Monjayaki @ Unohana, Hakata Bus Terminal, Fukuoka

If you love to play with your food, then this installment is definitely for you. Although closely related to the more famous okonomiyaki, its reputation outside Japan is a bit different. Well, even I only knew about monjayaki when I started living here. More commonly found in the Kanto area, monjayaki is essentially a more liquid version of the famous Japanese pancake. Also called monja in short, it is more runny and is meant to be eaten like a thick gravy. And being a Kanto specialty, it is a bit hard to locate it in Kyushu. As such, I consider myself pretty lucky when I found out that a place near the office serves this. 

The menu

Unohana looks like your average homely teppan restaurant. Essentially, because it is. You can get most of the hotplate treats like okonomiyaki, fried noodles, and the aforementioned monjayaki. The special thing about this place is that you cook it yourself. So if you like to be interactive with your food, this is the place to be. I have my own fair share of okonomiyaki and yakisoba already. As such, monja will take center stage for this. 

A beautiful mess. Note the shredded cheese on the side. 

I came here with a friend for a weekend lunch, which is a recommended time, as they will have their lunch specials, which is essentially any monja of your choice, and a drink for a mere 1100 yen. That is a serious bargain. I got myself the cheese and seafood while my friend ordered the mentaiko. Drink wise, I got a melon soda. 

Let it bubble! The left is the cheese and seafood while the right is the mentaiko 

For the uninitiated, you are given a batter loaded with vegetables and the requested toppings. They are to be mixed together and then spread out on the hot plate for it to be cooked out. If you see golden brown and crispy edges, then you know it is ready. It took me a while to figure out the cooking, but once I got a hang of it, it was quite fun. 

The mentaiko version, before being mixed.

In terms of flavour, this is a serious form of soul food. The flavours were deep and yet refreshing. probably due to the amount of cabbage in the batter. The cheese gave it some richness which I like. I did feel like the mentaiko was a better option, as the salty and spicy profile gave the batter mix more substance and personality. 

Check out this mini spatula!

If you like okonomiyaki, then you will probably like this one too. Eating is a bit different though, as you are given a small spatula to scoop all the goodies from the pan. A bit unusual compared to chopsticks, but it makes the whole-eating experience a lot more interesting. Just make sure not to spill and cause a mess. I have to admit I have done that a few times. 

If you like some extra punch. 

If you would like to customise your meal, you can add fish powder and dried seaweed. I strongly recommend them as they were rich in umami and added an extra dimension to the overall meal. There is also okonomiyaki sauce if you like. I did not include the sauce as my batter was already quite salty after adding the fish powder. It would probably taste great, in any event. 

In case you need visual aids to help with the cooking process

An interesting food experience through and through, this is a meal you probably would not want to eat if you were in a rush. The cooking of the monja takes time and you would need some patience in making sure everything is made perfectly. Nonetheless, the process is pretty easy and quite tasty too. It is something I recommend. So if you are somehow in a place that serves this interesting delicacy why not give it a go? And if you are in the Hakata area somehow, then the address for Unohana is as follows:

〒812-0012 Fukuoka, Hakata Ward, Hakataekichuogai, 2−1 Hakata Bus Terminal 8th Floor

Front of the house.