[Street Food] - Eggettes & Food on a Stick

Street food is one of the most popular types of food in the Asian countries! 

But what exactly is "street food"?

It's basically ready-to-eat food and drinks that are sold straight from a vendor on the streets or a small shop. Maru Global, the Philly based takoyaki shop, mentioned in the previous post (Click here to read!) is a great example of  a type of street food that can be found in Japan.

Sometimes these street vendors are seen as "hawkers" that aren't suppose to sell because they aren't inspected by the Health Department. Even if the vendors are inspected, some people still associate street food as unhealthy and unsafe food to consume (similar situations with lunch trucks). But, don't worry! The "street foods" this blog is about to introduce are completely safe and inspected by the Health Department!

1st Takoyaki Place in Philly: Maru Global

Takoyaki...what in the world is that?
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?

Welcome to Food for Two~!

Hi there! Thank you for stopping by and checking out my blog.

I recently started this blog for a communication course that I'm currently taking this summer 2011 at Drexel University. This blog focuses on food, from recipes to reviews in Philadelphia and the surrounding area! I will be concentrating on Asian cuisine because I want to show people that there are other types of food besides the mainstream Asian dishes.

What do you mean by "mainstream"?

When I say "mainstream," I'm talking about the Asian dishes that people typically associate a culture with instantly. For example, when you think of Chinese food, fried rice, kung pao chicken and egg rolls come to mind. Another example is sushi and Japan. I'm not saying that these food aren't great, but I want to show that there is more than what meets the eye!