OKTPASS -TAKOYAKI STALL-

Takoyaki are hot, bite-size balls of wheat-flour batter cooked in a special molded pan, filled with tender octopus and finished with sauce and classic toppings. Think of it as Japan’s answer to the best European street snacks: crisp on the outside, soft and molten inside, made to eat straight from the stall while you keep moving.

The modern style is strongly associated with Osaka, where a street vendor named Tomekichi Endo is widely credited with popularising takoyaki around 1935. The story goes that he evolved earlier batter snacks and started cooking octopus in the pan—turning a quick bite into a signature of Osaka’s street-food culture.

Takoyaki also has a close cousin just west of Osaka: akashiyaki from Akashi (Hyōgo). Akashiyaki is softer, more egg-rich, and traditionally dipped into light dashi broth. Many sources describe takoyaki as a later, Osaka-style evolution inspired by akashiyaki—more “grilled” and sauced, built for the energy of busy street markets.

Today, takoyaki is one of Japan’s most loved street foods, but the spirit is still the same: a simple pan, fast hands, a crowd, and that moment when the first bite hits—crispy edge, creamy centre, octopus chew, sauce and umami on top.

In much of Europe, it’s still rare to find Japanese food that feels truly street-level - the kind you’d eat standing shoulder to shoulder at a stall, watching the cook work. That’s the spirit we want to bring to London: yatai culture, Japan’s mobile street stalls where heat, speed, and community meet.

Our aim is simple: let you taste real Japanese food on the street, the way it’s meant to be - fresh off the plate, made in front of you, easy to hold, easy to share. No ceremony, no barriers—just the stall, the crowd, and that first hot bite.