Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2019/07/29/five-favorite-street-foods-in.html
…
2 Likes
3 out of 5 of those street foods are not even specialties of Tokyo, but of the less loved but more fun city, Osaka.
Takoyaki,
Yakisoba
and Okonomiyaki
are more closely associated with the Kansai region of Japan which is Southwest of Tokyo. Which includes Osaka, Kyoto and Nara.
My wife is from that region and fiercely proud of those 3 foods. She would slit Great Big Story’s throat for even hinting those are Tokyo specialties.
13 Likes
My favorite street foods in Japan were the takoyaki and grilled squid.
Its time to go back
1 Like
What no rice-a roni?
4 Likes
I like all of these, save for the octopi.
1 Like
The video does give credit to the dishes’ cities of origin. The video also says okonomiyki originated in Hiroshima, which was news to me.
The best okonomiyaki I’ve had was at a summer festival in Kyoto. I still think about it. It was one of the best meals of my life and it probably cost about $8.
7 Likes
I don’t even know how to respond to this, except:
And I’m fondly remembering an office I used to work in. It was a terrible office space, but it was within easy lunchtime walking distance of a Japanese restaurant that specialized in these kinds of “street” dishes. Except the taiyaki. The next office the company moved into was near a place that just did those.
3 Likes
My wife makes okonomiyaki at home. The most obscure ingredient, Nagaimo (slimy mountain yam) is surprisingly easy to find in asian groceries. Its not difficult to make on a non-stick griddle.
3 Likes
O course not, silly. It’s a San Francisco treat!
5 Likes
1 Like
Hiroshima style okononiyaki sometimes comes with yakisoba on top.
Making it possibly the best thing you can eat in Japan after a few beers.
Served like that, it is sometimes referred to as “Hiroshimayaki”, or “Fried Hiroshima”.
3 Likes
Are there tako tacos?
2 Likes
The yam is mixed with flour and cabbage to make a thick pancake-like batter.
2 Likes
Okonomiyaki, Yakisoba and Takoyaki are meant as bar food.
1 Like
I remember reading somewhere online about how people were re-purposing old cake pop makers for takoyaki at home.
"Bring me one of everything. ONE OF EVERYTHING."
1 Like
I knew that - came here to say it’s not a Tokyo speciality. 
Actually, I have a vague memory of there being two main varieties of okonomiyaki, at least one definitely from Hiroshima, but the other could be from Osaka.
Eating okonomiyaki at a tiny counter in Hiroshima is a (happy!) memory I’ll carry to my grave.
2 Likes
Alternatively get a Dutch Poffertjespan, Danish Æbleskiver pan or German Pförtchenpfanne.
1 Like
Grilled squid indeed. I still remember the grilled squid I had in a hon-machi (covered shopping street) in Kyoto one summer day back in 1972.
1 Like
Okonomiyaki in Hiroshima was a special treat indeed.
2 Likes
