travelers can appreciate. From 11:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., during the week, you can pick two items from the all-you-can-eat/drink menu for ¥500. During the weekend, it will cost you ¥900 for an all-you-can-eat deal for two hours. Need more time to eat? There’s also an all-you-can-eat deal for ¥1,650 with no time limits.
Monja is a fun dish to eat out with friends, family, or your special someone. The norm is to chat and cook together and enjoy a freshly cooked meal. If you're not into dough-like food, they also serve okonomiyaki, fried rice, and other side dishes that are equally delicious and fun to make. I do however, recommend that you at least try the dessert monja, which was surprisingly delicious. The pumpkin and apple were my favorite ones. The store was very spacious and the waiter and waitresses were kind in making food suggestions. Come try monja for the best price and enjoy the dish of the Kantō region.
