If you’re looking to try monjayaki, a traditional dish from Tokyo, there’s no better place to visit than Tsukishima Monja Street, located near Tsukishima Station.
With over 50 monjayaki restaurants lined up, you’re sure to find the perfect one that suits your taste. Monjayaki is a popular dish that features pan-fried batter mixed with ingredients like cabbage, meat and seafood. It’s often called “monja” for short.
One standout among them is “Noto Honten,” a historic monjayaki restaurant that has been in business for three generations in Tsukishima!
(Front) “海の幸親子もんじゃ,” Seafood parent and child monja 1,600 JPY (tax included)、(top right) “紅しょうがもんじゃ,” Red Pickled Ginger Monja 750 JPY (tax included), (top left) “帆立レモンもんじゃ,” Scallop and Lemon Monja 980 JPY (tax included)
Monjayaki that attracts celebrity stars! What to order at Noto Honten
As you step into the restaurant, the first thing that catches your eye is the many signed photos on the walls. Musicians, idols, actors, and celebrities of all kinds have visited Noto Honten over the years.
Noto Honten’s interior
To truly understand the charm of Noto Honten, you must try their monjayaki. Here are three highly recommended dishes!
Luxurious seafood galore! “Seafood parent and child monja”
Seafood parent and child monja
Named for its use of salmon and ikura (salmon roe,) the “Seafood parent and child monja” (a seafood monjayaki version of oyakodon) also includes squid and shrimp, making it a seafood lover’s dream. The ingredients, sourced from the famous Toyosu Market, are impressively large and luxurious.
Start by melting butter on the griddle, then sauté the squid, shrimp, and salmon. The visual alone is mouthwatering.
However, the true magic of this dish is yet to come!
First, there’s a special vinegar-based sauce served with the dish.
When the batter is poured and the sauce is added, the aroma of garlic rises with the steam. This sauce, inspired by salad dressings, provides a nice balance to the strong smells of the seafood while adding a delightful twist, with the fruity sweetness of Worcestershire sauce coming to the forefront.
Topping it off with the accompanying salmon roe adds a bursting texture, making it even more delectable! The sweet, luscious liquid melts out and will have you hooked with just one bite!
This carefully crafted balance of texture and flavors makes it easy to understand why this dish is one of the restaurant’s most popular monjayaki.
“Scallop and Lemon Monja” with a refreshing aftertaste
Made with fresh lemon zest and scallops, the “Scallop and Lemon Monja” is another fan favorite.
“帆立レモンもんじゃ,” Scallop and Lemon Monja
The ingredients are simple: scallops, cabbage, a small amount of tempura batter, and sliced lemon. While the scallops provide umami and sweetness, the key to the dish’s deliciousness lies in the lemon.
Using the entire lemon creates a fresh flavor and a subtle citrus acidity that provides a light, clean finish.
Especially when enjoyed freshly made, the lemon flavor is strong and delicious. As time passes, the sauce’s toasty aroma and cabbage’s sweetness become more pronounced, allowing you to enjoy a delightful change in flavors.
By the time you finish, the Scallop and Lemon Monja will have you hooked!
Tart monjayaki that goes great with a drink: “Red Pickled Ginger Monja”
Red Pickled Ginger Monja
The “Red Pickled Ginger Monja” leaves a big visual impression.
Pickled ginger, made by soaking ginger in plum vinegar, is often simply used as a condiment for dishes like beef bowls and yakisoba (stir-fried noodles in sweet-savory sauce). However, in this monjayaki, the pickled ginger takes center stage!
The restaurant serves it quite generously, which unlocks the full potential of the ginger’s flavor.
When mixed thoroughly with cabbage and the batter, the tangy and sweet flavor of pickled ginger spreads across the palate. The abundant red ginger provides a vinegary sensation that stimulates the appetite.
Despite its bold flavor, the pickled ginger doesn’t overpower the other ingredients. It harmonizes beautifully with the cabbage’s sweetness, the bonito-flavored batter, and all other ingredients.
Noto Honten offers monjayaki to enjoy for all ages
The popularity of Noto Honten skyrocketed after it was featured on the official YouTube channel of the idol group “Sakurazaka46,” leading to a surge in visits from the group’s fans.
For fans of idols and musicians, visiting the restaurant after a concert has become a popular tradition.
Noto Honten’s exterior
However, the appeal of Noto Honten goes well beyond just its celebrity visits.
It offers a wide variety of monjayaki, reasonable prices around 1,000 JPY per dish, and uniquely crafted flavors. The rich history conveyed through the aesthetic of the restaurant’s interior and exterior only adds to its charm, confirming its long-standing popularity.
Information
| Store name | 能登 本店 Noto Honten |
|---|---|
| Address | 3-13-12 Tsukishima, Chūō-ku, Tokyo
|
| Access |
Tsukishima Station 3-minute walk from Exit 10
Kachidoki Station 6-minute walk from Exit A1
|
| Phone number | 03-3533-3059 |
| Reservations | Accepted Phone, DM (X) |
| Payment |
|
| Service charge / Table charge | None |
| Hours | Weekdays 17:30-22:30（last order 22:00） Sat-Sun. & nat’l holidays 12:00-22:30（last order 22:00） |
| Closed | No fixed holidays Unscheduled holidays |
| Seating | 53 seats |
| Smoking | Separate smoking areas A separate smoking area only for e-cigarette use is available |
| Official website | https://monja.gr.jp/stores/noto-main-store/ |
| Other information |
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※Menu contents, prices, store information, etc. are current as of April 2025.
