We tried Monya, a kaiseki restaurant in Tokyo

Published on : 06/09/2023
by : Axel Schwab

kaiseki monya tokyo restaurant — One of the dishes at kaiseki restaurant Monya in Tokyo
© Axel Schwab

We tried out the Monya restaurant in Tokyo, which specializes in kaiseki meals!

A multi-course Japanese meal, "kaiseki", is traditionally prepared with quality ingredients and great skill.

As a tourist, it's not so easy to find a decent such restaurant in Tokyo. It's possible to book a kaiseki meal in some luxury hotels, of course, but you often have to pay a hefty supplement to access the restaurant itself, making the experience rather expensive.

Fortunately, these problems don't exist at Sengakuji-monzen Monya, which is not far from the Sengakuji metro station or the new Takanawa Gateway station on the JR Yamanote line. At lunchtime, you can enjoy a quality menu for less than 5,000 yen, even without a reservation. The 9-course evening menu, priced at 16,000 yen, lasts at least two hours. In large company and with alcohol, it's best to allow three hours. Reservations can also be made online in English, but it's best to phone to make sure everything has gone smoothly.

Monya is located directly in front of the Sengakuji temple gate, which explains the first part of the name "Sengakuji-monzen". If you come for dinner in winter, the temple already closes at 5 p.m., so it's not possible to visit the tombs of the 47 ronin just before. The entrance to the restaurant is a narrow path between two larger buildings, to the left of the temple's outer door, which is always open (see photo).

restaurant monya tokyo kaiseki — Entrance to Monya kaiseki restaurant in Tokyo
© Axel Schwab

Starter

On a large plate is a monkfish fillet with turnip and Japanese parsley. The whole is decorated with meringue - a seasonal allusion to the first frosts - and gold leaves. A slice of carrot cut into maple leaf and a few more slices of yuzu, a Japanese citrus fruit, for aroma.

Fried dish

Tempura and kushiage are very popular dishes in Japan. The fried dish is, of course, even more refined, containing a fluffy cod roe chop, smoked radish, a thin slice of lotus root and sweet green chilli.

Meanwhile, the main course's fresh fish is presented on ice, with a choice of cooking methods. You can choose between fish grilled in salt or steamed in a special soy sauce.

Soup

In quality kaiseki cuisine, clear soups are common. Cooks spend a lot of time creating a refined dashi broth. A chrysanthemum flower floats in the clear dashi broth, all seasoned with black pepper. The soup insert consists of a slice of Wagyu beef, Matsutake mushrooms, Japanese taro tofu, potatoes and green onions.

Sashimi

Raw fish is, of course, a staple of the kaiseki menu. Slices of tuna, grouper and squid are beautifully presented. All are accompanied by a garnish of Japanese radish, shiso leaves, flowers and watercress. All served with freshly grated wasabi.

Seasonal dish

The seasonal dish reveals all the savoir-faire of Kaiseki's chefs. Three small dishes are arranged on a wooden tray:

a) Grilled conger with vinegar rice and chopped cucumber.

b) Spicy Kyoto mushrooms with steamed lily onion and salted salmon roe.

c) Fresh persimmon with apple, topped with Pani-Puri style tofu sauce.

Steamed dish

The steamed dish is served in a deep bowl. After lifting the lid, a pleasant-smelling steam is released. Chunks of snow crab sit on a quenelle of gooey cake, topped with tofu skin, chestnut pieces, shiitake mushrooms and egg yolk cream. The dish's visual appeal is further enhanced by a garnish of grated ginger and Mibuna vegetables on the side.

Main course

The whole fish from Toyama prefecture presented earlier, grilled with salt and accompanied by a small garnish, is arranged on a flat plate. Delicious crispy skin on the outside and juicy white fish fillet on the inside - it really doesn't get any better than this. The main course is accompanied by a glass of sake, which, like the fish, comes from Toyama.

Baked rice

After the main course, rice is traditionally served. Here, it's not a simple white rice, but a complex rice mixed in a pan with spicy pieces of fish: yellowtail mackerel and fried red shrimp.

monya kaiseki restaurant tokyo riz — Kamameshi-style grilled rice
© Axel Schwab

monya kaiseki restaurant tokyo — Dishes at the Monya kaiseki restaurant in Tokyo
© Axel Schwab

soupe restaurant kaiseki monya tokyo — Soup at Monya kaiseki restaurant
© Axel Schwab

Those who enjoy kamameshi (where a metal pot is used instead of porcelain) will particularly enjoy the crispy rice on the rim. The rice is served with pickled vegetables and red miso soup. If you don't finish the rice, you can use it as onigiri to take away at the end of the meal!

Dessert

The first dessert is matcha pudding topped with sweet Adzuki beans, chopped strawberry jelly and cream. The matcha pudding evokes nostalgic feelings, as it is somewhat reminiscent of the "matcha Bavarian cream" at Kinozen in Kagurazaka; sadly, Kinozen closed its doors forever at the end of September 2022.

The second dessert is a toasted barley flour cake topped with black honey milk.

In the end, with the nine-course kaiseki menu, two drinks, 10% service charge and VAT, the bill comes to 21,417 yen. In Europe, you'd have to pay at least double that for a quality nine-course menu.