Tokyo Asakusa Monjayaki: Daruma Offers Authentic Flavor & Less Wait

Guess what?! Mohji has officially opened in Seoul!

Did you all hear the news?

Mohji officially opened in Jongno 3-ga on August 7th!

As it's their first venture into Korea,

the anticipation was absolutely through the roof!

Even though it's right in front of Jongno 3-ga Station,

I wonder if their preparations fell short,

or if they simply didn't expect such a massive turnout?

It was pure chaos with endless waiting and delays,

so much so that people were jokingly saying it might close down by Liberation Day!

A truly unbelievable (and slightly comical) situation!

Woah...

Was this strategy meant to capitalize on the grand opening hype?

Apparently, most of the staff are Japanese.

I wonder if they were dispatched from Mohji Japan,

or if they hired Japanese residents in Korea?

I honestly can't tell!

Honestly, at this rate, it might be faster to just fly to Japan

and enjoy Monjayaki there directly...!

For a Monjayaki enthusiast like me,

Curious about my review of the Mohji Ueno main branch in Tokyo?

Anyway, instead of the Mohji in Jongno 3-ga,

here's an Asakusa Monjayaki spot with no crazy waiting!

Daruma Asakusa Monjayaki

📍Location: 1 Chome-20-12 Asakusa, Taito City,

Tokyo 111-0032 Japan

✅Operating Hours: Daily 10:30-22:30

Daruma was nestled in a shopping street

right next to Sensoji's Nakamise-dori!

There were quite a few Monjayaki spots lining the street,

and after a stroll, I chose the one that caught my eye the most.

I got incredibly lucky with my timing – there was no wait when I walked in!

But just moments after I sat down, a line formed right behind me!

Near Asakusa Kaminarimon Gate

Monjayaki Hotspot: Daruma

The moment you step inside,

you're hit with an incredible blast of POWERFUL air conditioning!

At Mohji, with the shop door open

and eating right at the griddle,

it tends to feel a bit warm.

But Daruma? Their air conditioning is absolutely blasting!

I was almost worried the Monja would cool down too fast

— that's how refreshingly cool and comfortable the interior was!

Over 90% of the customers were local Japanese,

(though not everyone was eating Monjayaki, of course!)

Unlike Mohji,

at Daruma Monja,

all the staff were lovely female employees!

I must admit, seeing how slender they were,

I wondered if they'd be able to deftly chop all that cabbage...

But wow, their technique was absolutely impressive!

Daruma Monjayaki Menu & Prices

It looks like the menu has seen a lot of action on that griddle! 😂

While Okonomiyaki and Monjayaki are the main stars,

they also have Yakisoba,

and the drink menu is on the back!

After continuously sipping on beer,

it started getting quite warm...

So, I switched to ginger ale!

Parsley oil, soy sauce, and other

essential seasonings were neatly set up at the table!

Chop, chop, chop, chop, chop, chop!

"Monja, become delicious!"

"Oishikunare, oishikunare!"

If you can just get past the appearance,

the taste is truly amazing, though!

It's a little sad that Monjayaki is so divisive

Ugh, it's such a shame!

For me, more than Okonomiyaki,

it's always Monja, hands down...

Even after having Monja the day before,

seeing so many Japanese people eating Yakisoba,

we ordered Yakisoba and regretted it.

"Hey, next time, let's just order two Monjas."

"Y-yes, absolutely!"

Hahaha, the Yakisoba was way too salty.

Oh, friend, please stop with the sauce...

Tokyo Asakusa Monja Spot

Here's a breakdown of Daruma's best features:

💜Shorter waiting time compared to Moheji

💜Fully air-conditioned, wonderfully cool interior

💜Spotlessly clean interior

I'm definitely curious about Moheji's branch in Korea,

But for now,

I'll stick to eating it in Japan first,,

Jongno 3-ga Moheji, either implement a table waiting system (like Tabling),

or set up another reservation system,

or open a Naver reservation page,

or install a wireless microphone,

or please, for the love of all that is holy, stop yelling 'Irasshaimase!' so loudly...

And maybe speak a little Korean too, while you're at it!

Hahahaha

Other delicious Monja spots besides Moheji:

Asakusamonja Zenya

Ueno Tamatoya Hibiya