This past month I have become a little more active--with the fun things- at Tokyo Union Church (TUC). They have a lot of good programs, and an especially active Womens group--minus the 'pickiness that you get via Tokyo American Club. (TAC) I had really kind of had it with TAC --- had given up on the Women Group, I will leave it at that.
So TUC has this group that meets once a month on a Wednesday, and they trek to an unusual, good, or unique place for lunch in Tokyo. Several of my friends have been telling me to come along. Ok,, I say, and go to TUC at 11:30 to meet up with the girls. I had no clue where we were going ---- I am not on the email list as of yet. Why I chose this month to go, I have no clue???
As we are walking there, I ask where we are going?? The wonderful Japanese lady that 'heads' this up, Natsu--- (I sure hope I never call her Nazi!!!) was chatting with me as we walked. She tells me we are going to a okonomiyaki / monjayaki place that is real cute, and very very good. She asks,,,, "Have you ever had it?" I really did not answer this question. I KNOW what this stuff is---described by Japanese as a japanese pancake---- ha!! I have seen them ---- THAT is not what I THINK they look like. Hot Vomit, is the only way to describe it, with squiggly mayo squirted over the top of it. You see it a lot of places, lots of festivals, and a huge concentration of many shops of okonomiyaki in and around the fish market. ***Sass--- thinking to herself, this is NOT going to be good, because I have seen this stuff, and no way am I eating it****
We arrive at the cutest place, it has the funkiest wall art, that looks so "California-ee 1960" era. With these darling little stools, with grills in the middle of the tables. We all sit down at tables, there is 3 tables of 6 of us. I am sitting next to Natsu, and with my friends Debbie, Sharon and Gloria. I tell them, I am going to WATCH!! ha!! I tell them to order how they want, because I am not going to eat anything with fish, seaweed, urchin, or octopus in it!! They laugh, and say, that is NOT the only type of okonomiyaki there is. This is 1050 yen ($12.00) all you can eat for 60 minutes!!! Natsu orders a pork, cheese, corn, beef, and shrimp okonomiyaki. Out comes 6 little stainless steel each with a raw egg, tons of cabbage, and a semi thick batter in it. Natsu tells us to stir these up real good. Then we grill them on the grills in front of us. They look and smell great!!! I am doing ok---- thinking-----ok I can do this. (do not think of it being hot vomit sass!!) I love cabbage, and egg is only in there to keep it all together, so maybe I can do this!!! So we flip these little 'pies' and watch them cook. (Natsu kind of became a little bit of a--- okonomiyaki nazi--NOT letting us touch them once they were on the grill!!)Then at the end she squirts mayonnaise over the top to make them so pretty. (this is like the icing on a cake, and the better you squeeze this 'trim' on this food the better it is!!)
We cut each okonomiyaki in 6 slices, and start tasting. I am shocked at how good this is!! Oh my it is wonderful, and so much fun to do.
Then there is mojoyaki which is basically the same ingredients but the 'juice' in it is thinner. You make a 'moat' on the grill with the cabbage, and then pour the juice in side of it. Have you ever seen those tiny spatulas???? They have NEVER been explained to me here in Japan,,, they are like a baby spoon--but a spatula. THIS is what they are for, you literally rake a bite off of the mojoyaki on the grill, and eat it off of that!! It is very good!!
I am so proud of myself for eating this, and was SHOCKED at how good it is, and how GOOD it is for you!!! The Japanese--- of course---- add seaweed, fish flakes, and soy sauce on these but you do not have to.
Okono--basically means as you like it,, and yaki is to cook on a grill!! So voila !! It makes so much sense now!!
Check out my pictures here Okonomiyaki
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