On Takoyaki

    This is a dish that's inspired by one of my favorite types of Japanese street food. "Takoyaki"which literally translates to grilled octopus in English. Originally created in Osaka, Japan; the ball shaped dumplings are made out of a wheat flour based batter and cooked in a special takoyaki pan (think of a griddle with half circle indentations throughout the surface). The snacks are usually filled with minced or diced octopus, tempura scraps, pickled ginger, and scallions. Once cooked they are brushed with takoyaki sauce (a Japanese style barbecue sauce similar in flavor to worchestire), Japanese mayo, more pickled ginger, and bonito flakes. The variations of takoyaki recipes are endless but they all share the same concept.
     When I lived in New York my wife and I would go to this hole in the wall place called Otafuku, they literally sold just three things on the menu and one of them was takayoki. I would go as far as to say that it's probably the best in New York. The main thing that separates their dumplings from the competition is that they make them to order from scratch. Very often when you go out to Japanese restaurants the takoyaki comes frozen in a bag, needless to say homemade is always better than frozen.
   I really wanted to put takoyaki on the menu at Ulu, but was a bit hesitant because of the labor and technique involved in making it from scratch. I thought about it for a while and I realized that what I love about the dish is not necessarily the dumpling part of it but the flavor combinations of the Japanese mayo, takoyaki sauce, pickled ginger, scallions, and bonito flakes. I opted to serve crispy octopus with traditional takoyaki flavors (crispy octopus "takoyaki style" is how it reads on the menu). I sear my octopus until it's golden brown and crispy and toss it in a bowl with takoyaki sauce and minced pickled ginger. I place my octopus on the plate and garnish it with bonito flakes which have been processed in a coffee grinder until a powder is formed, crispy tempura sprouts, and Japanese mayo.
   The result is a dish that embodies everything I love about the Japanese street food minus all the labor and technique involved in executing the dish properly. Here are some pictures of the final outcome.