Osaka’s popular street food gets a new life in sandwich form.

Takoyaki is one of Osaka’s most famous specialties, instantly recognisable to foodies as piping hot octopus-filled balls topped with sauce, mayonnaise and bonito flakes.

However, the other day while browsing through gourmet food options online, we came across something that made us do a double-take.

▼ A takoyaki sandwich

This was one of the most unusual sandwiches we’d ever seen, and what made it even more surprising was the fact that it was being sold by the Michelin-listed restaurant, Kushikatsu Bon.

▼ 串かつ凡 = Kushikatsu Bon

With such esteemed credentials behind it, we figured the restaurant must know its way around a takoyaki, so we placed an order for the sandwich, and it arrived frozen a few days later. Following the instructions to leave it to thaw at room temperature for around three hours, before warming it briefly in the microwave for best results, we were soon ready to get a first taste of this unusual offering.

The treat goes by the official name, “Takoyaki-style Cream Croquette Sandwich”, and when we lifted one up for closer look, the filling kind of looked like a cream croquette, but at the same time there was something distinctly takoyaki-like about it.

▼ The breadcrumb coating appeared to contain crunchy tempura bits, helping to recreate the crispy-texture look of a takoyaki.

While it looked unusual, the real surprise came in the tasting, as the rich, creamy filling had the unmistakable chewy texture of octopus inside it. It also contained spring onions and pickled ginger, all brought together with the savoury flavour of takoyaki sauce, making it taste identical to an octopus ball.

The contrast between the look of the sandwich, which sort of resembled a katsu sando (meat cutlet sandwich), and the taste, aroma and texture, which was distinctly takoyaki, made for a wonderfully confusing experience that played tricks on our mind as we ate it.

▼ Despite being so unusual, everything came together in a refined, well-balanced way, which is what you’d expect from a Michelin-listed restaurant.

It was a delicious new take on takoyaki and a great way to get a taste of Osaka without even leaving the house. Available from Kushikatsu Bon’s official Rakuten store for 1,250 yen (US$7.69) plus postage, it’s good value for money too, given the high-quality, delicious flavours in every mouthful.

In fact, it’s so good we’d say it’s the best thing since takoyaki bread, which had the audacity to pair a sweet Danish with octopus balls.

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