teku bakudanyaki

So I decided to try out Tenku Bakudanyaki after my friend, B, sent a link to their website. I knew I couldn't resist trying out this place because the bakudanyakis reminded me of big takoyakis and I love takoyakis -- they are my must-haves when I go to Guu and the Richmond Night Market. So off I went over the weekend to what was one of the most random places that I have ever gone for food, a stand in a parking lot across the street from Rona and behind ICBC in Richmond?! But once the car was parked and I saw the cute little cart, all I could go was, "Awwwww....it looks so cute!" 

The menu is not a big one, there is original, curry, mustard mayo, chili mayo, pizza and mystery mayo. Within each bakudanyaki is an egg (I believe it's an quail egg), shrimp, squid, mochi and lots of cabbage. After a quick deliberation in front of the menu, I decided to try the mustard mayo (since I have developed a recent liking to mustard) while the boyfriend decided to try the chili mayo.

These are generally made to order, so after about 10 mins, the bakudanyakis were in my hands! My first thought when I saw the packaging was "Wow, this is so damn cute!".

Placed in a Chinese takeout box with a sticker of it's name, flavour and a napkin and pair of chopsticks tucked inside one of the flaps.

Of course they serve it to you with the flaps up, but I wanted to raise the level of suspense by not showing you guys the glory of the bakudanyakis right away. But my first reaction when I saw the the bakudanyakis were "These are bigger than my fists!" And I managed to snap some pictures with the boyfriend's cellphone camera before I dug into them and I was in takoyaki heaven. And for the unveiling!

Mustard Mayo

Chili Mayo

As you can see, the bakudanyankis are covered in the respective sauces and the dried fish flakes that dance around in the heat of the food. I really enjoyed the mustard mayo, the mustard gave the filling this mustardy spice that I really enjoyed. As for the chili mayo, my boyfriend found it to be a bit too spicy and the same goes for me when I tried it. Although I do enjoy eating spicy food, the spiciness made it hard to appreciate the  flavours of the other ingredients. Maybe if I ever decide to order this one, I'll make sure to have a cold drink with me too :). All in all the filling was not overcooked or undercooked. The filling was abundant, especially the cabbage. And for me, a pretty big eater, eating one of these felt like eating a meal, making me feel full and satisfied.

Although the menu isn't a big one, I want to try the other flavours, especially the mystery special, which means I will be back. This review was a product of my very first time trying tenku bakdanyaki over this past summer. Since then, I've been back twice already...but always getting the mustard mayo. I really need to order something different next time!