Monjiro

As of August 2007, this place was remodeled and under new ownership. It is now called Shin Yakitori.
Pooled about a dozen or so Unilocalers here for Izakaya. It was a lovely time with friends new and old and lots and lots of Kirin interrupted by lots and lots of meat.
Wild Boar
Lamb
Alligator
Deer
Chicken (various sauces)
Chicken (various parts — heart, liver, cartilage, etc.)
Vegetables (various)
Pork wrapped asparagus
Scallops
Shrimp
Garlic
Green Onions
Onion Sprouts
And much much more.
We ate all of the Wild Boar and they had to restock. I returned here a couple days later with a friend for a meeting and they were still out. haha. It’s just THAT good.
Separate menu items ordered and loved were:
Sauteed Spinach with Garlic
Croquette (double ordered)
Not so loved but still enjoyed:
Kimchee with Pork
I think we ordered something else but the Croquette and Spinach were just amazing. A definite table favourite and a personal favourite.
I was sad when this place closed down for 4 months, but they’re open now! Time to eat!!!

Alright this place took me by surprised only because I expected the «usual Japanese food» But this place is as authentic as it gets. The boar, buffalo, and lamb were my favorites of the night. I didn’t even believe I became as adventurous to try giblets, alligator, and even deer (yes I ate Bambi and proud of it). Nothing says like a great night out with Unilocalers, and with the stories and side conversations abundant.
With the continuous flow of beer. That’s what made this place such a great night. The service was excellent, the place is well kept, and the food was worth the price. So if your tired of your usual «Chicken Katsu» stroll on by to get a delicious treat of exotic Japanese Grilled Cusine.

I like me some game, so it was a real treat to find out that Monjiro has alligator, wild boar, deer, buffalo, and lamb yakitori! Unfortunately they were out of lamb the night we went, but we had everything else, and it was great. I especially liked the wild boar yakitori. The yakitori choices were extensive, so we really enjoyed the variety. They have the usual selection of chicken parts (liked the liver and gizzard, but I’ve had much better hearts elsewhere), chicken meat, and assorted pork-​wrapped vegetables, as well as a nice selection of other vegetables (my first time with gingko nut yakitori, and the garlic cloves were fantastic) and assorted other meats and seafood. The salmon and scallop yakitori was quite nice as well. We have a way of consuming huge quantities of yakitori, so it was great to be able to gorge ourselves here. The selection of small dishes was very small, but we did enjoy the garlic spinach and the croquet. All in all I prefer Shinsengumi’s yakitori and Kappo Honda’s small dishes, but this was a very enjoyable dinner, and it was nice to try something new in terms of the game meat. It was also our pleasure to eat in such good company, especially Christine L. who was able to wolf down as much yakitori as me and Vince.
The place was quite small and not very busy. I almost felt guilty that our table was so loud and rowdy, but the staff didn’t seem to mind and took good care of us.
Overall, not bad!
P. S. I forgot to mention, this place has the cleanest, most immaculate, sparkling restroom of just about any place I can think of, complete with mouthwash and other amenities. An unexpected but pleasant surprise.

Excellent!
My first Izakaya experience, with thanks to Yuki for guiding me through. It’s small plates, like dim sum with Japanese dishes. There was a lot I was not interested in eating, like wild boar and chicken skin… although our table consumed so much wild boar that they ran out! And the chicken skin was a big hit too, so what do I know. Anyway, I enjoyed pork-​wrapped asparagus, grilled shrimp & scallops, and — off the menu, per Yuki’s suggestions: spinach with garlic & potato/​pumpkin croquettes. Everything was DELICIOUS, served sizzling hot. The meat skewers were grilled across the room from our table, in view.
I had my first Kirin beer and it was the best beer I have had in my life, my very long life…*sigh*…
Monjiro is a tiny place, not crowded on our Tues. evening visit, but I was told on weekends the line goes out the door and around the plaza where the restaurant is located. Parking is easy — Monjiro is in a strip mall off Hawthorne, easy to find.
The staff was friendly and accommodating, and all waved goodbye to me when I left. It was a delightful experience for me and I will definitely go back. Thanks, Yuki, for introducing me to this wonderful spot in my own ‘hood!

I went in with such high expectations. Afterall, we were on a ROLL that day. Just spoke to someone about Yakitori Taisho (NYC) the week before, wrote a lil blurb about izakayas in Chicago the nite before. Figured: hitting a quaint yakitori joint right before Sushi Ken doesn’t get more perfect.
WRONG. It looked the part, the name said its piece. Doesn’t take much to run a yakitori; skewer the meat, put it on the grill, bring it out. Keep the cold beer flowing.
Out of the 10 skewers we ordered, 2 went missing. The rice ball never came and the croquettes came ¾ way into our meal. I was blistering pissed. I had a date with Sushi Ken peoples. Who the heck do you think are? 45 minutes to eat 7 skewers of yakitori? Are you joking? There are much better yakitori joints in the S. Bay. You can have your cool inter-​racial teenage hostess back.