Takoyoshi たこ好

A cute little shop tucked away in Ashiya, Takoyoshi たこ好 was a must-visit according to my local friend. She made it clear that her family’s been frequenting this spot for decades.

When I ventured in, the place was teeming with locals — it truly seemed like the go-to spot for the community, less touched by the tourist crowd during my visit. As you step outside, a delightful collection of petite dishes greets you, as though they’ve cleverly catered to wanderers like me who might need a little help when navigating the menu. Think of it as a secret menu decoder — snap a quick pic and consider yourself menu-savvy. Haha, they’ve definitely got us travellers covered!

After some contemplation, I finally settled on the Oyakodon and the Tempura Soba. Now, let’s talk about that Oyakodon — it was truly a delight. The egg, fresh and bursting with flavour, was unlike any Japanese egg I’ve had back in Hong Kong. The robust egg flavour provided a delightful “farm to table” experience. And the rice? A perfect companion, a match made in culinary heaven. I kid you not, I could easily have this combo every single day! However, I’ll admit, even this exceptional dish didn’t entirely compensate for the 30-45 minutes I invested in the queue.

The Shrimp tempura Soba — the shrimp itself was delectably fresh and bursting with flavour. Although, if I had to express a preference, I’d lean towards a lighter tempura batter. You see, I’m all about that delicate balance where the batter is wonderfully crispy without being overly thick or hard. This way, every bite lets me savour the goodness within. Moving on to the soba, it didn’t disappoint either. However, I personally tend to favour soba with a stronger, more powerful flavour-y profile. This version we had was rather subtle and mild, which, I must admit, caters beautifully to a more refined palate.

Address: 1-25 Funadocho, Ashiya Hyogo Prefecture