OK, complete disclosure: I love Octopus Balls. Now, you may want to know why, so let’s take a trip to find out together:

Octopus Balls in Tokyo!

It all began on my first trip to Tokyo, when I had a day to myself to explore.

I wandered through Tokyo’s Asakusa district, filled with small shops – and lots of places to get street food – and came across this incredible food stand: serving up Octopus in many unique ways: you could get it on a stick and of course, they had my first exposure to “Octopus Balls!”

I ate the Octopus on a stick, which was tender and smoky – and of course I had to try a platter of fried Octopus Balls: here’s what they are – chopped up Octopus, vegetables, spices and other Japanese stuff, mixed into a batter that is then deep-fried, then topped with a creamy asian sauce…Wow! I could eat these balls forever!

Of course, not ALL food in Tokyo is for everyone – because I found these for sale as well:

Yes, these are “Almond Fish!” It’s a popular snack in Tokyo, just one of the many unique items I sampled there. You can see more here:

https://johnrieber.com/2012/12/23/crazy-tokyo-food-coffee-jelly-meat-fish-mix-octopus-bar-almond-fish/

So, I was hooked on Octopus Balls – but what do I do when I’m not in Tokyo?

No worries! Back in LA, I found another place to enjoy Octopus Balls:

Takoyaki! Octopus Balls!

Yes, I found a shop in LA’s Koreatown district that served Octopus Balls as an appetizer…these deep fried Octopus balls came in a delicious mayo with green onions – they were moist, full of great chunks of Octopus, and very filling for an appetizer!

They also served Ramen burgers there as well:

See more of this culinary adventure here:

https://johnrieber.com/2016/02/19/l-a-s-ramen-burger-seaweed-fries-octopus-balls-ramen-burgers-galore/

Finally, a new Ramen shop opened up in Chicago – and guess what they serve?

Miso-Ya Ramen shop in the Streeterville neighborhood has great ramen, delicious fried chicken and yes, Octopus Balls that are served topped with Katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes)!

So there you go: three different cities, three great Octopus Ball dishes…

These guys are stuffed with a lot more than just Octopus, and here is an easy recipe to make them yourself!

http://www.japanesecooking101.com/takoyaki-recipe/

I plan to make these at home, because there are so many reasons for loving Octopus Balls – no apologies, just a happy smile when I finish eating!

Here are some of my favorite street foods:

https://johnrieber.com/2016/01/23/pork-belly-tacos-octopus-balls-bacon-wrapped-hot-dogs-worlds-best-street-food/

Let me know if you’ve had the chance to try these delicious taste treats!

Categories: Art, Books / Media, cookbooks, Exotic Travel, Food, food blog, Food Review, Japan, Los Angeles, Memoirs, Recipes, Restaurants, Tokyo!, Travel, Travel Adventures, Travel Memoir, Wacky Food

Tags: best japanese recipes, best octopus ball recipes, dried bonito flakes recipe, octopus ball recipe, Octopus balls, Seoul, Seoul fish market, Seoul food, Seoul food adventure, seoul karaoke bar, seoul south korea, Seoul street food, Seoul street markets, serious eats, shopping, shopping entertainment, shopping in tokyo, shredded cabbage, soft boiled egg, soup de poisson, South Korea, south korea border, south korea night life, south korean tourism, Tokyo bars, Tokyo Broadcasting, Tokyo buildings, Tokyo cosplay, Tokyo cosplay costumes, tokyo cosplay girls, Tokyo electronics, Tokyo electronics shop, tokyo fashion, Tokyo fast food, Tokyo fish market, Tokyo fish market food, Tokyo food, Tokyo food products, Tokyo food stalls, tokyo girls, Tokyo kit kat store, Tokyo life, tokyo night life, Tokyo nightlife, Tokyo nightlife districts, tokyo nights, tokyo restaurants, Tokyo robot battles..., Tokyo robots, tokyo shinjuku party distrcit, tokyo shinjuku party district, tokyo shopping, Tokyo shopping adventure, tokyo sushi, Tokyo sushi stalls, Tokyo tourism, tokyo tourist attraction, Tokyo travel, tokyo unique food, tokyo unique food products, tokyo vending machines, Tokyo!, Tokyo's best restaurants, Tokyo's Kabuki-Cho district, Tokyo's wackiest restaurants, tourism, tourist destinations, travel, travel adventures, travel documentary, travel food, travel guide, travel journal, travel journals, travel memoir, travel memoirs, travel options, Travel Writer, unique bacon, unique bacon food, unique bacon gifts, unique bacon products, unique bacon recipes, unique bacon uses, unique burgers, unique cities, unique cooking methods, unique food, unique gifts, unique iphone products, unique japan food, unique Japan tourist sites, unique Japanese restaurants, unique ramen burgers, unique recipes, unique restaurants, unique shopping destinations, unique tokyo food, unique Tokyo shopping, unique travel, unique use of ramen, unique vending machine