This cute little take-out store is in the heart of the East Village. On East 9th Street, Otafuku is one of a handful of Japanese food establishments offering an authentic slice of culture. It is right across the street from the noodle house Sobaya (also in this journal).
It was just yesterday that I stopped by Otafuku for a quick lunch/snack. A tiny storefront with a kitchen area behind a counter, the entrance is flanked by traditional Japanese banners in bright colors. The menu is short, offering only five items.
The first is Takoyaki, 6 pieces of these fried battered balls in octopus, cheese or plain for between $3 to$5. Then there is my favorite, Okonomiyaki, which is a kind of thick fried pancake with your choice of ingredients. There are pork, ebi, beef and squid (my favorite) to choose from. You get two pancakes for $7, enough for a quick lunch or dinner. These pancakes are made with an egg and flour batter and are accented with bits of red vinegar ginger and cabbage. Once cooked, they are topped with mayonnaise, sauce and nori (seafood) and bonito (dried fish) flakes. Okonomiyaki literally and appropriately means "as you like it" in Japanese.
You can also order the Yakisoba for $5, which in this case is a seafood fried noodle, or the Vegetable Croquette for $1. Another popular combination is the last item on the menu, which is the Yakisoba and the Okonomiyaki on top for $6.
Most orders take about 10 minutes as the food is not ready made. There is a very small counter for eating inside the store, but I recommend eating on the street under a nice shade or taking it home or back to the office. Juggling to hold a drink and eat with chopsticks is not an easy feat.
This is a nice addition to the collection of restaurants on this small East Village street. On nights when everything else requires a one-hour wait for a table and your patience is running thin, this is a welcome alternative.