Takoyaki Museum! Odaiba Tokyo / Japan Travel Vlog

Let's compare takoyaki at the Takoyaki Museum! Hi, I'm Samurai Junjiro, born and raised in Japan. In this video, I'll introduce you to the Takoyaki Museum, a collection of popular takoyaki restaurants all in one place. It's been a popular tourist attraction ever since it opened in 2010. We'll compare five takoyaki restaurants, including some of the most common and unusual ones. Now, let's get started! This time, we are heading to Odaiba, Tokyo. Here we are! Odaiba, facing the sea, is one of the most popular tourist spots in Tokyo and is crowded with couples and other visitors. You can also come here by train. The nearest station to our destination is Daiba Station. It takes about five minutes from the station to get to our destination. It's Decks Tokyo Beach, home to the Takoyaki Museum I'm going to introduce today. It's one of the most popular commercial complexes in Odaiba with so many stores. There's also the ever-popular indoor amusement park, Joypolis. The Takoyaki Museum is located on the fourth floor. The entire fourth floor has a retro atmosphere that makes you feel like you are in old Japan. You can enjoy just walking around. You can also take a photo with the face panel. The size of my face didn't fit. Let's go eat Takoyaki then! This is the Takoyaki Museum we are going to introduce today. There are five Takoyaki restaurants here, including the one where Takoyaki originated and the one where you have to wait in line. I recommend coming on weekdays because it gets crowded on weekends. Today, I'd like to compare Takoyaki from all five restaurants. They have English brochures so you can choose a restaurant with confidence. Let's go buy some Takoyaki then! First up is Aizuya. It's a restaurant that originated in Takoyaki, which was founded in 1933. Takoyaki, which is baked right in front of you, has a nice aroma and looks very delicious. There are various types of Takoyaki, but this time I chose a set of three types of Takoyaki. It also comes with a drink, so it's a great deal. The Takoyaki at this restaurant is small enough to be picked up by hand and eaten in one bite. Let's start with the classic Takoyaki. The classic Takoyaki is made with bonito soup stock and soy sauce, so you don't need to put anything on it. It's simple but slightly sweet, just like a candy. It's crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside. It's Takoyaki with a gentle soup stock. Let's try this Takoyaki next. It's similar to the Takoyaki we just had, but it's called a Radioyaki. Let's crack it open and take a look inside. There's sweetened beef tendon and konnyaku inside. It's sweeter than a regular Takoyaki. The texture of konnyaku is a nice accent. Let's try the next Takoyaki. This Takoyaki has tartar sauce and green onions. The texture and spiciness of the green onion is a nice accent. The tartar sauce is creamy and makes the Takoyaki even tastier. It's a Takoyaki that you can't really taste anywhere else. Now, let's go to the next restaurant. The second one I'd like to introduce is Dotonbori Kukuru. It's a popular restaurant with a history of over 30 years in Osaka, the home of Takoyaki. I'd go for the classic Takoyaki at this restaurant. Top it with dried bonito flakes and green laver and it's done. Let's eat! It's classic Takoyaki I've seen a lot and it looks so good. The Takoyaki at this restaurant is finished with a little white wine, which gives it a fruity taste. Smells great with the sweet sauce and mayonnaise. The size is a little big. Inside the Takoyaki are green onions, red ginger and fried butter bits. The octopus is also cut into large pieces. The octopus and green onions have a nice texture. I recommend this Takoyaki to anyone who wants a classic Takoyaki. Let's go to the next one. The third one is this restaurant, Yamachan. They make the soup stock for Takoyaki every morning from 4am. The Takoyaki is also delicious but this time let's try Akashiyaki, which is similar to Takoyaki. You can eat it hot because they bake after the order is placed. It's done. This is Akashiyaki. It has more eggs than the classic Takoyaki so it's very soft. Actually, this Akashiyaki is eaten with soup stock. It has a nice scent of dried bonito flakes. Dip this Akashiyaki into the soup stock and eat. The soup stock is soaked to the inside and it's juicy. The dough and the soup stock have a nice subtle sweetness and gentle taste. The ingredients are just octopus and it's very simple. The dough is soft and creamy. It's recommended for those who like a refreshing taste. Let's go to the next restaurant. The fourth restaurant I'd like to introduce is Juhachiban. The Takoyaki in this shop has plenty of fried batter bits and shrimp powder in the dough. This time let's try the Takoyaki with lots of green onions. I decided on Takoyaki that you can enjoy two kinds of flavors. You can slightly smell the shrimp. First, I'll eat the mayonnaise covered Takoyaki dipped in ponzu. The crisp seedless flavor in soy sauce flavored ponzu goes perfectly with the Takoyaki. The green onions are a nice accent. I love how the mayonnaise and ponzu go together. Next, let's try this one. This Takoyaki has a salt sauce on top of the green onions. The garlic in this Takoyaki gives it a nice aroma. The crunchy texture of the fried batter bits is so addictive. The octopus is huge. I've never had Takoyaki with salt sauce before but it was even better than I expected. Well then, let's move on to the next restaurant. Last but not least, I'd like to introduce you to Imotako. It's a popular restaurant that came from Osaka, the home of Takoyaki in 2012. Let's try some of the more unusual Takoyaki at this restaurant. The Takoyaki set comes with two different kinds of Takoyaki. One with cheese and the other with a half boiled egg on top. It's nice to be able to enjoy two flavors at once. Let's start with the Takoyaki with cheese on top. The cheese is melted and creamy. It's rich cheddar cheese. It goes so well with the mayonnaise. The most elastic and firm texture of Takoyaki I've had today. The octopus is huge too. This Takoyaki is irresistible for cheese lovers. Now let's try the Takoyaki with an egg on top. I'm going to crack open an egg and mix it into the Takoyaki. That's about it. The half boiled egg is so creamy and delicious. I love how the sauce and mayonnaise go together. The chicken soup stock added to the dough gives it a rich flavor. I can taste the ginger flavor too. This is addictive. The Takoyaki museum was a lot of fun because you could try so many different kinds of Takoyaki in one place. If there's a dish you'd like to try or a place you'd like me to introduce, please let me know in the comments. Well, that's it for today. See you in the next video.