Otafuku

It's octopus in dough, that they just turn it into a ball and give it a squirt of teriyaki sauce and some benito flakes. It's beautiful, it's simple, it's five dollars, and it's some of the best food you can get in the city.

Audio OtafukuPhotosImages by Scott Gordon Bleicher. Some rights reserved. Click for more info.

  • Info

  • Address

  • 236 East 9th Street
    between Second & Third Avenues
  • New York
  • NY
  • 10003
  • East Village

  • Contact

  • 212 353 8503

  • Payment Method

  • Cash Only

  • Opening Hours

  • Mon-Fri 1pm-10pm
    Sat-Sun 12pm-11pm

  • Directions

  • 6 to Astor Pl or
    L to First Ave or
    L to Third Ave

  • Features

  • Map

  • Click to view Map

About

There's so many Japanese people living in New York, but there isn't really a Japantown here. There are a couple of blocks over by St. Marks where there are a bunch of Japanese places, but it's not really what you would call Japantown in any other city. But one of those places I really like is Otafuku, a takoyaki stand. It's basically a hole-in-the-wall, it's not very big, but why would it be because all they serve is fried octopus balls. It's octopus in dough, that they just turn it into a ball and give it a squirt of teriyaki sauce and some benito flakes. It's beautiful, it's simple, it's five dollars, and it's some of the best food you can get in the city. It's a grab and go—they don't have any place to sit down except a bench for two people up front. They only serve takoyaki and okonomiyaki. Okonomiyaki is kind of like a Japanese style pancake with a bunch of vegetables and other things. I can't remember the direct translation, but it basically means, cake with bunch of stuff in it. If you get the takoyaki- okonomiyaki special, it's enough for two people. I recently went to Japan and I made sure to stop by Osaka. Their claim to fame is takoyaki and okonomiyaki, so I had a bunch of different vendors' and restaurants' takoyaki and okonomiyaki, and I think that our little New York shop is actually really, really good. You don't have to go to Japan to get good takoyaki.


Print This Post Print This Post
Email to a Friend Email to a Friend


Comments

  1. […] the recommendation of some off the beaten track spots. Some of mine that made it in are: Barcade, Otafuku, the MoMA Design Store, and May Wah. Posted in Appearances, New York | Tagged Greener Gadgets […]

Leave a Comment