Takoyaki Fondue - At "Takost" in Odabe, I decided to stretch my legs a bit. This wonderful place encourages day drinking. It's a takoyaki shop, but the interior feels more like an izakaya. I started with a pint of draft beer. First up was the classic takoyaki - six pieces, hot and crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside. Then, I learned that their specialty seems to be cheese fondue, which comes with vegetables, sausages, and of course, some takoyaki as well. Although there are also cheese-filled takoyaki, so I could kind of guess the flavor. At this point, a glass of white wine sounded perfect. It was my first time eating fondue in midsummer. ● Restaurant Information Takost 092-822-3900 4-4-21 Odabe, Sawara Ward, Fukuoka City

I enjoyed the takoyaki in my previous visit, so I was curious about the all-you-can-eat takoyaki option for 120 minutes and decided to visit again. Since we are a family of three, we were seated in a box seat. It seems that if there are more than six people, a large room can be used. For groups of four to five, we can use the large room for an additional 400 yen. This time, we opted for the "Takopa Course," which includes a 120-minute all-you-can-eat takoyaki! (This comes with a salad, ajillo, and dessert.) You can switch the ajillo to a cheese fondue for 300 yen. For those using the large room, there’s also fried chicken included. The prices are 2200 yen for men and 1500 yen for women. The large room can be used for six or more people, but for four to five people, there’s a 400 yen extra charge. Once the ingredients were prepared, we started cooking. The steps are as follows: 1. Pour in the oil (adding plenty will make the outside crispy). 2. Add the batter (the mixture is made with ingredients sourced from Osaka, resulting in a creamy inside). 3. Add the octopus (you can also use corn, konnyaku, cheese, mochi, or sausage). 4. Add red ginger, green onions, and tempura scraps (less green onion and more tempura scraps are recommended). 5. Wait for it to cook. 6. Once it solidifies, flip it over. 7. When it’s done, place it on a plate and drizzle with sauce and mayonnaise! And it’s ready! Since it takes some time to finish cooking, we ordered some oden while enjoying our drinks. We had daikon, shirataki, deep-fried tofu, and konnyaku. To reduce food waste, they warm the oden after you place your order. That day, they recommended mochi kushi, which seems to vary based on the day. It takes quite a while to cook, but chatting and flipping the takoyaki was so much fun! I managed to make around four batches. The dashi and batter were delicious and steaming hot! While I can make this at home, gathering all the ingredients can be difficult, and the batter is different, so I realized again that eating out is the best choice. I will definitely go back for more takoyaki. Thank you for the meal!

On our way back from Marinoa City, we happened to stop by a restaurant after discovering "Gindaco" (a popular takoyaki chain) at Marinoa and craving takoyaki. We searched for restaurants and found this place, which serves takoyaki along with a variety of drinks and single-item dishes. They also have cheese fondue and ajillo, so we decided to drop by. The restaurant is located along a residential road and is a bit hard to find. I heard later that there is one parking spot behind the restaurant, but there are coin parking lots and a Maxvalu nearby, so those options are safer. The restaurant has been open for about a year. Its exterior and interior resemble a yakitori izakaya. It operates from 11:00 AM to 11:30 PM, so you can stop by anytime. Although my son was asleep, I decided to carry him in. Inside, there are tatami seating, box seating, and counter seating. Since my husband has bad knees, we chose a box seat. The staff kindly offered us some cushions from the tatami area for my son to lie down on. Since it was a Sunday night, we were lucky to be the only guests. I was excited to finally have the long-desired takoyaki, so I eagerly checked the menu. They offer nine types of takoyaki: classic, yuzu ponzu, negi salt, ume natto, cheese mayo, mentaiko mayo, jalapeño, and special takoyaki. You can choose between 6-piece and 8-piece servings, and there are plenty of toppings available, such as shredded nori, yuzu, ume konbu dashi, shiso paste, salty sauce, mentaiko sauce, natto, green onions, cheese, and jalapeño—endless combinations! Aside from takoyaki, there are also single items, salads, bizarrely enough, oatmeal, fried foods, and desserts. But first, I wanted to try the takoyaki, so I ordered the negi salt takoyaki. Then, I was asked how I wanted it cooked—surprisingly, I could choose between "crispy," "fluffy," or "crispy and fluffy." I had never been asked that at a takoyaki place before! The staff, who were from Kansai, said they use flour sourced from Osaka to create the fluffy texture with a gooey center. So, I ordered the base takoyaki in both "crispy" and "fluffy" styles with 6 pieces of each, and for the negi salt, I asked for 8 pieces with a "crispy and fluffy" style. For drinks, I ordered a draft beer for 550 yen and oolong tea for 250 yen. After a bit of waiting, the takoyaki arrived. First, I tried the fluffy takoyaki. It had a texture reminiscent of "Akashiyaki," warm and gooey inside—delicious! Just as I took my first bite, my cold draft beer arrived, and I couldn't help but gulp it down. It was the perfect pairing of takoyaki and beer! Next, I tried the crispy takoyaki, which had a different shape. The outer crust was crispy, with a gooey inside—familiar and comforting. The flavors of bonito flakes and aonori complemented it nicely. Then came the negi salt takoyaki, which had plenty of white hair onions! The combination of crispy and fluffy textures was amazing. It seems everyone has their preference; my husband preferred "crispy," while I liked "crispy and fluffy." It’s fascinating how regional differences can influence how we enjoy takoyaki. I ordered a second beer, which came ice-cold again—perfect! Feeling good, I decided to order more: cheese mentaiko fondue and ajillo with shrimp and octopus, both reasonably priced! Unsurprisingly, the takoyaki-themed dishes were plentiful, including "tako butsu" and a mixed fried octopus platter. Next, the takoyaki yakisoba arrived, topped with a thick sauce—definitely delicious for noodle lovers. My husband commented, "This noodle is really good." The rich sauce paired nicely with the drinks, so I ordered a large bottle of beer. And then, the mentaiko cheese (crispy) takoyaki came, each one generously topped with cheese and mentaiko—so tasty! The ume natto was interesting, served on shiso leaves with plenty of natto and ume paste. Dipping it in ponzu made it refreshing and a perfect fit with the ume paste. It was a novel but delicious experience. I ended up overindulging with the takoyaki, but everything was delightful! This restaurant has taken takoyaki to the next level with its cheese fondue and other dishes. I noticed they have taco party courses that can be reserved, making it a great option for those who find hosting at home cumbersome. With all-you-can-drink options available, it certainly seems like a deal! The only downside is that the location is a bit tricky to find, but it's a place full of intriguing offerings. If it were nearby, I'd definitely be a regular! Everything was fantastic—thank you for the meal! I hope to visit again when I'm in the area.

You can choose between crispy, slightly crispy, or fluffy options. I chose the Negi Shio (green onion salt) and Cheese Mentaiko (spicy cod roe), both priced at 700 yen. Since I was taking it to go this time, I opted for the slightly crispy option. It was still delicious when I got home! There was a family in the restaurant enjoying a takoyaki party while playing video games and reading manga. It seems they also have an all-you-can-eat option at night! Given the location, the prices are a bit on the high side, so that might be a better deal. I might visit the restaurant next time!