Small mom and pop store with some very good takoyaki! There's no seating space, so you would have to eat outside the restaurant, but it's worth the visit if you are uptown! I used to come here all the time when it was still back at Middlefield.
Maria J.
My younger brother who is a huge fan of authentic Japanese food had a late night craving and found the restaurant online. To save time, we called the restaurant and placed our order. We ordered okonomiyaki (Japanese pancake) with pork and yakisoba (fried noodles) with pork. The lady on the phone let us know that we can pick up our order after thirty minutes. It was a bit difficult to find as its name is not written in English. I had to double check the address to verify that it was the restaurant that we placed our order from. When I entered, a lady came out from the back and greeted me. I've informed her that I was there to pick up an order. She brought it out and I paid for the order with my card (which I liked because it's still Covid). She wished me a good evening and I wished her the same. We (my brother and I) really enjoyed the okonomiyaki- it was a good balance of flour, vegetables, and pork. The portion size was generous, it was a very large pancake that was as large as the takeout container! The yakisoba was good, although we didn't enjoy it as much as the okonomiyaki. We liked that it was not too salty like the other Japanese restaurants. However, the noodles were a bit dry. The portion size was also generous, it was a good balance of noodles, vegetables, and pork. Other than the food, we also appreciated how she poked small holes on top of the foam takeout containers to let the steam out (so that food don't become soggy). If you want to support local and taste authentic Japanese food at an affordable price, give this place a try! Tip: -Call the restaurant and place your order to save time (you'll save 30 minutes or more!) :D
Claire Hoon
Honestly the takoyaki looked pretty unappetizing with how burnt and small the balls looked. The octopus filling was also tiny. However they were pretty tasty - the flour was flavorful and the octopus was cooked well. I just wish they added more mayo and seasoning!
B Rey
One of the best Japanese restos for takeout I’ve ever tried. Looking forward to ordering the takoyaki & katsu again! Worth the price
T&B
Mom and Pop authentic Japanese take out shop. We enjoyed 3/4 dishes that we ordered, our Okonomiyaki was too burnt for our liking.Would have ordered more but couldn't see the menu clearly online. I'll upload new pics for you.?
Claudine Lee
This place was recommended by a friend for their okonomiyaki and takoyaki so naturally, I bought both. I got the half and half combo which is a pretty decent deal for the amount of food. The order took about twenty minutes (which is what the lady said) because it's made fresh every time.1) TakoyakiI'm sad because I didn't quite enjoy this as much and I like takoyaki. I would try it again though and see if maybe it was just a bad day for takoyaki. I found the dough to be a bit too thick, and the flavour I was looking for was not there.2) OkonomiyakiOkay, I get why this place is recommended for this dish because it was so good. Even though I finished the tako first and the oko wasn't as hot anymore, it was still delish! I asked for the mayo on the side and they gave plenty. I found myself regretting getting half, I would definitely get a full portion next time.3) Curry KatsuI actually got this on a different day but wanted to leave a review for it. This one took fifteen minutes. The portion was very generous for the price (curry katsu is usually almost twenty dollars ). I think the curry sauce had veggies (and maybe meat chunks) in it. I enjoyed this one and actually finished the meal all by myself!Overall, I think this place is a must try and their dishes outside of street food are also worth it.
Emily Shiu
Tiny store yet with nice comfort food. Tried the curry, teriyaki udon, deep fried chicken is very yummy. The lady is very courteous and responsible. We keep going back to this nice store.
Larry L.
We went to this restaurant specifically for okonomiyaki. From searches on Yelp, they seem to have the most authentic one around. One thing that can't be ignored about this place is the parking situation. Parking on the street in front of this restaurant is very limited plus there are several other popular restaurants on this street making parking an awful experience. I would suggest parking on Yonge and walking a few minutes. That being said, I was able to find parking just a few doors from this Naniwa-Taro. The restaurant itself is very small and is a Mom-and-Pop type business. When we placed our order, they said it would take at least 30 minutes as they were had a lot of orders and advised us that we should call ahead next time. Our order was ready after 40 minutes of waiting. So, now to the okonomiyaki, the reason why we fought for parking and waited 40 minutes for our food. We ordered the three types of okonomiyaki offered, the Okonomiyaki (I guess this is the original, the Modanyaki and the Yoshoku. Each one had either shrimp, squid, or pork, although I'm not sure which meat option we ordered with each now. Each Okonomiyaki was good, although they were a mushier and had more noodles than expected, but I assume this is authentic. We also ordered the Takoyaki which had smaller than expected pieces of octopus. Overall, the food seemed authentic and homemade, and the service was friendly and helpful. The do get very busy and struggle with keeping up with the orders, so I would recommend calling ahead to place your order.
Daniel Canada
My friends tried 3 different Japanese curry dishes: omelet-rice, shrimp, and donkatsu. And it was ok. It is a value proposition. No separate veges included with the dishes. Curry was mild and kid-friendly. Omelet rice was quite unique and pretty good but there were a bit more ginger than I liked. Donkatsu was well cooked but it was quite thin. Prep time took a little longer than expected. If the price was lower around $9. It would be fantastic value, but i would not recommend them at the price.
Master iOqY
Authentic Japanese made to order. Home cooked comfort food style. Tiny take out spot only. No sushi, just cooked stuff. Still savoury. Excellent Japanese mayo. Was dissapointed that the lettuce underneath my katsu was old. Didn't make us sick or anything but it was browning. The katsu was still good though.
Its a small local shop with many menu items. I liked their noodle dishes over rice
Daniel Olshansky
Absolutely amazing!Very cheap, generous portions, tastes delicious and really feels simple and authentic.The squid pancake and takiyaki balls are something I’ll come back for many times.
nismosrt
My go-to for authentic Japanese food. Small mom and pop shop who, in my opinion, have the best tasting takoyaki in the city. Their okonomiyaki will not disappoint! Perfect ratio of batter to fillings and sauce.Must try for authentic Japanese food!
Rajeev Ajmani
Service BAD, the food WORSE! I should've known better when I saw the restaurants next door overflowing but not a soul in Naniwa-Taro. Stay away from this hole in the wall.
Kaushik Sankaranarayanan
The food here is always on point & delicious.I ordered the Okonomiyaki (w/ Pork) & Green Onion Takoyaki and it always blows my mind. The stuff here tastes as good as the ones I've had in Osaka.Meccha Oishi!
Small mom and pop store with some very good takoyaki! There's no seating space, so you would have to eat outside the restaurant, but it's worth the visit if you are uptown! I used to come here all the time when it was still back at Middlefield.
My younger brother who is a huge fan of authentic Japanese food had a late night craving and found the restaurant online. To save time, we called the restaurant and placed our order. We ordered okonomiyaki (Japanese pancake) with pork and yakisoba (fried noodles) with pork. The lady on the phone let us know that we can pick up our order after thirty minutes. It was a bit difficult to find as its name is not written in English. I had to double check the address to verify that it was the restaurant that we placed our order from. When I entered, a lady came out from the back and greeted me. I've informed her that I was there to pick up an order. She brought it out and I paid for the order with my card (which I liked because it's still Covid). She wished me a good evening and I wished her the same. We (my brother and I) really enjoyed the okonomiyaki- it was a good balance of flour, vegetables, and pork. The portion size was generous, it was a very large pancake that was as large as the takeout container! The yakisoba was good, although we didn't enjoy it as much as the okonomiyaki. We liked that it was not too salty like the other Japanese restaurants. However, the noodles were a bit dry. The portion size was also generous, it was a good balance of noodles, vegetables, and pork. Other than the food, we also appreciated how she poked small holes on top of the foam takeout containers to let the steam out (so that food don't become soggy). If you want to support local and taste authentic Japanese food at an affordable price, give this place a try! Tip: -Call the restaurant and place your order to save time (you'll save 30 minutes or more!) :D
Honestly the takoyaki looked pretty unappetizing with how burnt and small the balls looked. The octopus filling was also tiny. However they were pretty tasty - the flour was flavorful and the octopus was cooked well. I just wish they added more mayo and seasoning!
One of the best Japanese restos for takeout I’ve ever tried. Looking forward to ordering the takoyaki & katsu again! Worth the price
Mom and Pop authentic Japanese take out shop. We enjoyed 3/4 dishes that we ordered, our Okonomiyaki was too burnt for our liking.Would have ordered more but couldn't see the menu clearly online. I'll upload new pics for you.?
This place was recommended by a friend for their okonomiyaki and takoyaki so naturally, I bought both. I got the half and half combo which is a pretty decent deal for the amount of food. The order took about twenty minutes (which is what the lady said) because it's made fresh every time.1) TakoyakiI'm sad because I didn't quite enjoy this as much and I like takoyaki. I would try it again though and see if maybe it was just a bad day for takoyaki. I found the dough to be a bit too thick, and the flavour I was looking for was not there.2) OkonomiyakiOkay, I get why this place is recommended for this dish because it was so good. Even though I finished the tako first and the oko wasn't as hot anymore, it was still delish! I asked for the mayo on the side and they gave plenty. I found myself regretting getting half, I would definitely get a full portion next time.3) Curry KatsuI actually got this on a different day but wanted to leave a review for it. This one took fifteen minutes. The portion was very generous for the price (curry katsu is usually almost twenty dollars ). I think the curry sauce had veggies (and maybe meat chunks) in it. I enjoyed this one and actually finished the meal all by myself!Overall, I think this place is a must try and their dishes outside of street food are also worth it.
Tiny store yet with nice comfort food. Tried the curry, teriyaki udon, deep fried chicken is very yummy. The lady is very courteous and responsible. We keep going back to this nice store.
We went to this restaurant specifically for okonomiyaki. From searches on Yelp, they seem to have the most authentic one around. One thing that can't be ignored about this place is the parking situation. Parking on the street in front of this restaurant is very limited plus there are several other popular restaurants on this street making parking an awful experience. I would suggest parking on Yonge and walking a few minutes. That being said, I was able to find parking just a few doors from this Naniwa-Taro. The restaurant itself is very small and is a Mom-and-Pop type business. When we placed our order, they said it would take at least 30 minutes as they were had a lot of orders and advised us that we should call ahead next time. Our order was ready after 40 minutes of waiting. So, now to the okonomiyaki, the reason why we fought for parking and waited 40 minutes for our food. We ordered the three types of okonomiyaki offered, the Okonomiyaki (I guess this is the original, the Modanyaki and the Yoshoku. Each one had either shrimp, squid, or pork, although I'm not sure which meat option we ordered with each now. Each Okonomiyaki was good, although they were a mushier and had more noodles than expected, but I assume this is authentic. We also ordered the Takoyaki which had smaller than expected pieces of octopus. Overall, the food seemed authentic and homemade, and the service was friendly and helpful. The do get very busy and struggle with keeping up with the orders, so I would recommend calling ahead to place your order.
My friends tried 3 different Japanese curry dishes: omelet-rice, shrimp, and donkatsu. And it was ok. It is a value proposition. No separate veges included with the dishes. Curry was mild and kid-friendly. Omelet rice was quite unique and pretty good but there were a bit more ginger than I liked. Donkatsu was well cooked but it was quite thin. Prep time took a little longer than expected. If the price was lower around $9. It would be fantastic value, but i would not recommend them at the price.
Authentic Japanese made to order. Home cooked comfort food style. Tiny take out spot only. No sushi, just cooked stuff. Still savoury. Excellent Japanese mayo. Was dissapointed that the lettuce underneath my katsu was old. Didn't make us sick or anything but it was browning. The katsu was still good though.
Restaurantji Recommends
Its a small local shop with many menu items. I liked their noodle dishes over rice
Absolutely amazing!Very cheap, generous portions, tastes delicious and really feels simple and authentic.The squid pancake and takiyaki balls are something I’ll come back for many times.
My go-to for authentic Japanese food. Small mom and pop shop who, in my opinion, have the best tasting takoyaki in the city. Their okonomiyaki will not disappoint! Perfect ratio of batter to fillings and sauce.Must try for authentic Japanese food!
Service BAD, the food WORSE! I should've known better when I saw the restaurants next door overflowing but not a soul in Naniwa-Taro. Stay away from this hole in the wall.
The food here is always on point & delicious.I ordered the Okonomiyaki (w/ Pork) & Green Onion Takoyaki and it always blows my mind. The stuff here tastes as good as the ones I've had in Osaka.Meccha Oishi!