Monja-ya

My general love of Japanese food is well-known, but if I had to pick an absolute favourite, it would have to be okonomiyaki. Why? Well, it’s exactly what it name means – as you like it, so you can enjoy it with all the things you like most. We stopped in at Monja-ya for dinner in Shinjuku (as a chain store, they have various locations in Tokyo). Half the fun of this place is that you get to cook the food yourself, but if you don’t feel confident, the staff are very happy to help. We started with an order of the cheese okonomiyaki and the standard monja, which the waiter kindly cooked while Mum made the okonomiyaki (go Mum!). The portions here are good value, even better if you pick the all-you-can-eat option. Whilst the cheese okonomiyaki was good, we all devoured the round two choice of kimchi – the added spice was amazing! The monja took longer to cook, but was worth the wait – we loved the sloppier texture with crispy bits from the grill. The trick to a good okonomiyaki? Layering it up with the sauces – okonomiyaki sauce, kewpie mayo plus bonito flakes. Perfection.

Monja-ya, Royal Puddings Building 4F, 3-35-10, Shinjuku, Tokyo Japan   

Benbee Teppan

Okonomiyaki would have to be in the top three of my favourite Japanese foods of all time. On our first night in Tokyo, we walked past a traditional style restaurant serving Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki, and that was it, dinner decided. The staff at Benbee were very understanding and managed to accommodate our 10+ group without any trouble in the larger upstairs seating area. The teppans were turned on, but our food was cooked downstairs, where the chef was manning the main teppan, so unfortunately we didn’t get to cook it ourselves. Our Hiroshimayaki came out looking beautiful – it was slathered in okonomiyaki sauce (as it should be) and you could add bonito flakes to suit your taste. There was also a vegetarian option, which I was told was delicious too. After the okonomiyaki we ordered a range of other meats, including calamari, which was a particular highlight. But by the end of the trip everyone looked back and thought that the best thing about Benbee was the beer – it was served incredibly cold, which was exactly what we needed after a long overnight flight.

Benbee Teppan, 5 Chome-1-11 Shiba, Minato, Tokyo 108-0014, Japan , no website