Gindaco Gardena

Located in the Tokyo Central food court in Gardena, had a quick bite to eat after grocery shopping and my friend ordered the takoyaki from this place. Made to order, the takotaki was served hot and was very authentic to what im used to buying off the streets of Osaka🤙5 stars

Takoyaki can be a very interesting snack if you are with your child. The taste is rich and special. This shop is located in the food court of Tokyo Central.

The Original Takoyaki they sell is loaded with a large squid comes with sauce and mayonnaise. You can order flavors as well from their menu. Service is fast with offerings of a stamp card when completed gives you another order of Takoyaki.

The best takoyaki in the LA area! 🐙The takoyaki was freshly made. And they tasted so crispy, filled with small octopus pieces and came with a variety of flavorful toppings and sauces. 🤩 I love all these three flavors, especially for the Cheese and Yuzu: 🧀Cheese & Mentaiko: Came with teriyaki sauce, mentaiko mayo, parmesan, mozzarella cheese, and parsley flakes (Anny's Choice) 🌶Spicy Scallion& Sriracha: Topped with Sriracha⁣ spicy sauce, mayo, takoyaki glaze, scallion, and green onion 🍶Scallion with Yuzu Ponzu: Similar to the original, but it topped with green onion and smoky bonito flakes, with a side of citrusy ponzu sauce for dipping

2024-08-19 Non-Japanese cook instead of the Japanese cook this place opened with six years back. Now, the takoyaki are made wrong. Traditionally, soft shell. In recent times, an oil fried, crispier exterior has emerged among the industry. Here at this location, today the Original was tougher and crispier than it ought to be - almost like a light crust, fried chicken. Add to that, drenched in takoyaki sauce, couldn't even taste the mayo. And add to insult, rather than larger, thin slices of bonito (where you can watch them wave back and forth over the hot steam of freshly made takoyaki), a mass of sawdust-like bonito was dumped on top. Could barely see. And trying to eat the bonito was a dangerous inhalation hazard, too. Price up to $10~, so not even close to the "snack" price takoyaki ought to be at. You can also smell the disaster - ugly burnt oil smell wafting back into the first third of the dining area, making clothes smell like burnt smoke. Definitely not takoyaki made right. Couldn't eat the shell after two - only pecked out the merger octopus inside the others and threw the yucky shells away. * 2018 or so, the year they opened: Delicious, fresh made, steaming hot, well-made takoyaki! Only one can be called "traditional" - their original. The other is a mix of cultures - mentaiko and cheese (cheese wasn't all completely melted). And the last two are their spicy egg salad and sriracha - totally westernized. Missing are traditionals often found in Japan such as green onion with mayo, and even red ginger. These are made with a bit of oil for a crisper shell rather than the other takoyaki version that's not. The takoyaki was served fast, a few minutes, and went down well with the hojicha tea. The tea was delicious...but had so much ice that 3/4 of the cup was filled with ice once the tea was gone. A good deal for the price - reasonable at $6.50 for 8 original.

Located inside of Tokyo Central in Gardena. Freshly made. It's fun to watch the takoyaki masters prepare and flip the balls. Each takoyaki has a good amount of octopus. Be careful while eating this as it piping hot. My favorite is the original. Tip: ask for a stamp card

These are the best takoyaki in the LA! As fresh as they come with a healthy chunk of octopus in each ball. Crispy and pillowy soft at the same time. It’s also very satisfying to watch them being made right in front of your eyes. I wish they had a location closer to me, I would eat there regularly. Nom nom nom!

I ate Gindaco in Japan and was absolutely blown away by it, and was excited to see one here on the US. I stopped by here and tried it and don’t regret it. Although it tasted amazing, the sauce was a bit overpowering and sweet, but still very good. The left picture is Gardena and the right one is from Japan.

I used to munch these in Japan while o a research scholarship way back. So, when I saw them here, I stopped my lunch and went straight to Gindaco. Gindaco, is the most popular Takoyaki brand in Japan, with 'crispy outside, creamy inside' as their signature taste. Oh boy, these tasted the same takoyaki I used to take home in my apartment and ate while watching TV. This is similar to the Chinese balls and Filipino Karyoka which are extra crispy and full of creamy insides. If you haven't had these balls, takoyaki beats them all by a few miles. You can get these inside the Tokyo Central located by Western and Torrance Boulevard.

This place is located inside the food court of Tokyo central in Gardena. So far one of the best takoyaki in the area that I have found. The food here is always fresh, as you can see them cooking it up. Because of this, sometimes your order can take 15-20 mins if they just sold out of their current bar h they cooked. The ambiance is great. It is bustling with people, and there are lots to eat nearby and food to shop for. When I really crave takoyaki, I come here. I definitely recommend!

Here's an updated review of Gindaco. Gindaco continues to be my favorite Takoyaki place. They make it perfectly crispy, and every piece has just the right amount of filling inside. Their prices have gone up over the years, but it is still the place I will come back to when I'm craving Takoyaki. They offer a variety of toppings to change up the flavor, but my favorite is The Original ($9.50), which is the traditional flavor of Takoyaki. Service is quick. They have stamp cards, so be sure to ask for one. I recommend eating Takoyaki right away - it just isn't the same when you wait or take it home.

Piping hot, tender and moist on the inside and the outside exterior is absolutely delectable and crispy. And the dancing katsuobushi is wonderful to watch. The location is inside Tokyo Central in Gardena. There's seating at the food court area, bigger outdoor area than indoor. The service is fast and people were super friendly and you can see the making of the tako balls right at a clear window. I enjoyed it thoroughly.

AMAZING takoyaki!!! located inside tokyo central, 8 pieces of takoyaki were ~$10 but hands down the best i've had outside of japan. the outside was crisp and there were huge pieces of octopus inside.

Great takoyaki outside of Japan! Crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Staff was nice and friendly when I asked for extra sauce. Thank you for being here inside Tokyo Central!

Takoyaki is so yummy. Gindaco is a hot spot-o Cheese and mentaiko Takoyaki was a banger. Nothing like the impossible cheese pull with every bite while you haffsahaffsahassfa because you forgot the inside of Takoyaki was too hot. But really, the cheese and mentaiko just elevates their Takoyaki which is already so good to begin with. I could easily eat 8 in one sitting but my girlfriend forced me to share with her. Maybe next time I'll secretly order another for myself so I can enjoy Gindaco to the max.

Yum! We ordered the cheese and mentaiko takoyaki, it took a while around 15 minutes since they had to cook another batch when we got there. But the cashier did tell me about the wait. Super crunchy crust with soft and gooey inside-the piece of octopus was pretty big!

Really good Takoyaki here. Located inside Tokyo central. I haven't been able to find any close to what we've had in Japan. This isn't AS good as what I've had in Osaka but it's hard to compare. However, still the best I've found outside of Japan. They put a good sized piece of octopus in each Takoyaki. I like that they are crispy and ask if we want the kewpie on the side. They have cute little packets of kewpie ! Service was good too, very informative, polite and quick... just like in Japan Will be making the drive here from OC for these!

I got the cheese, sriracha and original flavors and I honestly loved all of them. Sriracha was the best of the 3 personally for me! Service was so fast and very friendly. It is inside a supermarket so while you wait you can shop a bit and you would not be disappointed. The options are crazy! I love Gindaco.

The best takoyaki I've ever indulged in! I dream about it every night ever since I had it here at Gindaco. It's located inside Tokyo Central and if you're having a hard time choosing what to eat, you should definitely eat here. The portions were big and they put a lot of octopus inside. They have different flavors but we usually like to get the original.

The Best Takoyaki I've ever had and wish they had a location Norwalk but whenever I'm in the area I make a point to grab a party pack for the road. Plus I like the stamp card very fun design and good strong card material I've had a card in my wallet for like 2 ish years and it hasn't fallen apart. Anyway great food great service with there were more locations.

If you've never had takoyaki, please try it here!! I was skeptical I'd be into takoyaki because I'm not a bit fan of octopus in general, but it's delicious in this! There's a singular piece of octopus in every takoyaki ball. It's hot and crispy on the outside, but chewy on the inside. They top it with some takoyaki sauce, mayonaise, and bonito flakes. Very, very delicious. I recommend getting the original 8 pieces, you can't go wrong with it. In fact, it's all I've ever tried... I want to try the other options they have, but the original is so good I can't help getting it every time. I recommend eating it on the spot because that's when it's best. But if you really need to head home, they offer to put your mayonaise on the side. Popping it in an air fryer for a few minutes works well. They also give you a stamp card. I think you need like 15 purchases before you get a free order, haha. It'll...be a while before I ever get to redeem it. The shop is right near the entrance/entrance of Mitsuwa, you can't miss it. It's very cute, with great signage. The service is great. The employee running the cashier was very friendly and lively, I typically see him whenever I pick up an order. He has great enthusiam even though our interactions are brief! Definitely will be back! I sometimes forego eating at other places just to eat here, haha.

Love the Takoyaki here! Service is great and turnaround times for orders are typically pretty fast unless there's a long line, but even then, orders come out at a good clip and it's worth the wait especially when they are prepping fresh Takoyaki! Located inside the Tokyo Central food court, so plenty of spacious indoor and outdoor seating. My personal fave is the Scallion with Yuzu Ponzu as I generally like to keep it simple without the addition of various sauces or cheese, but I've tried all the variations and enjoy them all, I just prefer the Scallion/Ponzu the most. Also, I'm a big eater so I always get the Party Pack for myself, lol.

I'm so happy I got a chance to try their takoyaki! I LOVE takoyaki. My favorite Japanese street food hands down and I've seen my friends go to Gindaco and recommend it to me, so seeing that I was finally in this area, I knew I had to try AND get a stamp card (though not sure how often I'll be back only due to distance). It's a fast food order style restaurant in the Tokyo Central food court. Upon entering the market, it's immediately to your right and you can watch the master chefs with their skillful wrist flicks making the perfect takoyaki or their pro yakisoba making. It was a busy Labor Day around lunch time and was told it was going to take 8-10 minutes for my order but it didn't take too long! In 1 order, you get 8 sizeable takoyaki on a cute little boat. So presentation is great too. Comes out steaming out. Even after the 40 minute drive home to our area, the takoyaki was still pretty warm, so just know it's really, really hot when fresh. I got their spicy scallion and sriracha. It comes with a generous amount of their tangy takoyaki glaze, smoky bonito flakes, green onions, mayo, and sriracha. Solid takoyaki with a slight spiciness from the sriracha. I believe they have a simple menu without too many bells and whistles, but I believe once in a while they do fancy specials too. Here's hoping that they open one of these a bit closer to home!

Very tasty takoyaki, the best in LA. My favorite is original and cheese mentaiko, just try. Highly recommended.

This is one of the best takoyaki place I've been to. They have these automatic turning grill. The texture of the takoyaki is perfect. The outside is crisp while the inside is gooey. The flavor was really good. I can't think of another takoyaki place in LA that I really enjoyed as much as this place. I was pleasantly surprised. The only think I would recommend is to have a little more octopus. There's a small piece in each balls. Nevertheless, I love the flavor and texture of this place.

After having Takoyaki from Gindaco in Japan I was excited to hear that I can get them here in the US! Conveniently located inside the Tokyo Central market's food court. Gindaco serves the different types of takoyaki and more! Its pretty difficult to come to the market and not want to leave with a set of takoyakis. My go tos are the original and the scallion/sriracha ones. They are sooo good! Parking: medium private lot VERDICT: Rinse and repeat

Was really craving takoyaki and didn't realize there was a place in marukai. I always get the karaage place and missed this one. My favorite was probably the original. The mentaiko cheese was good but I wasn't into the mayo. Service is fast and they gave me a stamp card.

Great Takoyaki!! + love Tokyo Central market. Tried the Takoyaki Cheese & Mentaiko + the Spicy Scallion and Sriracha Takoyaki they were both different but delicious? Nice and crispy on the outside and soft and delicious in the inside. These come in 8 and they are good sized so they'll get you filled up. The waiting time is pretty short when it's slow and the reward is the best. Will definitely keep coming up for a nice snack.

Excellent takoyaki in the Tokyo central supermarket. No frills place with a small set menu. These come out PIPING hot so don't be dumb and eat it immediately like I did and burn your mouth. Original is always a good choice but I opted for the yuzu ponzu with scallion. The takoyaki itself was mainly just regular with scallion and the sauce was on the side, or so it seemed. I wish the yuzu flavor was more prominent in the actually takoyaki but that's just me. STILL delicious though. I also want to note you get EIGHT for this price which is awesome. Most places in LA give you four and charge the same price. Tip: poke a hole in each with your chopstick to left the hot steam out so it will cool down faster. Seating: indoor table first come first serve Parking: free lot Bathrooms: yes Wifi: no Payment: cash, card, tap Vibe: food court Dress code: casual

I just love LOVE Gindaco! Hand's down, they make the best takoyaki. I'm glad I have this location in the South Bay. Wish it was slightly closer but I'm not complaining. Order ahead if you do not want to wait!

No shopping trip at Marukai isn't complete without visiting it's food court, there's plenty of options and they're all very good. Gindaco specializes in one thing, takoyaki and it's some of my favorite personally. There's a small variety of flavors to choose from, ranging from traditional takoyaki to my favorite, cheese and mentaiko. The cheese and mentaiko takoyaki is filled with cheese and it's delicious. The service is very good, and they have chefs making the takoyaki constantly. You'll have a fresh batch of takoyaki almost as soon as you finish your order. Don't forget to bring your stamp cards!

High quality takoyaki. Highly recommend! Professional manner and service staff. Very well managed open kitchen

My go to place whenever I crave for takoyaki. Sometimes you have to wait but that's okay because they make it fresh and you can explore the market if you want. But the moment it's ready, I suggest you eat it right then and there! I live down the street, and it takes me less than 5 minutes to go home but TRUST ME when I say to see it right away. The balls are still crunchy and crispy! My husband and I always get the cheese and mentaiko all the time. Price is reasonable and I really like how they offer a stamp card!

Instantly became my favorite takoyaki place in SoCal. They are made fresh to order and the mentaiko/mayo is definitely my most favorite flavor. The Takoyaki's come out piping hot and the outer shell are still crispy and not soggy like many places. Gindaco is legit good and reminds me a lot of the good Takoyaki places in Japan!

Left them a 15% tip, came back to pick up the food and asked them for hot sauce and they charged me additional for hot sauce. Mentioned it to the server James and he couldn't care less. Do everyone a favor and remove your payment terminal that guilt trips us into leaving you a tip. Food was mediocre at best - didn't even finish it. Definitely won't be coming back.

Fun Japanese snack pancake balls called Takoyaki that are crunchy on the outside and super tender like clam chowder on the inside. Octopus inside will also give a nice texture. My favorite part of all is the bonito flakes. For our little one, we got the sauce on the side. She eventually liked it once it cooled down. Be careful as the inside stays hot for a long time unless you crack each piece. I forgot if they always has mayo on the side by the bulky mayo packet they hand out is hard to spread around on Takoyaki. They need a better packaging if possible :-(. Scallions and sriracha ones were spicy and tasty. We didn't get cheese and mentaiko this time but I want to eat that next time. Mmm. Parking is easy as Tokyo Central, a Japanese supermarket has plenty parking spots in the area. This shop is inside the same building where the food court is. Family friendly but as they have booths and counters, for a bigger group, patio may work better. Pricier than frozen? Yes. Melts in your mouth while giving the most pleasant crunch on the outside? Yes.

Located in the small quaint food court in Tokyo Central Marketplace, how can one resist passing up Takoyaki. It was a toss between ordering the Origjnal and Scallion and Yuzu. Since I've had many originals in other places, I decided on the scallion and yuzu and very happy with the decision. They make them fresh and takes virtually no more than 5 mins. The line can get rather long, but I can understand why. The inside is fresh with bit of a chew, outer part is perfectly crisp. The yuzu just adds that bit of an umami. Will definitely be back!

I love the takoyaki here! It costs around $12 and is always served hot and fresh. The takoyaki is round, plump, and filled with large pieces of octopus, which is perfect for enjoying the full flavor. Great when ur hungry before or after shopping at Tokyo Central.

The best takoyaki I have had. Located inside Tokyo central market in the food court area. I went for the original and flavors were on point. The squid was tender and batter was soft inside with a nice outside crunch.

We are always up for having some takoyaki. The employees here are very friendly, which is always a huge plus. We ended up ordering the cheese and mentaiko takoyaki. The cashier did let us know that it would be at least a 15-minute wait since they were swamped. Almost exactly 15 minutes later, we had our fresh takoyaki. Their takoyaki is exceptionally crispy, even with all the sauce layers on them. The outside stayed super crispy. All the sauces melded well, and nothing overpowered anything else. It should go without saying, be very careful when eating, as the insides can be extremely hot. If you are looking to sit down and it's busy, it might be a little hard since seating is quite limited.

These were very good! Honestly not a big fan of takoyaki but after our recent shopping trip at Tokyo Central, I needed a little treat for the car ride home. I ordered the Original #1 w/ light mayo and a sweet matcha latte. The cashier was very outgoing and efficient...presented me with a stamp rewards card. From the time I placed my order to pick-up, it was less than 5 minutes. Had to try in the car, I loved the crispy shell and the mound of shaved bonito flakes on top. Tip: this is a very savory/indulgent treat...enjoy slowly, inside of takoyaki can be very hot! I'm looking forward to returning to try their other varieties.

The Original Takoyaki they sell is loaded with a large squid comes with sauce and mayonnaise. You can order flavors as well from their menu. Service is fast with offerings of a stamp card when completed gives you another order of Takoyaki.

This is what I wanted tacoyaki! This is not Osaka style takoyaki because the outside is crispy and inside is creamy and soft but I like this style better and most of foreigners expect takoyaki like this I guess. As japanese, I can say this place is exactly same as japanese Gindaco except the price. The mentai sauce and cheese was amazing! I liked the ponzu one but I always like the original one the most.

Best takoyaki you can get in the US hands down, no other place compares. My go to is the mentaiko flavor, they put A LOT of sauce on your food.

This is a nice takoyaki place inside a huge Tokyo Central. The takoyakis are pretty sizeable, come out hot and fresh, and you get to see the workers make it as well.

Grilled Octopus Balls! That's right. Takoyaki is all that and then some! Every time I shop at this Tokyo Central, I suddenly get a craving for these scrumptious snacks. For those who aren't familiar, takoyaki are fritters filled with pieces of octopus, ginger, green onion and tempura (fried batter) bits, which originated from Osaka, Japan. Crispy on the outside and gooey, almost raw batter on the inside. Don't worry. I've been eating them like this since I was a child and have never gotten sick from them! Takoyaki is a popular street/festival food and so nostalgic for me. The original takoyaki is topped with shaved, dried bonito flakes, dried seaweed flakes and a Worcestershire-based tangy sauce. Gindaco has other toppings such as scallion with yuzu/ponzu sauce, cheese and mentaiko (pollock roe) as well as my recent favorite, spicy scallion and Sriracha. They run a little over $8.00 after taxes, so about $1 a ball. I wish they did have more pieces of octopus in them than just one piece each, but that is traditional. I haven't tried their yakisoba (sautéed noodles), but I'm sure that's good too. I just stick with their speciality! Watch the masters at work making them in minutes. The turning of these balls in the takoyaki molds are even hypnotic. Take your order to-go or eat in the common dining area of Tokyo Central. Try 'em at least once if you haven't, but it may not be the cup of tea for those who are sensitive to various textures!

Food is so good in here. The original takoyaki is my favorite, and server was so kind. Definitely visit again!!

Our go to spot for takoyaki and some quick & easy yakisoba in the Gardena area. We always combo the yakisoba up with the kara age from the other vendors in the Tokyo Central mall and makes for a more whole meal.

I hated Takoyaki. It's probably because I had it at some crappy place with my crappy ex. Then one day I had it and now I can't stop. This place is in Tokyo Central. I love the one in Gardena. I'm only usually out that way to visit a customer. Decided to treat myself and get an order of this. It was good! Super fresh. You can see them cooking it. There was a little bit too much sauce. Even for the sauce queen but, that's what I ordered.

Surprise little known secret This place has Okonomiyaki on the menu The right price and a large portion. One one style so for you who like ramen noodle Hiroshima style Nada. Best kept secret they always say 20 minutes i always say i go shopping. For a single person that can make multiple meals out of this take home dish. This is a must try. I have japanese mayo okinomoyali sauce and shaved bonito at home and furukake. I always used to get the Takoyaki and still do. Until I tried the okinomoyaki. Try it there are other places that offer it at a higher price and half the size and options. Bit this stuff hits the spot for me for a couple of meals i eat it plain and mix it up with some noodles and rice at home

Freshly cooked amazing yakisoba. James guided me through my order and I wasn't disappointed. 5 star service and great food

I'm not sure what made me become addicted to these balls of joy but whatever it was I can't seem to go a week or so without a big craving. I've had these little nuggets of goodness over the years but didn't become officially addicted until about 1-2 yrs ago. Maybe I was starving at the time or maybe they were just that good then but whatever it was, I know if I keep up this addiction I may need to go to TA. Yep, Takoyaki Anonymous. I typically just go with the original flavor which is takoyaki sauce, Mayo and katsuobushi which is bonito flakes on top. The scallion with ponzu sauce is a second fave. I'm a person who enjoys food with texture and my favorite texture is the crunchy-chewy one. These orbs of deliciousness have that and the flavor to go with it. They make these balls with a crunchy outside and soft and chewy inside. There's always a nice chunk of tako (octopus) along with some red ginger, green onions and tempura flakes on the inside. The combination of flavor and texture make these irresistible to me. I've had takoyaki at different places in Japan and I've even tried them at a Gindaco in Tokyo but I don't remember becoming addicted to them then. The next time I go back there I'll definitely try them again. I remember them being real good but not something that I craved back then. Well, now the addiction is real. If you want some real authentic Japanese snack food then Gindaco is the place. Go ahead and try some. You'll only regret the things you haven't tried.

Tastes like no other Takoyaki I've had before. Portion size is huge and price is considerably good. Their service is above and beyond and friendly.

Best takoyaki in Southern California! Their party tray is the best deal! They are inside Tokyo Central food court by the entrance so you can't miss them. They also have yakisoba which we didn't get a chance to try but will definitely do that next time.

Stopped by last night and was craving for some takoyaki, again. Ordered Party Tray. Service was excellent and fast as always. Only thing would be the mentaiko & cheese was little bit less than usual for the Cheese and Mentaiko Takoyaki. Not sure if it's due to the rush hours. The Spicy Scallion and Sriracha Takoyaki had the perfect spiciness to me: Hot but not burning your tongue. But overall still tasty .

It's good as I remember from the first time I came when the first opened. Looks like they've expanded menunto include other items but c'mon....I gotta get takoyaki. I ordered the cheese and Mentaiko and it was a bit cheesier than I prefer. I'm sure others would consider it just the right amount but I could've used a little less.

Wowowow!! Worth the drive. Octopus chunks vs all batter! Dairy-free! Located in Tokyo Central so you can grocery shop too! Tks Christine T. in taking us here!! She's knows her stuff! We were grabbing food to go. Tokyo Central Food To Go: 1. Gindaco: Takoyaki is a MUST!!! (Dairy free) 2. Tokyo Central sashimi and sushi. Chopsticks, wasabi, ginger and soy sauce packets near self-checkout exit. 3. Tenkatori USA: Chicken wings. Leave it airing out so it doesn't get soggy. (Dairy free)