My last meal in Osaka was also my first meal in Osaka.

Takoyaki in its birth place. Flavorful little bombs of hot cooked batter, diced 🐙 chunks, pickled ginger and green onion. YUM!

New item on their menu since I was here last in July. Essentially an egg salad atop takoyaki which is a solid addition. Would I do it again? Maybe? This left me satiated towards the end, but I think I would prefer it to be from the original with red pickled ginger (if they still include it).

Don’t think the extra dollar’s worth of cheese mentaiko topping did much to improve the product overall.

Yesterday’s repast was a bit of an overpriced letdown. Did me a solid by traipsing down to DDD for food that was unlikely to disappoint! Time standing in line to pay: 45 min Time waiting for food prep: 15 min Time to demolish: 5 min *Greater consistency needed wrt ingredients between balls and could do with more beni shoga.

Wow Tako (local) - Just OK Today’s takoyaki from 中山食品 Nakayama Shokuhin - Pretty good. Better than Wow Tako but a pale imitation of Kukuru’s. It was missing that extra oomph of flavor that was present in my first & last meal in Osaka. たこ家道頓堀くくる 本店 Kukuru (in Osaka) - Really good

It’s been almost a year since I had takoyaki in Osaka, or anywhere else for that matter! So it was great to be reunited with something comparable less than a year later and without traveling too far for it. “Drizzled with signature Gindaco sauce, topped with dried green seaweed and dancing bonito flakes,” this was a scrumptious end to the first day of Lunar New Year.

I think there was ponzu (yuzu) in this which made this different than Kukuru’s but they were a little soggy which helped them miss a mark.