Lunch Tuesday: Manpuku
Posted July 20, 2010 12:00 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Think quick: when’s the last time you had fried octopus balls in Toronto?
It’s not exactly what it sounds like – that is, it’s nothing like a prairie oyster. Instead, takoyaki is a small piece of octopus surrounded by dough, something like a savoury Timbit filled with custard and topped with bonito (dried tuna flakes).
Takoyaki ($4.99) is not for everyone but if you’re looking, Manpuku serves them fresh and piping hot. In fact, I burned my tongue on the first one. Luckily, I had five more to enjoy.
Manpuku opened in 2008 and is located in the Village by the Grange (105 McCaul St.). While it’s Japanese, you won’t find sushi or tempura on the menu. Instead, the restaurant promises steaming hot noodle bowls and hard-to-find snacks.
This time, I had niku udon ($5.99), thick, chewy noodles in beef broth topped with crumbled beef and green onions. For two dollars more, I added a salad and takosen (soup and chips are also available). The takosen (takoyaki served on a cracker) would take 20 minutes, our waitress warned. That was fine – it would give us plenty of time to finish the giant, steaming bowl of noodles.
We also had curry udon ($5.99) with pork. Our meals came with a shaker of Japanese spices. I found the meaty, beefy broth didn’t need an extra kick, but my dining companion did and used the shichimi liberally.
Vegetarian broth is available and you can substitute your noodles for yam-based ones.
The Village by the Grange food court is notoriously ugly but Manpuku is its own little restaurant on the edge, separated from painted concrete walls and poor lighting. Inside, the tables are wooden, the washroom and other doors are decorated with smiling characters, and the service is friendly and fast.
Just like the food court, most tables offer a clear view of the kitchen. That’s where the special takosen and noodle equipment sit, specially imported from Japan.
That’s right: I saw the kitchen staff take the octopus balls off of the griddle, place them on a plate, hand them to my waitress and I still burned my tongue. Clearly, I am still an amateur.
