It might not be hard to find great sushi in Tokyo, or a gem of a saki bar, but where would you go for the best okonomiyaki pancakes, takoyaki octopus balls, gold ice-cream or udon noodles?
I’ve eaten the most rarefied meals of my life in Japan, but it’s hard to beat the charms of a £2 portion of takoyaki – fluffy balls of eggy batter studded with boiled octopus, ginger and spring onion – in a polystyrene tray. These are anointed with takoyaki sauce (Japan’s answer to HP) and mayonnaise, then sprinkled with dried pink bonito (skipjack tuna) flakes, which writhe in the heat emanating from the molten core. You spear each ball with a notched cocktail stick and nibble while trying to avoid singing your lips. It’s like eating mouthfuls of octopus-flavoured cloud. Osaka invented them, but you can find them pretty much everywhere in Japan. Among the best are the ones served in Kyoto’s Nishiki Market, where you buy a ticket from a vending machine before placing your order with the cook juggling the golden balls.
MoragR
