A little of each town’s story

Monjayaki

From: A downtown table in a Tokyo row house

The finished monjayaki on the griddle

A shitamachi specialty: a loose batter of flour and water cooked on a griddle with cabbage and other fillings. Its roots are in monjiyaki, "letter grilling," sold at penny-candy shops near Tsukishima Nishinaka-dori, so named because children drew letters and pictures in the batter as it cooked. It spread after the war, when flour and broth were all you needed, and cabbage and noodles were added to stretch it. In the 1980s, versions with mochi, cod roe and cheese turned it into a proper meal.

Sources: mec-h.com ddnavi.com

This moment in the journey

Monjayaki, the shitamachi specialty

When it comes to shitamachi food, it has to be monjayaki. Monja began as a snack for children at the penny-candy shops, which, I think, is why making and eating it is as much fun as it is delicious.

A heap of shredded cabbage and sliced pork went onto the griddle, chopped fine with two spatulas as it cooked. I shaped the filling into a ring and poured the batter into the middle. When it started to simmer, it was time: stir it all together in one go.

The smell of the sauce browning whets the appetite. Once everything was mixed, I spread it out thin and quick, then topped it with cheese, crunchy noodle snacks and a sprinkle of green seaweed. Monjayaki, perfect with beer, ready to eat.

You scoop from the edge with a little spatula, dragging it toward you and pressing it against the iron plate so it browns a bit and turns savory. Handwritten menus lined the wall, eggplant butter, onion butter, and bottles of sauce and soy sauce stood on the table.

Watch this scene on YouTube2:45

Read this scene in the full journey