Musashino, Tokyo, Japan｜Darumaya

Daruma is our favorite okonomiyaki restaurant in Kichijoji. The interior is old country funk, which we really like. They have a good selection of okonomiyaki and monjayaki that you cook yourself on your table's griddle. If you're not skilled enough, ask the waiter to cook it for you. We do quite well with the okonomiyaki, but usually ask for help with the monjayaki. If you aren't familiar with either, okonomiyaki is like a pizza with all the ingredients mixed inside (You are served a bowl with your choice of ingredients and batter that you carefully stir then pour on the griddle to resemble a big pancake.) When the one side is cooked, you carefully flip it over with 2 big spatulas (This takes a bit of skill. If you don't feel up to it, ask the waiter.) Once you've flipped it, paint it with some brown sauce, then add shave fish and nori flakes. When it's done, cut it in pieces with the spatulas and enjoy. Monjayaki also comes in a bowl that you mix but has a much thinner batter. First remove the ingredients and form a circle with them on the griddle, then pour the batter in the center of the circle. After a while, you mix them all up and let them cook. The end product looks really awful, but tastes great. Give Daruma a try. You'll love it. You'll need reservations for the weekend.

Delicious okonomiyaki (Japanese pancake) restaurant that has stood on this spot since long before the buildings around it. It's compact, full of atmosphere and most importantly, tastes great. Best of all, this is a traditional okonomiyaki so each table has a hotplate for you to cook your food. If my review and photos were helpful for you, please give me a thumbs up 👍🏼 Thanks!

The staff was super helpful and the food was excellent 👌A perfect experience