kujira29
I visited Asakusa, where I used to live about 5 years ago, for the first time in a long time. I walked from Ueno for a stroll, and it was just before 6 o'clock. Even though it was a weekday, there were quite a few foreign tourists walking around, creating a lively atmosphere. We were looking for an early dinner, and we came across a clean monjayaki restaurant. Since we could be seated right away and there were a decent number of customers inside (including many female customers), we decided to go in. The waitress confidently recommended the seafood monjayaki, and said that each person had to order at least one item, so we ordered the octopus monjayaki and the clam butter monjayaki. We both had soft drinks, and when the appetizer of large squid tentacles arrived (could we refuse?), we started by grilling and eating that. The monjayaki was cooked by the staff, so when I asked if the staff cooked it, they said, "Yes, that's how we do it here," and so we left it to them to cook (although from other reviews, it seems you can cook it yourself). First was the octopus. After the waitress grilled the ingredients, she crushed the vegetables with a spatula to create a mound. It seemed like she was quite skilled, and after pouring the broth into the mound, I thought, "Oh, this is how it's done..." but it was short-lived. She immediately broke down the mound and started mixing it, spreading it all over the griddle, and said, "Here, it's done." Huh...? This was different from the way I had been taught at an old monjayaki restaurant in Asakusa when I was in my 20s. However, it was too late to say anything now, so I tried to stay positive and wait, thinking that maybe this was the best way to eat this dish... As time passed, the clam butter monjayaki arrived. Maybe this one will be better! I hoped (more like wishful thinking), but once again, it was made the same way. We both exchanged glances silently... "Here, it's done." Wait, could it be that the foreign customers and young people in the restaurant think this is how monjayaki is supposed to be eaten, and they're eating it all messy like this...? I looked around and saw them eating. They were eating the messy monjayaki. Huh... During the pandemic, did the way of eating monjayaki change? I couldn't feel any of the joy of slowly creating a crispy crust while eating monjayaki. And I couldn't really tell what I was eating. It felt like I was being forced to eat undercooked pancakes (strangely sweet)... From there, it was like a penance. I didn't want to waste food, so I forced myself to eat the sticky, undercooked mess. By the time we finished eating, the restaurant was full. Was everyone really enjoying this? The young couple next to us had also ordered okonomiyaki with their monjayaki, and they were saying, "What's this? It's too soft..." Wait, is the okonomiyaki also undercooked? We quickly left the restaurant, saying, "Well, that was a disaster. It's a shame if foreigners think this is what monjayaki is like," and as we followed the path to the station, we came across Okoge's second restaurant!! Huh, could this style of monjayaki be popular? Are we being left behind by the times? No, that can't be... Frustrated, I decided that next time, I'll go to the old, well-known monjayaki restaurant I used to frequent. Lesson learned. Oh, the staff were mostly young women, very friendly, so that was a plus (maybe that's their selling point).