Takishita restaurant and Homemade Takoyakis

Today I decided to go to a nice fish restaurant called Takisihta in the morning and to make homemade Takoyakis (balls filled with octopus) for dinner.

Takishita grilled fish restaurant

In Roppongi area close to the Azabu-juban 麻布十番 subway station, I discovered one of the nicest fish restaurant I’ve been at for the price. The restaurant it’s called Takishita and it’s specialised in Japanese traditional style grilled fish. It’s very popular on weekdays lunchtime. If you want to try it you rather be early or either wait on the queue.

Takishita – 麻布十番2-1-11, 小島ビル 1F – http://4sq.com/bcMLFo

Takoyaki (たこ焼き or 蛸焼)

Nothing more delicious that the takoyakis, they are one of my favourite Japanese snacks.

What are the Takoyakis?

The takoyakis are ball shaped snacks made of a wheat based dough or batter (similar to french béchamel) and cooked in a special molded pan. They are filled with diced bits of octopus (たこ), tenkasu (crunchy bits of deep fried flour), pickled ginger and leek or green onion.

Takoyaki balls once fried and while still warm are topped with: takoyaki sauce (similar to Worcestershire sauce), mayonnaise and then sprinkled with dry green laver (aonori) and bonito flakes (katsuobushi).

Its  fun to make them at home and they are a great way of socialise while cooking with friends or family.

The green laver (aonori) it’s a type of green edible seaweed. The bonito flakes (katsuobushi) are dried, fermented, and smoked skipjack tuna. The flakes are so thin that when the takoyakis are topped with them they move like if they were dancing. This gives the feeling they are something that it’s alive. It’s so funny to see the reaction of persons that have never seen them before, because as they see them moving they think they are worms or some kind of unknown life form 🙂