Otafuku: Dis Osaka?
I got out of studio early today, which is a VERY VERY rare occurrence, so I decided to make the most of it by going out to eat. Not sure of what I wanted, I consulted my Want To Bites list and decided on Otafuku, known for their takoyaki.
The snack originates from Osaka, Japan. These little batter balls filled with octopus are quite delicious, and quite the delicacy in NY. I had ran into a westernized version of these at Smorgasburg, but I don't think any other filling could replace the texture octopus provides for this dish. I haven't been to Osaka personally, but I've been to Nara which is pretty close. It was there that I ate my fill of takoyaki, and basically every other dish that starts or ends with yaki (to fry or to grill).
This is the outside of Otafuku, the little snack shop that I thought would be a sit down restaurant. It's actually a small hole in the wall, and the only seating there is the small bench the two couples are occupying.
A shot of the interior.
The process of making takoyaki.
The toppings for these balls are delicious. That's what she said. But seriously, the toppings are super authentic from the copious amounts of Katsuobushi (dried fermented and smoked skipjack tuna), to the sweet takoyaki sauce (sort of like a mix between BBQ and Worcestershire sauce), to the Japanese mayo, to the bits of seaweed crumbled on top. It's 5 bucks for 6 balls, but I got combo B which is 9 bucks and comes with Okonomiyaki (a Japanese pancake).
I thought the takoyaki was great, but to be honest I didn't really care for the okonomiyaki. I got the pork topping which was two massive strips of bacon (pretty traditional), but it also came with shredded pickled ginger (which is traditional of the Osaka-style okonomiyaki), which I didn't like at all. But points for authenticity, this is probably the place to go for japanese snack foods. They also serve Taiyaki, which I really wanted to get, but couldn't because we already had dessert plans. Next time Otafuku...next time.
After Otafuku, we went one block over to St. Marks and straight t Spot Dessert Bar. Usually there is a line that leads out the door and up the stairs, but on a weekday night like today it was pretty mild. The small dessert shop is tucked away below a flight of stairs, as you can see from the photo of the exterior.
I ordered the Green Tearamisu, which is, as you would expect, a Green Tea Tiramisu. They describe it as: matcha green tea essence, green tea madeleine sponge, shaved white chocolate-green tea. I would describe it as ERMEHGERD SO GOOD NOM NOM NOM NOM NOM. The texture was spot on, and I the replacement of ladyfingers (traditional tiramisu) with green tea madeleines is so appropriate because you get the same texture, but with green tea flavor. It was soft, delicate, and not overly sweet.
Maybe it's the architecture/art history geekiness in me, but I particularly liked the presentation of the dish. It comes in a wooden box that is finger jointed together, reminiscent of Japanese joinery and plays into th wabi-sabi aesthetic most Japanese tea ceremonies go for. Bonus points for catering to my geekiness.
I also ordered a Thai Iced Coffee. Here's a scaled comparison of the two.
I finished it...like a boss.