Tsukishima Monja Moheji Yokohama — Restaurant in Yokohama

Many people swear by okonomiyaki over monjayaki, but Moheji might just change your mind. It’s phenomenal from start to finish. We walked towards Yoshimurya, saw the 2.5-hour lineup, waitdd 20 minutes, made eye contact, shook our heads, and walked away.

Wandering aimlessly, we stumbled across Moheji. Despite being off-peak hours, it was the only restaurant with a queue. Curious, I crossed the street and realized it was a monjayaki joint. My Kansai friends have brainwashed me for years into thinking monjayaki is just melted regret on a grill. But I was already jaded from the ramen heartbreak, so I decided to live dangerously.

The wait was about 10-15 minutes—nothing compared to the ramen disaster. But I bet during peak hours, it’s a different story. Once inside, I noticed the seats are actually wooden storage chests. Smart. You stash your belongings and coat to avoid walking out smelling like a food stall. This level of detail tells you you're in good hands.

Never made monjayaki before? Don’t sweat it. The staff whip it up right in front of you in under a minute. Then you just wait for the edges to crisp up and scrape off delicious little bites with what looks like a tiny spatula from a Smurf's kitchen. The longer you wait, the crunchier and more addictive it gets. My first bite was a revelation. Turns out, Kansai folks lied to me. Monjayaki is amazing. I now officially prefer it over okonomi-whatever.

A quick tip: I have a feeling Moheji is a cut above the rest. I'm not sure I’d feel the same if I tried it at a random spot with a neon “Monja” sign out front.

And definitely save room for dessert.

When you go to pay, the staff will ask you something. Your YouTube crash course on 10 things you must know how to say in Japanese will not help you here. Trust me and just smile, nod, and say "hi." They’ll reward you with a thorough Fabreeze spray-down to erase any lingering food smells.

Moheji is a must-visit. Seriously. Just don't tell your Kansai friends.

p.s. I went back to Yoshimuraya after. It was epic. I wrote a review if you...

This was our first time trying okonomiyaki. When we arrived at the restaurant, there were no staff at the entrance, and since we didn’t speak the Japanese, we didn’t know what to do. We opened the door to ask if there were seats, but we were told to wait outside. Luckily, two kind Japanese couples explained to us that we had to write our name and number of people on the list — we were really thankful for their help.

Later, when we were taken upstairs, no one attended to us. We understood the restaurant was busy, but even after raising our hands several times, no staff came. Eventually, someone did, and we asked for an English menu. We managed to order, although it was hard to understand what ingredients were in the dishes.

The food itself was okay, but we didn’t realize that the appetizer came with an extra charge, which the staff did not explain. At checkout, the staff assumed we were from China and asked if we wanted to pay with Alipay, which felt a little discriminatory.

Overall, our first okonomiyaki experience wasn’t great. The food was fine, but I really hope the staff can improve their service attitude and communication with...

First timers in Yokohama and having Monja!! Life changed forever. We had the best experience and time :) food was delicious and our server/chef was mainly Chi Chi! Everyone was so hardworking and did such a great job with timing the food preparations for every table! They cooked and put on an authentic show as well :) the patience and attention to detail was spectacular! Kudos to them having to cook stove top in this Japan summer heat (no joke!)

We really enjoyed their house appetizer which was included in our dinner meal! What a sweet surprise and start to this fun dining experience

We also really liked the tenpanyaki (pork, egg, and green onion) as well as their specially recommended Monja with fish roe, butter, and mochi! Our first time having Monja and it was similar to okonomiyaki— cooked on stovetop

Thank you so much for a great and seamless experience! Extra helpful staff and English menu was provided :)

Hope to be back someday soon! Thank you to everyone, especially Chi Chi who made us have such an unforgettable experience!

Leaving home with a full heart and especially full tummy!...