Takoyaki Yama Chan

Onolicious great tasting Hiroshima okonomiyaki. Have eaten it twice in one week so good.

OMG the if you LOVE Okonomiyaki, This is place to come! Better than nearly all the ones I have had at expensive sit down restaurants.

This is probably the worst Okonomiyaki I’ve ever had! Such a disgrace to the art of Okonomiyaki making. Mine was burnt and had waaaaay to much batter. There was hardly any cabbage. There should be a thin layer of batter on either side of the pancake. Instead, it was one huge American style pancake with cabbage mixed into the batter. I’m so disappointed. I was really looking forward to reliving my childhood favorite snack.

Found an industrial sized STAPLE inside a takoyaki. One free takoyaki ball given for the inconvenience of potentially killing somebody. Next in line please!

You’ll notice in the middle of Shirokiya food court Yama Chan making savory takoyaki, okonomiyaki, and yakisoba
Pros
Takoyaki: Not only do they offer the basic takoyaki but they also offer takoyaki with shrimp, cheese, kimchi or in a soup base. The takoyaki balls are gigantic and the tako was fresh where it was easy to consume. The pancake mix was delicious and they were generous with their takoyaki sauce, Japanese mayonnaise, and bonito flakes.
I would have given this place 5 stars if they served their takoyakis straight from their pancake griddle so that way it would be piping hot and fresh to consume.

So they have these little balls called takoyachi (I think I spelled that right) and they are awesome! I wish I could’ve tried the shrimp but they only had octopus. Still very delicious. I love the little market that it’s located in. They have some really good food and the people are very friendly.

I loved this place! The food was delicious and I loved that you could watch it through the glass. It was awesome! I felt like I was in another world… perhaps Tokyo. The closest I’ll get to Japan for now lol
Each item I got tasted very fresh. It was my first time getting the cheese takoyaki and wow!!! I can’t wait to taste all of the takoyaki options. There is so much to choose from but my fav is the shrimp okonomiyaki.
Portions are big and price isn’t bad either. If I’m in the area… I’m stopping by for sure.
Onolicious!!!

Had the Hiroshima Okonomiyaki. It differs from the regular because it has noodles in it. Because I wanted it freshly made, I had to wait about 12 mins. No problem, I just killed time in the store. It’s a novelty to be able to watch them make the food. I enjoyed my okonomiyaki. It was substantial enough to make me full but not disgustingly so. Next time I might try cheese on mine.

This was my boy friend and I’s first time trying out tako yaki and we decided to come here. We were not disappointed ! Had to get cash at the ATM inside Don Quijote seeing they do not accept credit cards. Man working was very friendly and even gave us one extra piece on our first order. It was so good we ordered a second variety too. Just be careful, they are freshly made and very very hot. Itadakimasu!

Tako means squid! I get it now!
After visiting Don Quixote for my grocery shopping needs, my friend made me try Takoyaki. They’re fried little doughy balls with a squid piece in the middle topped with special creamy sauce and bonito, which are fish flakes. I had no idea what I was eating because I’m adventurous like that and I thought it was fine. Not bad because I love seafood in general, but the texture of the middle of the doughy ball reminded me of half cooked or partially raw dough because it was chewy and squishy which I didn’t love all that much. Oh well. I still give it 4 stars because it’s unique and uncommon in the Bay, very quick, affordable, and I love how you can watch the guy make it through the glass window while he’s rolling the takoyaki with his chopsticks.
Minus 1 star for charging $ 1.25 for the Hawaiian Sun when I can buy a 6-​pack next door for $ 1.90.

Little nuggets of octopus in a squishy batter hush puppy. Octopus is chewy and has very little taste, but the batter is good, as are the toppings. Regular comes with several toppings including mayo, green onions, and bonito flakes.
Good stuff!

Okay… You can’t go wrong with takoyaki and okonomiyaki! Anything drenched in that sauce and mayo is delish. For about 8 dollars you can get a combo bento with 5 piece takoyaki and a mini hiroshima style okonomiyaki (the one with the noodles.) This location is cash only. The location in Shirokiya takes credit card at the registers.

Cheese takoyaki! What a concept. I never would’ve thought to add cheese to these traditional Japanese munchies… but it turns out the combo is OISHIII! =) It’s not fast food, & it’s not the cheapest thing in the food court, but if you’re really craving something different, it’s worth every penny. For $ 5.50, you get 5 BIG takoyaki covered in melted cheese, takoyaki sauce, Japanese mayo & katsuobushi, freshly made right in from of you (through the viewing window). How cool is that? ;D
Behind the counter, I thought the workers could’ve had better communication… one cook tried to serve me a batch of regular takoyaki, & seemed very confused when I said «cheese?» The cashier talked to the cook then apologized & told me it would be 7 minutes… something I would’ve preferred to know before I ordered. =P
Luckily, I wasn’t in huge a rush that day, so I just waited, and they apologized again (in Japanese, while bowing) after they served me. Sigh. Ok, forgiven. =] But if you’re ever there & really in a rush, it would be safest to opt for one of the pre-​packed sets laid out on the counter, just in case.

Unilocal 365 Challenge 2015 #40/​365
When I went to Japan, there was one thing that I could not stop eating: Takoyaki. I literally ate that every day I was there. Takoyaki Yama Chan is actually the same company that serves takoyaki inside Shirokiya.
This is probably the closest you’ll get to having authentic takoyaki from Japan. They make the tako balls right in front of you, as they have their special takoyaki grills behind a window so you can see how it’s really made. Cool!
They have the same prices as their counterpart inside Shirokiya, and I spent under 10 bucks for a 10-​piece takoyaki plate. They also offer okonomiyaki and bentos.
They don’t have a restaurant-​specific area to sit down, as do most of those places in the storefront of Don Quijote, so your seating selection is limited to the public tables in front of the restaurants. Meh. Sometimes there’s a lot of birds, and some homeless people. The tables aren’t super clean either, but none of that is Takoyaki Yama Chan’s fault.
I do wish that they accepted credit cards as well. Places that are «cash only» are such a downer for me, and the only reason I decided to have lunch here was because I happened to have some cash for once.
Takoyaki Yama Chan offers some great, authentic takoyaki if you’re trying to get a fix. Good for a quick lunch, but tread carefully when enjoying these delicious treats, or you might burn every surface of your mouth from the molten goodness inside.

Takoyaki Yama Chan is a food vendor outside of Don Quixote serving up variations of Takoyaki (grilled balls of batter with a piece of octopus inside) and Okonomiyaki (savory pancakes with meat, veggies, and egg). Cooks are constantly working the grills and watching them work is part of the fun and show. When you hear the drum, fresh offerings are ready.
This kind of food is meant to be eaten right away, so grab your takeout and sit at one of the public tables. I tried the Negi-​Mayo-​Ponzu Takoyaki which was loaded with green onions that mayo had been stirred into and dripping with Ponzu. The Takoyaki balls were generous in size and had lots of flavor, though they were pretty wet from all the toppings. I also got the Hiroshima Okonomiyaki with Pork. The pancake was full of noodles with bits of cabbage, bean sprouts, and pork, topped with a fried egg and okonomiyaki sauce. 5 Negi-​Mayo-​Ponzu Takoyaki and a Hiroshima Okonomiyaki cost $ 15.66 and was easy to share. This is a great snack to fuel you up for grocery shopping, check them out the next time you’re in the area.

There’s a glass window as you walk pass you get to see these balls of joy being made. So like any curious person I just needed to try them.
I tied to ask the cashier whAt would be best to order as it would be my first. Communication barrier check… so it must be authentic. Tried the regular they add bonito flakes and furikaki. Deliciousness but beware they are cooked to order so hot creamy center bursts after that first bite.

I didn’t try the takoyaki but I had something called Hiroshima shrimp something. It’s pretty much fried ramen layered with dumpling, eggs, cheese, mayo, noodles and that salty Japanese shaving that mysteriously move on your plate. Forgot the name but it’s used as a topping in sushi and other Japanese dishes. Anyway they usually pre make them ready for pickup but since I don’t like cold foods, I asked them to make me a fresh one like I’m boss lol, and bless their little hearts they did. It was a great mix of salty and savory goodness.

The price might be a little more expensive than the shirokiya location but the taste and friendliness are all consistently great!

Great location!
Just opened up a few days ago at Don Quijote.
This isn’t a sit down place. At least there isn’t any interior seating, although there is usually seating on the benches around the area
They don’t serve only takoyaki. They also serve Okonomiyaki, Yakisoba, and a rare menu item Omurice, which I have only seen served in Japan.
I bought the premade takoyaki since they were closing in 15 minutes, I didn’t have the option of getting an order hot off the grill the way I prefer. It already came with the sauce ponzu mayo and bonito flakes. A few pieces were burned on the outside and it was noticeable.
This place is cash only as of now, although I hope they get a card reader later for convenience.
Service was quick for the most part. I look forward to coming back to try the okonomiyaki and Omurice!

Yes! They have one right next to Don Quixote in the food court area now!
Takoyaki Yama Chan was one of my favorite places to eat in Shirokiya, I’m so happy it’s so much closer to me now. As usual, it’s hot and freshly made takoyaki. Who doesn’t love these octopus balls! Careful, they’re hot!
They are located in the former Red Ribbon Bakeshop spot, right across from the Greek kiosk.
Cash only for now, I’m sure they’re get their CC machine up soon.
Also, they’re at Blaisdell Farmer’s market every Wednesday. Free parking!