Genki Takoyaki

Totally unlike anything else Boise has in the realm of Japanese cuisine, Genki Takoyaki delivers something unique and delicious. Run by a couple of neat people and always serving up great quality takoyaki, I would recommend this food truck to anyone.

Some of the Japanese food in Boise may be good (or at least good enough), but there’s also an issue with a general sameness to the menus at all of the restaurants as well, rarely deviating from the accepted norms. That made Sono Bana’s closure all the more disheartening. While the food in general wasn’t top-​flight stuff, they were the primary restaurant in town to offer Japanese fare that no one else offered. Included in that fare on occasion was takoyaki, octopus-​filled pancake dumplings with street-​cart origins. I didn’t think it was very good (I think they came frozen from a bag), but the intent to provide a more authentic Japanese experience was appreciated.
So forgive me for being excited over a takoyaki food cart that not only helps fill a void for Japanese food but is good as well. I’ve had both good and bad street-​cart takoyaki (the batter quality has been the key), and I’d put these in the good category. The batter wasn’t overcooked, so I got a crisp and slightly crunchy outside with a gooey and chewy inside. Topped with a thick sweet takoyaki sauce, green onions, mayo, seaweed flakes, katsuobushi (dried fish shavings), and Sriracha sauce (which they thankfully asked beforehand if you want it added because I did not). The non-​octopus options are rotated out. On this day they had a version with roasted char siu pork, but the octopus was selling a lot more. While they didn’t offer Japanese mayo due to its high price around here, I was told they plan to make their own mayo similar in taste to Japanese mayo.
They’ve started off at the Capital City Public Market in downtown on Saturdays but plan to be available elsewhere on various evenings, so Facebook or Twitter are the best way to keep track of their progress.
A simple but great addition to the local food scene.