Restaurant Details

Anyone who has visited an okonomiyaki restaurant might be familiar with its gooier cousin — monja, or monjayaki. While both pancakes share a base of flour batter and eggs, monja’s brown, watered-down appearance often deters diners from trying it out. Yet, a monja-specialty restaurant in Shinjuku is urging city dwellers to give this Tsukishima dish a delicious second chance.

Monji uses three types of dashi to flavor its monja batter. The first is a fish stock from Ninben, a 300-year-old bonito flake producer, made of three kinds of dried fish: bonito, mackerel and souda katsuo. Then, there’s the restaurant’s secret “chanko dashi,” a mix of three kinds of seafood stock combined with chicken and kelp infusion. Finally, an unorthodox Western-style dashi combines roasted garlic and anchovies. The great thing about monja is its versatility — one can change the filling, the batter or even the water, and it’s still monja.

That is not to say the menu does not dabble with luxury; Monji’s monja contains seafood like salmon roe, shrimp and scallops. Their “Extreme Seafood Monja” — an exclusive in the Shinjuku store — uses plenty of ikura and crab, too, and looks visually appealing.

As with most downtown-style street food, monja is meant to be shared — friends and families picking at the crisp corners while they chat. For those new to the dish, the welcoming staff is ready to help, but the real fun of monja lies in embracing the DIY spirit — watching the batter bubble and crisp on the grill before scooping up mouthfuls of savory goodness straight from the hot plate.

The communal energy of eating monja is translated through the space, too. Seating accommodates up to 50 people, with tables partitioned for extra privacy. For those seeking a more straightforward experience, there are also counter seats.

Monji Shinjuku-Nishiguchi Palette Remarks

• Guests with dietary restrictions and/or food allergies should inform the restaurant beforehand. The restaurant might not be able to accommodate guests who make same-day requests.

• The restaurant reserves the right to refuse reservations to guests who have excessive dietary restrictions, particularly those of fish or vegetables.

• The course menu content listed below is an example, and is subject to change based on seasonal availability.

• The restaurant cannot always guarantee that it can provide guests with their preferred seating options after a reservation due to availability.

• The pictures provided are for illustrative purposes.

Monji Shinjuku-Nishiguchi Palette Business Days

Monji Shinjuku-Nishiguchi Palette Address

Shinjuku West Exit Hall (Shinjuku Palette) 5F, 1-1-1 Nishishinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-0023

Monji Shinjuku-Nishiguchi Palette Access Info

• Monji Shinjuku-Nishiguchi Palette is a 2-minute walk from Shinjuku Station on the Marunouchi, Odakyu, Keio and JR lines, or a 6-minute walk from the Seibu Shinjuku Line.

Monji Shinjuku-Nishiguchi Palette Phone Number

Monji Shinjuku-Nishiguchi Palette Cancellation Policy

Cancel your reservation at least 48 hours before the dining start time to receive a full refund.