5 Easy Japanese Street Food Recipes You Should Make At Home

One thing we love about travelling is getting to explore street foods. It’s a great way to get a glimpse into the local culture and as huge foodies, eating our way through various snacks and yummy treats is the way to go ? Japan is no stranger to delicious food especially during festivals that take place throughout the year. In this roundup, we’ve put together several classic Japanese street food recipes that you can and definitely should whip up at home.  

1. Dorayaki

If you grew up in the 80s or early 90s, you’ll probably know dorayaki as the number one treat favoured by Doraemon ? This Japanese dessert features two small pancakes with a sweet filling sandwiched in between. While traditionally anko (or red bean paste) is used as the filling, nowadays you’ll find all kinds of variations, including Nutella, peanut butter, kaya and more! While you can get creative with your fillings, if you prefer having a recipe that shows you the traditional way to do it, then make sure to check out this easy dorayaki recipe. You can also refer to the video recipe above for a visual guide ? 

2. Okonomiyaki

Okonomiyaki is a savoury Japanese pancake that’s made with veggies, fried meat and condiment toppings such as okonomiyaki sauce, mayo and bonito flakes. As a famous street food in Osaka, this hearty dish is truly a treat for anyone who loves savoury flavours. And it’s also the perfect thing to whip up if you’re looking to level up from making plain old pancakes ?  Traditionally, okonomiyaki uses grated Japanese mountain yams in the batter, as well as tenkasu (fried tempura batter bits). Both these ingredients aren’t super accessible or readily available in our part of the world, so you can refer to our easy okonomiyaki recipe that’s been modified to do without. Then check out Joshua Weissman’s video recipe above to learn how to perfectly flip your pancakes. 

3. Choco banana

During summertime in Japan, you’ll find all sorts of cooling desserts served by the many food stalls (yatai) lining up the street. One of them is choco banana - frozen bananas covered in melted chocolate and topped with all kinds of fun goodies such as sprinkles, snacks and candies. Quick, simple and fun to make, it’s a great dessert to enjoy whenever a hot day strikes. So whenever that day happens, use this easy choco banana recipe to escape the heat for a little bit ?

4. Takoyaki

Also known as octopus balls, takoyaki is a Japanese dumpling originating from Osaka. As one of the best known street foods in Japan, don’t miss the opportunity of having a taste of this bite-size snack that’s crispy on the outside and perfectly flavourful on the inside. Takoyakis are typically made using a special mould that shapes the snack into little round balls. It’s quite likely that you may not have one and unless you’re dedicated to buying this unique pan online, this treat is doable on your own without using the pan. Andong’s video recipe shows you exactly how it gets done, so go ahead and check it out for a bite of this . 

5. Harajuku crepes

Harajuku may be known as the biggest shopping district in Tokyo but it’s also responsible for introducing the famous Harajuku-style crepes. And while crepes are originally a French dessert, it’s been adapted to suit the taste of Japanese locals and is now recognized as a popular street food.   Filled with sweet ingredients like whipped cream, chocolate, fruit and ice cream, Harajuku crepes are the ultimate dream for every dessert lover ? Learn how to make this cone shaped dessert using ochikeron’s video recipe that shows you how to make 3 different fillings and the way to wrap the crepes like the vendors in Japan do!