A note on the words: monjayaki is a Tokyo griddle dish where finely chopped cabbage are cooked into a ring wall (dote) on a hot iron plate, runny dashi-and-sauce batter is poured into the center, and the whole mixture is spread thin and scraped straight off the griddle with a tiny spatula (hera); here it is topped with Baby Star, a crunchy chicken-flavored ramen snack that softens in the broth. Okonomiyaki is a thicker savory cabbage pancake (served here in both layered Hiroshima style and mixed Kansai style), while tonpei-yaki (griddled pork and egg) and anko-yaki (a sweet griddle treat made with red-bean paste) are side dishes mentioned on the shop’s menu.
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Katsumi on Tabelog (English) — opening hours, payment details and the Japanese address are kept up to date there, not here.
Fellow drinkers, thank you for waiting! It is time for Hangover Meshi!
I had said, “Just one drink!” and yet I ended up getting lured right in by the smell of okonomiyaki.
Just 24 meters out of the ticket gates at Nogata Station sits “Katsumi,” a family-run okonomiyaki (savory Japanese cabbage pancake) shop that has been going since 1993. The menu centers on Hiroshima-style and Kansai-style okonomiyaki and Tokyo monja (monjayaki, a runny pan-fried savory batter). Griddle side dishes like tonpei-yaki (pork and egg omelet cooked on the griddle) and anko-yaki (a sweet griddle treat made with red-bean paste) are apparently on the lineup too. Best of all, they stay open straight through from 11:30 a.m. into the evening, so you can gather around the griddle for a drink even at odd hours!
First things first, I ordered a highball to get started.
No matter when you drink one, it hits the spot!
I was thinking about getting okonomiyaki, but once I saw the Tokyo monja menu, I went with monja!
I have to say, I have been eating a lot of monja lately.
All right, time to cook it myself! It is just the right size for one person. I built a ring wall (dote) of cabbage and poured the batter into the middle. Being a little tipsy, I let it spill right over the edge, ha.
Once I finished sprinkling the Baby Star (a crunchy chicken-flavored ramen snack) all over and gave it a mix, it was ready!
With monja, the rule is to scoop it straight off the griddle with a tiny spatula (hera)! As the broth bubbles away and thickens, the savory aroma of the sauce wafts up. Press a thin layer down against the griddle with the spatula and wait a moment: the underside turns crispy and charred while the top stays gooey. After the saltiness of the sauce, the sweetness of the chopped cabbage slowly spreads across your tongue, and finally that charred aroma rises through your nose. The Baby Star I added in really does the trick here. It starts out super crunchy, then softens as it soaks up the broth, releasing its chicken-flavored saltiness. I think this every single time, but Baby Star goes so well with monja that it should come standard!
And with that, once I finished my monja, I headed right out!
The casual, easygoing vibe where you can just drop in for a quick bite was great too! With a monja izakaya (Japanese pub) like this right by Nogata Station, I feel like I could end up coming back again and again. I only had monja this time, but since they also have Hiroshima-style and Kansai-style okonomiyaki along with griddle dishes like tonpei-yaki and anko-yaki, it looks like you would have a good time coming for the okonomiyaki too. Being open straight through from 11:30 a.m. is another big plus for drinkers. If you are drinking in Nogata, this might be a good place to keep in mind.
Here is hoping you run into something delicious today too!
Katsumi (Okonomiyaki / Nogata Station, Toritsu-Kasei Station, Numabukuro Station)
Tabelog dinner rating ★★★☆☆ 3.4
I ate here and paid for it myself. Nothing on this site is a comped meal.
One more for the road?
