Takoyaki, where are you?

[Lane]

If anyone has been to Japan or New York's 9th Street, you must know my feelings if you too have experienced the explosive taste of the Japanese snack food, Takoyaki, or octopus balls.

I have moved to LA, and been here 3 years, dreaming every day of when i will reunite with my gooey and savory fried ball garnished w/ mayonaisse, eel sauce, dried bonito, and love.

Does anyone have a find in LA or nearby for some takoyaki or its good bedfellow, okanoma-yaki, the japanese pancake/omelette?

[WTW]

Alas, my answer is too little too late.

Last Saturday, the Mitsuwa Market in Torrance had an indoor food festival which included a takoyaki stand. The line was very long.

I'm not a fan so I can't say how good they were. But Mitsuwa has a variety of festivals throughout the year.

[jschyun]

Yeah, they had this at the Mitsuwa in Costa Mesa as well. It ended on Monday. I got some other items but not the takoyaki. Fun exhibition though.

[janmas]

I too have longed for takoyaki....

I did enjoy the takoyaki stand at Mitsuwa in Torrance... but the stand was short lived... Its no longer there. It wasn't even up for a year....

[rabo encendido]

Mmmmmm. Takoyaki. Oishi-desu!

Believe it or not, the quickie food counter in the Little Tokyo Mitsuwa Market makes some damned nice takoyaki, garnished as you describe (slightly lacking in the "love" dept., but good nonetheless).

Food counter is in the southeastern tip of big supermarket.

Mitsuwa Marketplace
[phone]
333 S Alameda St
Los Angeles, CA 90013

I've had a hard time finding good okonomiyaki.

[elmomonster]

They put takoyaki into some of the bento boxes they sell at Mitsuwa. I think they also sell it by themselves too. I like 'em, but no mayo as far as I can tell.

See pictures I took of Mitsuwa's takoyaki here:

Link: http://elmomonster.blogspot.com/2005/...

[janmas]

I tried Okonomiyaki once - Yum!... there's one in Torrance along Lomita Blvd close to Crenshaw... I believe its in the corner of Pennsylvania and Lomita... small Japanese restaurant - you can't miss it by the large crowd waiting outside at night... I think its called Gaja

[kelvlam]

That's right, it's Gaja. sort of off-topic, but whenever I mentioned Gaja a few other also suggestsed Tombo as well.

[MixyG]

Gaja in Torrance has a great variety of okonomiyaki -- generally, you make it yourself on a grill built into the table but you can also have the staff prepare it for you. They have instructions if you're unsure about how to make it. The okonomiyaki I like there are pork & kimchi, basic pork and cheese & mochi okonomiyaki.

On occasion, I've made my own okonomiyaki at home. It's very easy.

As for takoyaki, I haven't had any in LA that come close to comparing to the ones I had in Japan. There's a woman who makes them on weekends (I don't know if she still does) inside the Nijiya Market on Sawtelle and Olympic. I also remember seeing a takoyaki stand set up last summer in a Chinese shopping center in Rowland Heights (south of 10 Fwy at Fullerton).

Link: http://www.gajaokonomiyaki.com/ehome.htm

[oli]

The woman (and her daughter) still shows up at Nijiya market on Sawtelle every Saturday and Sunday. Don't go too late! I think they leave somewhere around 4-6pm. They make little cakes with custard/curry/red bean fillings too. Quality is just ok. I miss Takoyaki Gen (which closed quite some years back) in Little Tokyo.

[WTW]

Um... I believe you're talking about taiyaki (which I MUCH prefer over takoyaki).

Taiyaki ROCKS.

[Dommy]

Yes, I went to Gaja today and it was loads of fun, but no Takoyaki... :( They have Okonomiyaki with Octopus, but I missed my little balls of hot tenticles.... And yes, I did just type that and no, I'm not drunk... ;)

--Dommy!

[Professor Salt]

In Orange County, Honda Ya has this on their menu. They do a pretty good job, too. I imagine that other izakaya type places (as opposed to your more common sushi / noodle joints) in LA will have it too.

[dill]

For Takoyaki:

There is a little place on Valley in San Gabriel called KK's that specializes in takoyaki. They were great when they first opened, but I have noticed a slight decline in them lately, notably the amount of octopus meat in the balls.

KK's House
818 E. Valley Blvd.
San Gabriel
626.573.4588

In addition to Mitsuwa, you can also find them at Nijiya Market on the weekends.

Nijiya Market
2130 Sawtelle Blvd.

For Okonomiyaki:

You may try the following:

Tombo
2106 Artesia Blvd
Torrance
310.324.5190

Gaja Japanese Restaurant
2383 Lomita Blvd # 102
Lomita
310.534.0153
http://www.gajaokonomiyaki.com/ehome.htm

Both are fine, but I prefer Gaja.

[eecue]

Tombo and Gaja are both on my okonomiyaki list... I have only eaten okonomiyaki once since I was in Japan (other than the homemade kind) and it was only so so, plus I didn't get to make it.. it was at one of the little mini restuarants in Mitsuwa in Torrance.

[rameniac]

tombo, gaja, certain izakayas, frozen ones from the j markets that you can make yourself at home, those are pretty much your choices... UNLESS you go to a mitsuwa food fest, in which case it's probably gindako, a popular takoyaki chain from osaka. word is that they're trying to expand into the U.S., so shouldn't be long before takoyaki is available on every street corner next to mickey d's and booger king (well, that might be stretching it a bit lol)

[FOODCORE]

I believe the place you're talking about in NY is Otafuku on Sullivan. I loved loved loved that place and had totally forgotten about it until reading your post. Please let me know if you find a place that is comparable or at least passable as I'm now craving takoyaki, thank you very much!

Incidentally, I should mention the reviews of the takoyaki at Ebisu in Fountain Valley sounded promising:

http://www.chowhound.com/topics/32133...

[kelvlam]

Every one of Genki Living (Irvine, Rowland Height, Arcadia, etc) all have Takoyaki. But... I won't eat theirs... *yuck* would be my comment , compare to those I had in Japan. The non-Japanese-food fanatic though, find they are good...

Also, Foo Foo Tei the noodle shop in Hacienda Height have it too. It's pretty good there I would say. Not the one in Monterey Park though... (and the two Foo Foo Tei are not related!!!)