Ichiban Takoyaki

Love this little stand for takoyaki! I always buy this every time i go to Marukai. But, be careful when you eat them because they’re served piping hot! The vendor is really nice and his takoyaki really good. If you don’t like fish flakes or want extra sauce, just ask.

Great People! Great Food! Been going their for 3 years!
But Marukai’s new manager is making him leave. T. T please email Marukai saying you don’t want him to be forced away! I know I shop at Marukai because of him.

Delicious! Friendly merchant :) always smile and very tasty takoyaki.

Lucy H. and I were searching for a Beard Papa’s that used to be nearby, but upon realization that it closed, we opted for takoyaki (fried octopus balls) in the mean time. This is a little cart outside of a supermarket and surprisingly, it served the best takoyaki I’ve ever had. Freshly cooked and topped to your heart’s desire! I opted for all toppings (scallions, bonito flakes, Japanese mayo, etc.) because my nickname is «Supreme» and I loved every bite. I think I will always eat hot and steaming takoyaki before some sweet and cooling Beard Papa’s cream puffs from now on. What a balance!

Tastes so good, too bad only open on the weekends. Worth the wait during the week though! The spicy sauce is oh so tasty :)

This place is only open on weekends and is located outside Marukai Market. I visited Ramen Iroha and did not know they had apps. So while my friend ordered ramen, I got the takoyaki.
I bought 6 balls for $ 4. The dude making the takoyaki is super cool. You can choose how much heat you want. The takoyaki had the right amount of tako, cheese and breading. They were piping hot and you had to watch yourself to make sure you didn’t burn your mouth. The takoyaki here is better compared to Ramen Yamadaya and Ebisu close by.

They are now located outside Marukai on the weekends. They’ve been here for a while now, previously at H Mart in Irvine. Apparently the manager at H Mart doesn’t want any outside food vendors there for whatever reason.
I love getting the ebi takoyaki here. We are regulars now and they always hook us up. The couple’s young son is so adorable. He’s got quite an imagination.
So the takoyaki are good sized, two bite for me. You can get a choice of tako, ebi, and now cheese too. I haven’t tried the cheese yet. You’re standard topping of japanese mayo, bonito flakes, seaweed, some tempura batter crunch stuff, and sriracha if you want. Prices are very fair. I usually get 8 pcs and that’s a good sized snack/​small meal for me.
They also have snacks for sale and roasted chestnuts around Xmas time. They got these new fried nori snacks that are very good.

Ever since I’ve moved here for college this has been my absolute favorite place. I’ve had $ 40 sushi and $ 60 buffets but it still doesn’t compare to this little Takoyaki stand. Idk if it’s the cheap prices or good company but I always feel a little happier when ever I eat one of those delicious gooey yummies.
If you never had takoyaki or even know what that is I definitively recommend wandering over this way and let your taste buds enjoy the wonder of these piping hot creations.
Side note, the owner is a fantastic guy! Really nice and always ready to offer a smile.

I finally got my takoyaki craving at ichiban… love their takoyaki, its fresh and they are not stingy with their octopus. i got 6 takoyaki balls for $ 4.25 (
). i think this is the best takoyaki ive had in OC. the price is a bit pricey, but its japanese food. where can you find a cheap japanese food. so in this case, i dont mind…
they also have some chips that they sell along with their takoyaki. they have taro, banana, sweet potato, and some other stuffs i think. its $ 3 each or 2 for $ 5. i got the sweet potato and banana (
). i originally wanted to get taro but the taro was kinda bland. and my brother wanted to get these two. so whatever. u can try these chips before u try.
customer service is awesome and friendly. they have a guy and a girl making the takoyaki. the guy is more nicer and friendly than the girl. but both are really nice people. ill definitely come here again for my takoyaki fix. i even crave for it again as im writing it. lol.
No CC — cash only!

This place is my weekend go-​to, EVERY weekend.
The balls come out fresh and piping hot right off the grill.
Located outside the Marukai Market, they’re easy to spot.
But be careful, these can be a little addicting! I always get 12 octopus every time!
You can also get it crunchy or regular, spicy or no spicy. I always get regular because that’s hot enough for me!
Best part is: they don’t skimp on the sauce and the toppings, which makes it all even better.
Word of caution: check their website before you go. sometimes they might not be there.
If you want LEGIT Japanese street food, this IS the place to go to, fast, cheap and oh so dee-​lee-​see-​oh-​so!

1. These balls are HOT. If not careful, y’all burn your tongues.
2. Spicy sauce compliments the takoyakis well
3. It’s always good to order more than less if there was a line
4. Don’t be ashamed to eat there.
5. Bring water or other beverage along.

Smell those steamy, salty balls? Warm dough? Japanese mayo? That, my friends, is the essence of street food. Cheap, quick, and delicious = the takoyaki stand outside of Marukai’s. Le boyfriend and I shared 12 for $ 8, and it was enough to fill us both (we hadn’t eaten and already had a hardcore workout that morning, if you know what I mean — boo-​yah). Even though we were stuffed as a teddy bear, we craved more just because they were so good! Actually, I regret not buying another 12 to bring home, chikusho!
Eat each steaming hot ball in one bite and I’ll guarantee you’ll be in heaven. They give you a good amount of octopus and the dough is grilled to perfection. They fall off a little bit, but that just means they’re really mushy and gooey inside, yummerz. Ooo, and they give out little free samples of banana chips and chestnuts that you could munch on.
One of the best and cheapest takoyaki places! Sadly, they’re only open on weekends from 11AM to whenever they’re sold out. No worries though, we came at 12PM and there wasn’t any line. So, I’m assuming they’ll be there til at least 4PM, but don’t take my word for it. They come in portable container-​tray things, so you can eat it in Marukai’s food court, where they also have a lollicup, sushi, and pretty dank udon.

WOW BEST TAKOYAKI EVER.
I’ve been in love with takoyaki for years. and whenever I get the chance to try a new place I do. In Irvine now there are two takoyaki places, one that serves only the weekend right at the Hmart entrance on Alton, and the other at the new Mitsuwa market on Culver (Go Squared Takoyaki & Taiyaki, Takoyaki)
The one at the Mitsuwa market is decent but I’d rather have the one from Ichiban.
The owner there is really nice and would answer any questions you have about takoyaki. And you get as much topping as you need. or want. Go Squared is a bit stingy on the toppings.
Price are comparable… but yes it is true the line can be long (it is worth the wait and a crowd is usually a good sign, right?)
Anyway to avoid drooling over those golden piece of deliciousness, just order what you want, get what you need from Hmart and here they are waiting for you when you are done shopping.

Ok the takoyaki is pretty good BUT oh my gosh the wait was horrible. Came here early on Sunday and had to wait 10 minutes for them to make it. I would recommend you get the tako (octopus) and not the shrimp.
Last warning: let it cool– these will burn your tongue!!!

If you’ve ever watched an animé or read a manga that involves some sort of festival, they almost inevitably include gorgeous illustrations of takoyaki. Though my animé/​manga-​consuming days are mostly behind me now, I still have always wanted to try takoyaki. Are they fishballs? Are they sweet? Savory?
For certain, they are DELICIOUS. Wonderful fluffy spheres of batter with a bit of octopus inside and slathered with a savory sauce, Japanese mayo, green onions, seaweed, and bonito flakes.
Ichiban Takoyaki is a teeny little food stand located inside H-​mart in the produce section, manned by a very friendly couple who obviously have very high standards for their product. They make both shrimp and octopus takoyaki, and even though I thought it tasted awesome, the woman working there apologized that this particular week their octopus wasn’t of the same quality that they normally use because of some sort of last minute mixup and assured me that the next week’s octopus balls would be much better.
Prices are very reasonable. I got 6 balls for $ 4.50. I assume it’s cash only because I didn’t see credit card machine anywhere around the stand. One star off for only being open on the weekends and friday nights; where am I going to get my cheap takoyaki fix during the week?

Pure deliciousness. I’ve visited 3 times in the past couple months. 1^st time, I bought 4. 2^nd time, I bought 6. And this last time??? I bought 8 and quickly returned for another 8. I just can’t get enough!
Not only is the food wonderfully tasty, the service is outstanding! The man making them was pleasant and so helpful.
Next time, we’re getting 12 of them for sure. :) YUM!

What is it about balls that are so good it’s almost worth burning my tongue for? Creamy batter enclosing bits of octopus or shrimp, outside is «pan”-fried to a nice crisp crunch, topped with savory sauce, mayo, green onions, seaweed, and fish flakes. The perfect bite!
It’s so cool to watch them cook these balls with what looks like flathead screw drivers…

Located inside H-​Mart at the Diamond Plaza in Irvine, this is a small Japanese street food cart serving up little balls of win and happiness for your mouth.
Each ball is made of batter, tempura and your choice of either shrimp, octopus or veggies in the center. Topped with fish flakes, their own house blend sauce, seaweed flakes, mayo and green onions, each bite is a saucy and savory.
You can custom make your order to any number of different balls. I tried 3 Octopus and 3 Shrimp. All were delicious.
If you’re ever in the area, I highly recommend trying this place. It’s a unique snack that you wont find anywhere else!

Who doesn’t love octopus balls? Takoyaki are one of my favorite street foods right alongside luo mi fan from Taiwan and currywurst/​pommes frites from Germany. Fluffy yet creamy seasoned batter surrounding chewy octopus bits, all topped with a drizzle of Japanese mayo, a savory Worcestershire sauce, seaweed powder, spring onions, and dried katsuobushi. Dee-​lish.
First off, the prices were affordable here; I got 4 balls for $ 3. The flavor was yummy, though I would’ve preferred a little less katsuobushi on mine. Of course, the takoyaki weren’t nearly as good as what you’d get in Japan, but for a miniature food stand in a Korean grocery store, this was as good as it was going to get.
To be honest, I thought the texture wasn’t as smooth as what I’ve had elsewhere around the OC (e.g., Mitsuwa sometimes has a pretty good takoyaki shop come to its store on the weekends), so I give the takoyaki here 3 stars.
However, the lady who made the takoyaki was such a sweetheart. You know how sometimes you meet someone random and you just get a positive vibe from them? She was so attentive and even let me sample some of the side snacks she was selling (dried sweetened taro chips, banana chips). 5 stars for her good customer service.
It’s good to know that I have a cheap nearby option for whenever I’m craving takoyaki. Too bad it’s only on the weekends!

Oh Takoyaki… you’re got me addicted with your hotness. Seeing you there dressed in your seaweed, coated nicely with lots of sauce and mayo and then to finish off your style, you are topped with lots of fish flakes. How can I say no? Get in my mouth!
For a snack: Takoyaki (12pcs)
Thoughts: The temperature? Check! It’s served right off the grill for freshness. The sauce and mayo is visible? Check! I got mine drenched in the takoyaki sauce and a reasonable amount of mayo. Fish Flakes and seaweed? Oh yes… it’s on there and now in my stomach! Oh yes, there’s even green onions for that little extra kick.
For Service: The lady who made our batch was so nice. I asked for extra sauce because I like mine drowning in flavor. And she gladly accommodated my request. The previous customer asked for sauce on the side and hot sauce all over and I watched as she did exactly what was requested for the friendly convenience of the customer.
Overall Determination: I like this place. It’s located outside of Marukai and I have no idea what their hours are. It would be nice if there was a sign up stating clearly so people know when to find them. All I know is they are there on Sundays when I stop by for my munchies around 3pm.