It seems that the Phils has been caught w/ Takoyaki fever! The previously unknown Japanese snack is making it’s presence known as takoyaki stalls started to sprout inside mall food courts.
I’m hooked on those little octopus balls ever since I tasted Samurai food’s takoyaki back in the 90′s inside Harrison Plaza’s food court. They weren’t known as takoyaki yet but “Samurai balls” (*snicker* hehe).
Takoyaki is like what fishball is to us Pinoys. Local takoyaki is very much different from “original” takoyaki. Yes they’re made from a flour batter and cabbage but what we have here doesn’t have that “surprise octopus” center. Local stalls use squid instead probably to make it more palatable to our tastes. Much to my surprise also is that local takoyaki stalls introduced a variety of sauces including sweet and sour which may actually derived from sweet and sour fishball sauce. Still, other outlets offer “sprinkles” like pork or shrimp bits which is unlike its original counterpart that is.
Still takoyaki is one of my favorite comfort foods, and I’m just glad it’s here. I hope that these octopus balls will outlast its fad food status.
