Ganso Donaiya

Hot and delicious takoyaki

Takoyaki fans have different preferences and the way a restaurant serves the iconic dish can either create a crowd or scare people away. So, when I say that this is one of my favorite takoyaki spots in Osaka, I'm basing it on my own personal preference for the balls. I like my takoyaki cheap, steaming hot, and with a bit of a crunch on the exterior before I get the creamy battered filling. Ganso Donaiya check all those boxes for me. Their most popular flavor is salt, with a special sauce as next most popular. Personally, I think the salt flavor is perfection and there's a reason why it's so popular. The special sauce is good too, but it's a little too watery for my tastes. After ordering, you can take your food to go, or eat at the restaurant. You're given a tray and have to climb up a bunch of narrow stairs to get to the seating area up top. Depending on the time of day, it can either be completely empty and you'll have the whole place to yourself, or packed and you have to stand and eat. Luckily, I timed it right and got to sit at the only big table in the area. (The other spots are just counter seating.) Two other groups came in while we were eating, so it was starting to get a bit crowded, as there are maybe only about 15 seats in total up there. I had to wait for such a long time for the takoyaki to cool down enough so I could eat it. And, seriously, I pride myself on my ability to eat piping hot foods. It was still steaming (in summer) five minutes after I cut one open to cool it down. The batter spilled out as soon as I did so, which (to me) is the sign of perfectly cooked takoyaki. When I finally got the chance to eat it, I wasn't disappointed. They were so good and the octopus piece was very generous! They were really chewy, too, and I wouldn't be surprised if the recipe called for some mochiko. I finished the whole dish and I was tempted to get more, but ultimately decided against it once everything settled in my stomach. Cheap, delicious, AND filling? What could be better!