Dining Out: Takoyaki Love

A and I LOVE Japanese food. I like to nibble on Takoyaki (Octopus Balls). The best one that I've tasted so far was from Gindaco. It's the only brand that I've tried that uses huge octopus chunks. You get to choose your own toppings also. Most of the ones I've tried are just full of batter. Unfortunately, we were in Hong Kong when I got to taste Gindaco.

I have been going trying Takoyaki Balls here in Manila whenever I get to see one. Biggest let down ever are the ones at the Ayala MRT Station. It's really disgusting of them to use regular mayonnaise instead of Kewpie Mayo (Japanese Mayonnaise). Then again, what would you expect from a cheapo version?

What makes Japanese food so unique is it's taste. Certain ingredients cannot be substituted. Takoyaki uses dashi (cooking stock), shoyu (soy sauce), bonito flakes (fish flakes), and kewpie mayo. With this in mind, I've been going around different Japanese establishments trying out Takoyaki.

from Tokyo Bubble Tea in Bonifacio Global City
Php175 - 8 pcs

from Hana Izakaya in Little Tokyo,
Php120 - 6 pcs

from Nihonbanshi Tei

The Takoyakis in Hana are only cooked by their cook from Osaka. FYI, Takoyaki and Okonomiyaki originated from Osaka. Talk about remaining authentic!

We've also tried the ones in Nihonbanshi Tei in Pasay Road. It's crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. The cheapest authentic ones that I can think of are the ones in New Hatchin Japanese Grocery in Makati. Here's the takoyaki area over at New Hatchin. An order takes about 20 minutes to make, but still worth the wait.