It's a popular ball-shaped dumpling that's typically filled with octopus. It originated in Japan as a street food sold by vendors, and now it can be found in Philadelphia!
Chef Ryo Igarashi, the owner and head chef at Maru Global is the first to bring takoyaki to Philly. He is a Tokyo native, and came to America with the dream of opening up a family restaurant to share the wonderful homemade Japanese food he grew up eating. He took his dream and turned it into what Maru Global is today! A relaxed atmosphere with nice soothing jazz music playing in the background, and where the food is made with a modern twist.
A twist? Does that mean its not traditional food?
Yes, Chef Igarashi gives his food a "twist", but he still serves the authentic version of these dishes. For example, the original takoyaki with the octopus filling (the #1 customer favorite!) is still served, but he takes the basic takoyaki recipe and apply it to new ingredients to create new unique dishes such as his popular chocolate dessert takoyaki!
So...where did he get this idea to make a non-traditional takoyaki that's a dessert?!?
Well, in Japan, people can purchase their own personal takoyaki grill (Want to purchase yours? Click here.). They bring it out during parties and create their own takoyaki by putting anything in there, such as cheese, chocolate, chicken, and whatever their heart desires. So, Chef Igarashi thought: If you can make it, why not? The concept is the same, the grill is the same, it's just the batter and fillings are different! So, why not?
Besides takoyaki, you can also find other homemade Japanese food at Maru Global, such as:
- Okonomoyaki - a Japanese styled crepe made with cabbage
- Yakisoba - stir fried ramen noodles with cabbage, onion, carrot, bean sprouts, ao nori and red ginger in a tonkatsu sauce
- Katsu - a chicken cutlet made with tonkatsu sauce and served with rice and mixed veggies
- Gyudon - hormone free beef or chicken with onions in a sweet broth of soy, mirin and homemade dashi over rice
They use local and organic ingredients where possible and they have plenty of veggie-friendly and vegan dishes! The prices of the dishes range from $5 to $18, and it all depends on how large a portion you order. The best deals are during lunch time where you can get a meal for about $5-7. It comes with an entree, miso soup or house salad with ginger carrot, and a choice of either soda, water or tea. Then, there are weekly specials, such as the Thai Banana dessert takoyaki selling for $5 during the week I visited. Click here for their full menu: Maru Global Menu
Check out my video to learn more about how to make takoyaki, starring Chef Igarashi:
255 S. 10th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107
www.maruglobal.com
267-273-0567
Opened everyday from 11:30 - 8PM, except Sundays.
No comments:
Post a Comment