Ryogoku Kokugikan, geiko in Mukojima, Edo faceting, and the Tokyo Sky Tree that was born last year. These all remind me of...well, Sumida City. Located in the eastern part of Tokyo, Sumida is a warm and chic town full of downtown atmosphere that makes you feel nostalgic. A stroll in Sumida-ku is definitely fun, isn't it? Teyandenyi.

I heard that there is a taiyaki with octopus dumplings in Sumida Ward. What, the ingredient is takoyaki? You mean it has takoyaki in it instead of octopus? What's that, I'm curious!

The En-Eat editorial staff at ...... is always curious to find out what it is. We decided to go and check it out. It's quite a gem!


Arrival at Towboat


We took the Keisei Line and arrived at Tikibune. We went to the restaurant we wanted to go to, "Takoyaki Konkon". We entered the Kirakira Tachibana shopping arcade, looking at the big Sky Tree from the side. This shopping arcade has a nice retro smell, which makes the stroll a little easier. As we made our way to the middle of the shopping arcade, we found it! Takoyaki Konkon!



I found a takoyaki konkon!

Oh~, the store is so nostalgic! I love this kind of feeling, don't you? Around the counter are takoyaki and taiyaki menus. There seems to be quite a variety of takoyaki sauces, so it will be fun to think about what to order.



I almost forgot what I came here for, but what I want to order today is takotaiyaki, takoyaki with octopus balls in it. I thought to myself, "Do they really put takoyaki in their taiyaki? I thought to myself, but decided to order it right away.

How do you make takotaiyaki?

First, the dough is poured into the taiyaki mold. This is normal. Then, add cabbage. ...Hm? Cabbage, ts...? And then, just when you think you've stabbed the takoyaki in the takoyaki mold next to the taiyaki mold with a pick, it goes straight into the batter! Wow, he really put it in!




The baker's sister deftly pours sauce and mayonnaise over the takoyaki, which have risen completely out of the dough. What do you do with this...it's going to stick out...? I was thinking, "What am I going to do with this...it's going to stick out...? Oh, my God, the takoyaki will be crushed! I thought, "Oh no, the takoyaki will be crushed!" But I baked it a little to finish, and the takoyaki was completed.



I tried it.

It looks like a perfectly ordinary taiyaki. The skin is crispy and the thickness is normal. It is hard to believe that there is a takoyaki inside, but there is. Well, the cabbage sticking out of the taiyaki's belly is just for fun.


The aroma of the savory sauce is very appetizing. When I crack open the hot taiyaki, I find a takoyaki! There's a takoyaki in it! I couldn't help but giggle. The impact of the powdery substance in the takoyaki is quite impressive.



When you bite into a hot piece of taiyaki, your mouth will be filled with the delicious taste of octopus with just the right amount of crunch and the savory flavor of the sauce. The takoyaki skin, softened by the sauce and broth absorbed into the takoyaki, goes well with the crispy skin of the takoyaki.

The takoyaki is freshly baked at the restaurant, so the takoyaki is naturally certified to be delicious. The taiyaki dough is not sweet, so it matches well with side dishes. These are quite tasty!

They even have taiyaki with natto!

At Takoyaki Konkon, there are other varieties of taiyaki, or so we hear. This store has a wonderful menu item called "Half & Half" where you can enjoy two different taiyakis with one taiyaki. A bargain! Looking at the lineup, among the ingredients such as anko (red bean paste) and ham and mayo, I found the word "natto". Oh, this, as a natto fan, I can't help but eat it!

Since I'm a poor person, I also ordered half and half natto and cheese. I thought kimchi would be good too, but my little girl power whispered to me, "Don't do that...," so I decided to be cute and go with cheese.

The natto is taken out of the refrigerator, a little soy sauce is added, and then the mixture is stirred. It is kneaded quite well. The natto became sticky and in the dough! Wow...natto is in the dough...! Cheese is added and the dough is baked to perfection.




...but the natto is sticking out of the top of my head! I wondered if it smelled like natto. I cracked open the hot taiyaki, and yes, sorry, the smell of natto was wafting out with the steam. Natto's smell increases when it is heated.... But the double stringiness of cheese and natto is a nice touch.


As for the taste, the mildness of the cheese and the deliciousness of the natto are exquisite, and they go so well together! Delicious! I was impressed by myself. The soy sauce, not the sauce, is also a savory match. I was told by a customer who was just in the restaurant that fermented foods are good for your health when cooked together. Isn't that perfect?

Why did you make "taiyaki with octopus" in the first place?

After enjoying the taiyaki, I asked him why he made taiyaki with takoyaki in the first place. I asked him. The order was placed at a baseball team's party, and one of the players' mothers, thinking of a way to give the children who wanted to eat both taiyaki and takoyaki within their budget, said, "Yes, let's have them cook taiyaki with takoyaki as a filling! This is when she asked the restaurant to make taikoyaki.

The plan was to make it a one-time event, but when the children came to buy it, she felt bad that it was not available, so she made it a regular item on the menu. The tako taiyaki has now become a specialty of the menu, but there was an episode like this! Nice idea by the mother.

During the interview, many regular customers came to buy takoyaki and taiyaki, and while chatting happily with the store owner, she also asked me, during the interview, "Is it good? I was also asked if the takoyaki were tasty. This kind of thing makes me happy, doesn't it? The personality of the lady, the atmosphere of the shopping street, and the warmth of the people made me stay at the store for a long time.


The most interesting food in Sumida

En-En-Koku has decided to recognize "Tako-Taiyaki" as the most interesting food in Sumida. If you live in Sumida City and know of more interesting food, please let us know! If you know of a more interesting food in Sumida, please let us know. If the restaurant gives us permission to interview them, we will go and eat it!