Tanota Takoyaki

Always love this booth at most of the festival places that they go to. I have to get my hands on them. I’ve always get the original takoyaki. At the Cherry Blossom festival in Huntington, I finally tries something new. Maybe cause of their pictures menu that attracts me to try something new since mostly it’s just words on the sign at other festival events lol got to make people drool with those images, right? Cause I know I sure did lol
Anyway, this time I’ve tried the Wasabi Takoyaki, which is topped with wasabi mayo, Tanota sauce, wasabi flake, and seaweed on the takoyaki and Mentaiko Takoyaki, topped with spicy caviar sauce, seaweed, and green onion. I was in a rush that I’ve forgot to tell them that they forgot to put the seaweed on my Mentaiko Takoyaki and I kept forgetting to check-​in on here for the Free drink just cause I’m too happy to have some takoyaki lol I need to remember to do that next time. Both of these are delicious !! Oishi !!
Tip: I’ve notice that they’re all original takoyaki, only with different sauce and topping. Also, their menu changes at different events as well.

Always see this name pop up at night markets and there is always suuuuuuuuuuuch a loooooooooooong line and I don’t know why I always wait. The Takoyaki is average at best. Since the line is always so long, they make them so fast its always super soggy and soft with a tiny piece of octopus in the middle, a few sauces on top and a handful of bonito flakes. I guess its aite for night market food… Also, don’t burn your tongue!

I love this place. It’s on Sawtelle until the end of March so I hope everyone can have some amazing Takoyaki before they leave. Kaori was the best she made me and and my husband amazing Takoyaki. I highly recommend the Wasabi and Mentai Takoyaki :)

Absolutely amazing Takoyaki. I have to disagree with a lot of reviews before. The service is great and have a great staff. They are very friendly and welcoming. The Takoyaki is very flavorful. The inside is hot so please don’t put the entire ball in your mouth right away. Remember it is made fresh and from scratch.
If you tried Takoyaki at a Japanese restaurant please do not expect it to taste the same. Theirs are frozen and are deep fried and that makes them crunchy.
This is one of the closet flavors you will get to Takoyaki to the ones in Japan.
Hopes this helps and good eating.
P.s.
The lady named Kaori is amazing. If she makes your Takoyaki you will be amazed by her Takoyaki making skills.

Whenever I go to a night market, these takoyaki balls are a must get for me. They’re delicious and so addicting. They come in around 7 pieces per order. Though many places sell it, I think this one is the best takoyaki place and though there are several flavors, I like the original one.

I tried this out at its booth in Asian American Expo on the last night, and I was so excited! I love takoyaki, but it’s hard to find good ones in LA. There are so many places that want to sell it (even ten ren’s sells it…) but not everyone knows how to make it or they skimp out on the octopus and give you lots of fried batter.
I was even more excited because I lined up for this baby near the end of the expo, so there were no lines! At first, I was just going to get the original takoyaki with kewpie mayo and the works, but they had so many options to choose from. I couldn’t resist but to choose ponzu. Ponzu is a light citrus soy sauce that I absolutely love. I didn’t know how it would be with takoyaki, but I decided to give it a shot.
It was $ 6 for 6 pieces… not exactly wallet-​friendly. I also read other reviews and the pricing seems to be all over the place! As for the ponzu takoyaki, it was… average. As much as I love ponzu sauce, it just doesn’t work well with Takoyaki. I think it would just taste better which a richer and heavier sauce. Something with more flavor. The ponzu sauce soaks into the takoyaki and makes it soggy, so personally I wouldn’t recommend it.
The takoyaki itself, sauce disregarded, was a bit on the softer side. There wasn’t much of a crisp to it, but there were generous amounts of octopus which earned this place a whole other star! I love being able to actually taste the octopus and chew it. What’s the point of having these delectable octopus snack bites if the octopus just disappears into the batter?
Overall, the takoyaki itself was pretty good. I believe I just chose the wrong sauce. I’m excited to come back and try the original takoyaki!

I’ve been fortunate enough to eat tanota’s takoyaki at two different events that they’ve had there stand set up. Having never experienced takoyaki before. I must say there takoyaki is trully one of the best things i’ve ever eaten. They have made me a complete fan of takoyaki. Since then I’ve gone to a couple of other restaurants but have come to realize tanota is by far serving takoyaki on another level than other places. I would highly recommend tanota if you get the chance.

Whenever I go to events like Nisei Week, I always make sure to look out for their food truck/​stand. Personally, I think these are the most appetizing and have the most taste and seasoning. I tend to order Takoyaki from various places (restaurants, vendors, etc) and they tend to always be a little disappointing. Something that I really like about this place is that they actually have taste that’s pretty worthwhile. I’ll have to admit that there isn’t as much Takoyaki nowadays than when I had first had some (it’s been a while oops) but the seasoning usually helps me get over that. As for the kind that I order, I usually am a fan for their original flavor/​recipe, but their jalapeño wasn’t too bad (wasn’t strong enough for my taste to be honest) when I ordered it. I also agree with some of the other reviews about how the Takoyaki deflates a little and I’ll have to agree with that. Usually, when I go to pick them up to eat, they deflate a little… but the same thing tends to happens every time I eat Takoyaki that had been freshly made (otherwise tends to taste a little weird). ⁵⁄₅ from me though because I have yet to experience and taste Takoyaki that’s actually worth my money from anywhere else.

this is the best takoyaki you can get in L.A. for $ 6 8 pcs. it’s way cheaper than going to OSAKA Japan and for the people with negative reviews they don’t really know what’s «TAKOYAKI».

I wonder why many Japanese restaurants in Little Tokyo & West LA do not accept a credit card. Is it a typical Japanese business?

After craving takoyaki for a week and losing all hope I’d ever catch the Tanota Takoyaki truck I suddenly found myself in line today for takoyaki at the OC japan fair. It took me three minutes to realize I was in like for TANOTA! Anyways reading the reviews I had an idea of what to get (original flavor) but what bummed me out was instead of 8balls for $ 5 it was 7 for $ 6.50. Also there was a 50cent charge for green onions and mayo but when i went up to the window to pay the total only came out to $ 6.50 so I’m assuming despite the sign toppings are free (!!!) after letting it cool for a bit i shoved the whole ball into my mouth. Unlike other reviewers, I actually enjoy the soft mushy doughy texture of the ball. Also in each ball i got a sizable piece of octopus within. I really enjoyed the balls but my complaint would be regarding the price increase :(

I disagree with many negative reviews here. I want to ask those people «Have you eaten Takoyaki in Osaka?» They probably never had REAL takoyaki in their life.
Some people like eating Takoyaki at the restaurants because they serve «Crispy.» The reason their Takoyaki is crispy because the restaurant is too lazy to make it from scratch. They buy frozen Takoyaki and just deep fry them. They don’t even have Takoyaki pans at their restaurants.
If you can’t taste Dashi in Tanota’s, don’t eat it. I prefer shorter line to buy my Takoyaki anyway.
Anyway, I have been to Osaka many times and ate from different Takoyaki shops there, Tanota’s Takoyaki is highest quality we can eat in CA. They shouldn’t change anything just because some people don’t know what they are talking about.

If you love seafood appetizers, then takoyaki is something you should try. It’s hard to find good takoyaki anywhere. The only place I’ve found so far is in Little Tokyo where they sell red bean pastries. But this place takes takoyaki to the next level. They offer all kinds of different flavors such as original, jalapeño, and ponzu. I tried them both original and ponzu and they tasted excellent. Takoyaki is basically octopus placed in a soft moist batter that turns it into a round dumpling. It’s no wonder why there was a long line of people waiting to order their takoyaki. This place is definitely worth it.

I got an order of mentaiko takoyaki at the Yokocho Ramen festival, mentaiko flavor. It was $ 6 for 8 pieces.
First, I asked specifically for bonito and kewpie on mine; there was no bonito. The mentaiko flavor was there but totally not worth an extra dollar for what was effectively, a sprinkle.
The balls were very lightly crisp on the outside, gooey on the inside. Good seafood flavor, I could really taste the dashi. However, I had ZERO octopus chunks in my takoyaki. Not even tiny ones. I cut open two of them for a dissection and found nothing.
I’m giving them three stars because the flavor was still okay. But I’m still somewhat disappointed.

Flavor isn’t bad. Just undercooked, average takoyaki

Their balls could have been good. It was just too large of a crowd for them to push out good quality food at the 626 night market. We waited quite a while for piping hot takoyaki, but they served us the batch that was rushed and undercooked. Plus, the ponzu balls is just regular balls with a small container of sauce on the side. For an extra dollar, I thought it was some extra flavor worked into the balls, not a half ounce of sauce on the side.

I love takoyaki. Unfortunately, it can be difficult to find a local place that serves good takoyaki. I had the fortune of trying this at the Asian American Expo. 8 pieces for $ 5 — not bad at all! Plus, it was really fast.
What I liked: the original takoyaki had very large chunks of seafood. Other places where I have had takoyaki, only give you small seafood chunks. The only thing that was strange was how soft the takoyaki was. I understand that they are making it very fast, but it was difficult to enjoy the texture as it literally melted. I still enjoyed it.

I love takoyaki! I tried the jalapeño ones and they were delicious! Hot and gooey with a little bit of a spicy kick. I wish they had been more spicy but enjoyable nonetheless.
$ 5 for 8 pieces!
Warning:
They’re really HOT. I burned the roof of my mouth because I didn’t want to wait for them to cool down.

Takoyaki so gooey and delicious they reminded me of Osaka. YUMMMM

There’s hot dogs now too! Definitely get the combo. For $ 8, you get to choose a hot dog, 4 takoyaki, and a drink!
For the hot dog, the Osaka Dog is definitely the way to go. The hot dogs here are sorta like Japadog, famous in Vancouver and now in NY. Who could’ve guessed Japanese inspired toppings on hot dogs would be so perfect? For the Osaka Dog, tomato, onion, bonito flakes, seaweed, and Japanese mayo top a pork hot dog on a soft bun. The flavors is much lighter than a normal hot dog and it goes perfect with the takoyaki. There’s not much in terms of selection for the hot dogs, but I was a huge fan of Japadog, and this is the closest option for me, for now: P
As for the takoyaki, it came with 4, and I’ve tried the original and the ponzu. The original is way better than the ponzu. I was expect a much more acidic and stronger flavored dipping sauce for the ponzu but it was quite weak. Just go with the classic and you can’t go wrong.
With the combo, it also comes with a drink. Ramune? Calpico? Green tea? I’m think I’m more partial to Calpico!
They are around the South Bay area on Mondays & Fridays at the Pacific Marukai in Gardena for now. Also at the Nijiya in Torrance on Thursdays!

Super disappointed with the takoyaki they had to offer :(I was really excited to see them at the OC DinDinaGoGo but they were unprepared and the takoyaki was not impressive at all.
Takoyaki takes a few minutes to prepare since they have to flip it around and wait for the outside to crisp a little. I ordered something at a different truck and was probably away for 10 minutes when I came back to find that they ran out of ingredients. WHAT?! They have only been open for no more than 20 minutes at the time and they all ready ran out of batter to everyone’s disappointment. I was able to nab the last 4 takoyaki but the lady who worked there wasn’t even willing to give a deal on them, as they were the last 4 and weren’t even fresh D: so I paid $ 2.50 for 4 very unappetizing pieces of takoyaki.
The sauce, toppings and presentation were all cute and dandy, but the takoyaki itself did not live up to it’s looks. The outside wasn’t crispy enough and when I bit into it, it was too mushy and the batter was still a little runny. I felt like I was just eating a weird thing of octopus soup in weird batter.
If you want to try takoyaki, you’re better off ordering it at Japanese restaurant. Don’t ruin your first takoyaki experience here!

Mmmm hot, oozing octopus balls.
I get takoyaki from the Tanota Truck whenever I see it on Sawtelle. I always have to wait a few minutes because they make the takoyaki right in front of you. The takoyaki is drizzled with takoyaki sauce, mayonnaise, and green onions. Inside the balls are big pieces of diced octopus. Be careful because it is HOT and I’ve burnt my tongue many times from being too impatient. The takoyaki is very savory and tasty. The outer shell is lightly crispy while the uncooked batter, juices, and sauces ooze from the takoyaki balls as you bit into it.
It is delicious and at 8 balls for $ 5, it is not a bad deal at all. My friends and I usually run to Nijiya market and grab a few Asahi beers while we are waiting for the takoyaki. Itadakimasuuu~

I love Takoyaki!!!
So I was thrilled when I saw this truck outside of Marukai in Torrance.
The price was right and there were couple different types of takoyaki’s you can choose from — original, ponzu, japaleno, and some special shrimp.
I decided to try the original, as it was my first time with the Takoyaki truck, and I… LOVE…IT!!! It was FAST. HOT. FRESH. & YUMMY.
Although I do have to say that the batter was cooked slightly mushy & they could have added more octopus and the goodies inside, come on… It’s from a truck/​cart! And… I can honestly say that while it’s not at it’s BEST (especially compared to OG ones from Japan, but it was better than some of the Japanese restaurants’ Takoyaki in the states.
I would totally go back for some more whenever I see the truck ;D

Ugh. Even though it’s $ 5 for a set of eight takoyaki, I consider still consider it to be a rip-​off.
Then again, I’ve had takoyaki in Japan, with impossibly perfect texture and huge pieces of tako (octopus) in each takoyaki… so this review might be a little biased.
Right after I paid, I noticed that the chef was starting to water down the takoyaki batter… c’mon! And then I knew I wouldn’t be writing a shining review for the Tanota truck.
It took a little while for it to cook, which is understandable, but after our order was done, the lady who is in charge of adorning the takoyaki with sauces, mayo, scallions, etc., suddenly ran off.
It took some time before the cook realized that she wasn’t doing her job, so he quickly squirted and sprinkled on all the toppings and called out the orders.
Not going to lie, at first sight, the takoyaki really does look delicious. But after my first bite, I realized it was far from the best takoyaki I’ve had. It was too soft, the tako was so small, and it was not what I was expecting.
I’m giving this rating because I know the Takoyaki Tanota truck could do much, much better and I was very disappointed. We’ll see if I give it another chance…

Yum! This place is cheap and delicious. I’ve been meaning to try it for the past couple of months, but they don’t come to Sawtelle that often.
I’ve mostly had takoyaki from either restaurants or Japanese grocery stores (I know, I know), and the texture of these were completely different, although from what I’ve read from the other reviews, this might have to do more with the owners. I have had takoyaki from food stands in Little Tokyo, and the takoyaki was more solid. Here it’s extremely soft and gooey. The outside is slightly crispy, but really it reminds me of a salty molten liquid cake (like a lava cake, but not with chocolate – forgive my abysmal descriptive skills.) I definitely had to eat it with a fork rather than the usual toothpicks.
But mmm, it was so good! 8 piping hot soft molten savory balls of deliciousness for $ 5, topped with scallions and bonita flakes, add ponzu for an extra 50 cents. Definitely be careful not to burn your tongue. They also offer 12 for $ 7.50 and so on – very reasonably priced! The balls were pretty big as well. ;) Sizable octopus chunks, the largest I’ve ever had. Generous sauces as well which makes me happy. There’s usually a short line, but it moves quickly, and the workers are super friendly and helpful too.
They also offer a cheese & mochi (instead of octopus) special sometimes. Although I’m sure it’s tasty, since the batter is basically liquid, I think it would be too much gooeyness for my taste. The octopus grounds the texture well, and I think I’ll stick with original. =) Get ponzu if you’d like a sour twist.
For Sawtelle, there’s always plenty of other food trucks around if you want something else. Parking around Sawtelle is pretty convenient. If you come at off-​peak hours, you can snag a spot in the lots, and if not, I’ve always been able to find parking in the residential areas. Orrrrrr, you can flaunt your baller-​ness and do the unnecessary valet in the evenings.
Hands down the best takoyaki I’ve ever had!

Lesson learned: Never get a takoyaki to go, it tasted better while it’s HOT!
I got 8pcs for $ 5 with Tanota Specials for toppings. Funny thing was I didn’t know if this was gonna be good or bad, but while I was waiting, there were a couple of ppl that ordered 16pcs at once. One girl even changed the order from 12 to 16.
I really liked the texture, yes it’s a bit gooey and I liked it that way. It’s pretty much up to par with some takoyaki I had at the restaurant and the price was not bad. The line wasn’t long yesterday, thank God. I would definitely get them again when they’re making a stop at Sawtelle.