Today, I went to the Gin Dako Sakaba for lunch! I heard that the air conditioner inside the restaurant was broken, so there were about 6 electric fans running at full blast! The staff were still cooking takoyaki non-stop! I really admired their hard work! The freshly made takoyaki with green onion was amazing! I will definitely come back for more freshly cooked takoyaki! Thank you for the meal!

I wonder if I'm the only one among the locals who feels like eating takoyaki when in Osaka or Tokyo? During Golden Week, it's tough to find takoyaki due to the busy operations, but after the pandemic, I was able to enjoy beer and highball in a lively restaurant. Unfortunately, they were sold out of the green onion mayo takoyaki.

There was a large sign outside the restaurant advertising Katsu Curry for 650 yen, which seemed like a good deal. However, when I went to pay, I found out that the price was actually before tax, so the total came to 715 yen. The Katsu Curry was good, but I couldn't help feeling a bit disappointed.

- Pub's Cutlet Curry ¥715 tax included Located a short 5-minute walk from Takadanobaba Station on the JR Yamanote Line, this pub serves takoyaki in a less crowded area. I was indecisive about what to eat for lunch on a weekday, and as it started to get busier, I ended up looking like a lunch refugee. That's when I decided to stop by here. I didn't plan on eating takoyaki, but I noticed from the sign outside that they serve cutlet curry for 650 yen (excluding tax). Inside, there were no other customers. Well, it's an izakaya, so I guess evenings are their main business. Later, a Western man who seemed like a tourist walked in. The young part-time staff member could speak English and provided polite service. Of course, I ended up ordering the cutlet curry, and so did the tourist. That was a bit disappointing, maybe. [Cutlet Curry] The appearance was a formed tonkatsu with the curry sauce not showing much of the ingredients. Still, the rice portion was quite generous. Upon tasting it, I was surprised by the lack of distinctive flavor and almost no spiciness in the curry. It felt like a cheaply produced curry sauce straight out of a mass production line. The large cutlet on top for 715 yen including tax is a more reasonable price compared to a bowl of ramen these days, but that's about it. The tourist received excellent customer service, but since they were in Japan, I wish they had the chance to try a more delicious cutlet curry. Thank you for the meal.

Popular Izakaya Takadanobaba Sakaedori store - Takoyaki (8 pieces) 638 yen The familiar Tsukiji Gin Dako. I stopped by after having lunch and enjoyed a snack with simplicity. I ordered simple takoyaki (8 pieces) and ate them with karashi mayonnaise. The outside was crispy and the inside was soft, a consistent taste. Thank you for the meal.

In Takadanobaba, the Western knife shop I always go to for lunch was full, so I wandered around until I saw an empty seat here. Ah, I think I know why there was an empty seat. The pork cutlet from Niigata is quite different - in terms of toughness and taste. The soup is like cafeteria food. It seems to be a part-time job at a takoyaki shop. It's to fill the stomachs of students. Takadanobaba is a student town. Thank you for the meal!

From Takadanobaba Station, enter Sakae Street and it will be on the left side in the middle, a little past Tsukiji Gin-Da-Ko, Shinbashi Uokin, and Tonkatsu Ichiyoshi. I visited for the first time around lunchtime on a weekday. The interior has 8 tables for 2-4 people, and a 4-seat counter, with about 4-5 customers when I went. Many people were buying takoyaki for takeout or delivery. The lunch menu includes pork cutlet curry, vegetable curry, and pork cutlet rice bowl. Takoyaki is ordered separately. I chose the "Pork Cutlet Curry for 715 yen". There is a smoking room with individual partitions and a smoking wall blowing smoke. The curry arrived in about 5 minutes. It came with plenty of seaweed egg soup and potato salad. The pork cutlet was crispy and substantial. The curry was medium spicy, it would have been nice to have sauce on the table. PayPay is accepted for payment. I will come back next time to try the takoyaki.

At 4:00 PM, it was still hot outside and bright. If you're going to eat takoyaki, definitely pair it with a mega highball. Suddenly, I noticed a pigeon walking around the restaurant. Other customers also seemed to be pigeons? Pigeons? Regardless, I decided not to chase them away because I didn't want them to fly off. I quietly watched as the pigeon made its way around the restaurant and eventually left through the entrance. It was a restaurant where pigeons go for a walk (laughs).

I used it for lunch. I was drawn to the "Bar Vegetable Curry" that was advertised as a nostalgic taste. The price was 495 yen including tax, so I didn't have high expectations, but I couldn't completely give up the hope that it might be a curry with a gentle old-fashioned taste. The conclusion is that it was just a very ordinary commercial curry. There was nothing particularly distinctive about the taste. It seems to be popular among students because it is cheap.

On Sunday at 3:00 PM, I had a late lunch after the gym and was craving takoyaki, so I went to Gindaco. It was my first time at this fairly large establishment. There were only two groups of customers ahead of me, so the food was prepared quickly. I ordered a highball, takoyaki, and grilled pork. I had forgotten that at Gindaco, they finish the takoyaki by drizzling oil over the surface to make it crispy. It was still delicious, but the takoyaki heat didn't seem to cool down for a while.

I found a Gin Dako Izakaya at the back of Sakae Street in Takadanobaba. I quickly glanced at the menu after entering the restaurant. It seems that the menu varies from one place to another. As expected, the takoyaki was good. I also tried the shumai, red sausages, and skewers, but they were not very impressive. The red sausages were fried a bit and seemed like a common item you can find anywhere. The recommended shumai was at a level similar to the ones sold in supermarkets. However, I ended up drinking a lot of Jumbo Highballs, and my bill ended up far exceeding the average price for a takoyaki izakaya.

I tried eating it for the first time with the sauce of chopped green onions and grated daikon radish, and it was refreshing and delicious. It was my second stop, so I didn't have high expectations, but it was surprisingly delicious. The outer layer of the Takoyaki from Gin-Dako was quite crispy, which I really liked. I want to eat it regularly. The only downside is that I don't like pickled ginger.

The restaurant seems to be in the form of an izakaya called "Silver Octopus Tavern." The menu is as extensive as a chain izakaya, and they seem to be aiming to move away from just being a takoyaki shop. I had beer and a slightly spicy simmered eggplant as an appetizer. It had a nice izakaya feel to it. Maybe there's nothing special about doing it under the brand of Silver Octopus.

After 9 PM, still thinking about having one more drink. Despite being grateful to the staff, it's already late in these times. I tried to suggest leaving, saying "There are no places open anymore!" but surprisingly, they were still open. Last order at 9:30 PM, only drinks and takoyaki. It was enough. Takoyaki with lots of green onions and mayonnaise. The outside was crispy while the inside was soft and chewy. It was delicious. Thank you to the foreign staff member managing the place alone. She was doing her best.

At the first bar in Takadanobaba, we drank quite a bit of alcohol but didn't eat much, so we moved on to the second bar. We went to Tsukiji Gindako, located in the middle of Sakae Street. It seems to be quite popular as it is always crowded. We ordered the Omikuji Highball, which was a fun experience as we each drew a different color and got some free prizes. The highball tasted great and the size of the jockeys seemed bigger than usual. The appetizer was a bit small for three people, but we didn't mind too much. The negiyaki and yakisoba were delicious, and the tsukubkyu was a nice little snack. We also ordered two types of takoyaki, which had the usual Gindako flavor. The restaurant closes at 11 pm, so after 10:30 pm, it started to feel like the end. Overall, it was a good place for a casual drink and meal, and the price was reasonable, costing less than 2,000 yen per person.

I often go to Takadanobaba with my boyfriend for dates, and recently I discovered a new Gindaco on the main street in front of the station, so we decided to go in. We weren't very hungry, so we ordered the "Octopus Karaage for 380 yen" to snack on while enjoying some chu-hai. The octopus in the karaage was larger and more satisfying than the octopus in takoyaki. The simmered dish that came as a side dish was surprisingly delicious. Since they are open all day, it seems like a good place for daytime drinking.

Today's lunch was on Sakaedori Street. Without a specific restaurant in mind, I decided to explore a new place. I crossed over to Takadanobaba Station and headed to Sakaedori Street. Hmm, I don't remember seeing this restaurant before. I often see Gin Dako Izakaya around lately. It seems they offer lunch sets, with three options all priced at 580 yen each. That's quite a reasonable price for lunch. Although I'm not a fan of their takoyaki, I do like their yakisoba, so I decided to have lunch here. The interior of the restaurant has a street stall vibe, with about seven high counter seats and table seats resembling a street stall. The chairs are red pipe round chairs. I ordered the following set: Yakisoba (half) + Okonomiyaki (half) + Takoyaki (2 pieces) Set: 580 yen (tax included). It arrived on a cute mini plate. The takoyaki was crispy on the outside as usual. The okonomiyaki was okay... a bit too strong on the mayonnaise and sauce. The chunky texture of the ingredients was good. The yakisoba seemed a bit cold, maybe it was pre-made. I could smell a herb-like scent in the sauce. Overall, the price for lunch is very cheap, but in terms of quantity and quality, it's a bit questionable. Visit date: June 11, 2019

Gindako is one of my favorite takoyaki restaurants. The prices may be a bit high, but the food is delicious so I think it's worth going there occasionally. They also serve okonomiyaki, which is another thing I look forward to eating. It's a great new restaurant!

Takoyaki... crispy on the outside... fluffy on the inside... delicious.

Finally had the opportunity to try Gindako for the first time. The classic takoyaki was easy to eat with thick pieces of octopus. The side dishes were all great and perfect for enjoying with a drink. Excellent cost performance. Thank you for the meal!