OK, complete disclosure: I love Octopus Balls. I discovered them in Tokyo a few years ago, and now I will order them whenever they are on the menu – Asian restaurants of course!

What’s A “Takoyaki?”

Well, Octopus balls are a Japanese street food called “takoyaki”, which literally translates to “grilled octopus”. They are bite-sized balls of batter that are cooked in a special mold, filled with octopus, and topped with sauces like a kewpie mayonnaise, and my favorite: very thinly shaved bonito flakes (tuna!)

Here’s what they look like when they arrive at your table:

Now that you’ve seen them, here’s where I discovered them!

Octopus Balls in Tokyo!

It all began on my first trip to Tokyo, when I had a day to myself to explore.

I wandered through Tokyo’s Asakusa district, filled with small shops – and lots of places to get street food – and came across this incredible food stand: serving up Octopus in many unique ways: you could get it on a stick and of course, they had my first exposure to “Octopus Balls!”

I ate the Octopus on a stick, bite size, and it was tender and smoky – so of course I had to try a platter of fried Octopus Balls…Wow! I could eat these balls forever!

Of course, not ALL food in Tokyo is for everyone – because I found these for sale as well:

Yes, these are “Almond Fish!” It’s a popular snack in Tokyo, just one of the many unique items I sampled there. You can see more here:

So, I was hooked on Octopus Balls – but what do I do when I’m not in Tokyo?

No worries! Back in LA, I found another place to enjoy Octopus Balls:

Takoyaki! Octopus Balls!

Yes, I found a shop in LA’s Koreatown district that served Octopus Balls as an appetizer…these deep fried Octopus balls came in a delicious mayo with green onions – they were moist, full of great chunks of Octopus, and very filling for an appetizer!

But this hole in the wall restaurant had another wild surprise for me. They also served Ramen burgers there as well:

Yes, it’s a burger that uses ramen noodles as the bun – and it’s incredible! See more of this culinary adventure here:

Finally, when I lived in Chicago, a new Ramen shop opened up – and guess what they served?

Miso-Ya Ramen shop in the Streeterville neighborhood had great ramen, delicious fried chicken and yes, Octopus Balls that are served topped with Katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes)!

So there you go: three different cities, three great Octopus Ball dishes…to make them at home, you need a special pan for the balls, and a bit of a deft “turning hand” as well:

These guys are stuffed with a lot more than just Octopus, and here is an easy recipe to make them yourself, that includes videos showing how you manipulate them in their mold so they cook on all sides!

http://www.japanesecooking101.com/takoyaki-recipe/

I plan to make these at home, because there are so many reasons for loving Octopus Balls – no apologies, just a happy smile when I finish eating!

They are a classic street food, like what I discovered when I wandered the streets of Seoul South Korea once – I call this “Seoul Food”

Such a vibrant food scene there!

Here are some of my favorite street foods from places I’ve been:

And if you are still thinking about asian cuisine, how about this film about ramen:

These scenes are from the great film “Tampopo” – a film that loves ramen noodles! Click here for recipes from the movie:

When I was doing my “52 In 22” cooking challenge, I made traditional Japanese Pub food, and it led to these photos:

I had a blast cooking this “Izakaya” and you can see how it turned out here:

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Thanks so much for reading and let me know if you love ramen as much as I do! Also, I you enjoy this story please share with your friends on social media!

Let me know if you’ve had a Octopus Balls and what you thought!

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