Hi Karl, Thank you for your detailed response and for giving me a crash course on takoyaki styles! I had no idea that Osaka-style takoyaki is supposed to be fluffy and gooey (Fuwa Toro - what a fun name!). My previous encounters must have been with the crispy, deep-fried versions, and now I understand why I was expecting a crunch. Your explanation has given me a whole new appreciation for the culinary nuances of takoyaki. I can now impress my friends with my newfound takoyaki knowledge -- they'll be shocked to find out there's more to takoyaki than just "ball-shaped and tasty." I've updated my review to reflect this enlightening lesson and to acknowledge your thorough explanation. Thanks again for turning my takoyaki confusion into culinary enlightenment. I look forward to giving your authentic Osaka-style takoyaki another try, now that I know what makes it unique. Best regards! read more

These are some of the most famous balls in NYC. They are plump and creamy. Everyone talks about them. Everyone jokes about them. Everyone waits on long lines for them. And everyone is happy to eat them. You can find them as a staple of the local Japanese festivals. If you want better balls, head to Japan. read more

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Expensive for what u get , super tasty but not worth $17... decent place though for what it is

I love Osaka style takoyaki, so I always stop by if I see the Karlsballs booth. If you're not familiar with Osaka style takoyaki, it's supposed to be very soft, creamy, and melt-y. Karl recently updated his recipe to include dairy so it's even creamier than before! He doesn't deep fry frozen premade takoyaki and I enjoy watching the process at the booth. Even the mayo is homemade and not store bought! read more

KARLSBALLS - Food Stands Near Me

I visited this Osaka-style takoyaki stand at JapanFes and could not believe that there was a authentic Osaka-style takoyaki! I ordered the Mentaiko and it was just as good (if not better) than the ones I had when I was in Osaka years ago. The creaminess of the interior contrasts so well with the supple bounciness of the octopus & the crispy-chewiness of the exterior. Karl and team are also SUPER nice and always eager to talk shop with customers. Already looking forward to my batch of takoyaki at my next NYC Japan Fes! read more

KARLSBALLS - Mentaiko takoyaki - Food Stands Near Me

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I got the Karlsballs spicy takoyaki at the Sakura Matsuri in Washington D.C., and it was absolutely delicious! The takoyaki dough was melt-in-your-mouth gooey, the octopus was tender, and there was a perfect amount of toppings on top. Definitely a favorite every year they come down to D.C. for this festival! read more

KARLSBALLS - Spicy Takoyaki - Food Stands Near Me

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Tried at a local food festival and it was disappointing. Sure we tried when it 10 mins before the closing hours so they served overcooked one but all the balls were in different sizes from tiny to small to giant ones. They were all overcooked and outside was like rubber. Mentaiko was not really fresh and there were only tiny taco/octopus pieces inside. read more

Mushy as soon as u bite into it. Uncooked inside. Apparently how its supposed to be? I spoke to Karl and that's verbatim what I was told. It tasted terrible. RE TO OWNER: Gooey? I started with 'uncooked'. Creamy? Would have been nice. I went STRAIGHT to you. Would have appreciated you actually looking at the product we DIDNT finish. Threw it out. You obviously have a standard when it comes to the ONE DISH you offer but it wasn't just you behind the grill. You failed on the consistency front. It wasn't good. My HONEST one star holds true cause the chef doesn't care to hear feedback. read more

Tried it at Japanfes 2022 and it was disappointing. The takoyaki was soggy and tasted undercooked. Though they do make fresh batches and it is fun to watch them flip in front of you, it is pricey for what it is. We paid almost $17 dollars for 6 mediocre takoyaki balls. Definitely had better takoyaki elsewhere for much cheaper. Line was extremely long and was not worth the wait. read more

KARLSBALLS - Food Stands Near Me

In the scorching summer heat at the Queens Night Market or the freezing temps outside Jacob Javits, Karl's dedicated self is out there to crank out his delicious takoyaki balls. Follow the lines, hear the sizzle and smell the aroma as he flips the dozens of tasty balls on those cleverly designed grills. I follow KB on Facebook and saw that he would be setting up at AnimeNYC for 3 days as his final event of 2019 and he sold out his first 2 days. After we walked the convention for a few hours, we were hungry and went in search of Karl. We checked the maps and couldn't find him listed anywhere. Then I remembered his gas fired grills had to be well ventilated and figured he had to set up outside. And that's where we found his canopies set up between 2 food trucks under the Jacob Javits covered driveway below street level. It was a brisk November 35°F and the roadway forms a wind tunnel, but Karl had the heat on his crew and grills cranked up. The line moved in fits as customers rushed back inside with their batches of those octopussy, doughy spheres. We found a place to settle down among all the Japanese anime cosplayers, which seemed to be a proper atmosphere to enjoy our takoyaki. Karl's Original was 6 balls with original sauce and covered in Bonito flakes. We also got an order of the Scallion & Mayo balls drizzled with Kewpie Mayo. I really enjoyed the Tako Taco ($10) with it's crunchy cracker, which gave the mushiness of the balls, a nice crisp texture. The only drawback is that it only had 2 balls. That's why we got 2 more orders to spare! See ya next year, Karl! read more

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Karl's balls has a novelty name but it isn't a novelty-- they're really good. I tried this takoyaki at the Japanese food festival in nyc. The long line was an indicator that this was something worth waiting for, but I'm not sure if I felt that way while taking my first bite. The octopus was tender but there was only one small piece in each takoyaki l, I wish there was more. The inside was nice and gooey but the outside wasn't as crispy as I'd like it and was falling apart. I also feel like $12 for takoyaki is a bit steep when you can get takoyaki around the corner for a few bucks less. Overall, I was a little bit disappointed with my experience as I really enjoy takoyaki. All in all it was a good experience, but I don't know if it was truly worth the wait. read more

KARLSBALLS - Original takoyaki - Food Stands Near Me

Absolutely amazing and authentic takoyaki. Find them at any chance in any food fairs / Japanese festival all across the city. The tako (octopus) is definitely the highlight which most people overlook when it comes to the takoyaki. You can taste the effort that was put into preparing the fresh octopus along with a flavorful and well prepared batter to make the takoyaki fresh off the grill. The staff and the owners are probably one of the most friendly people you will come across in the city. The level of pressure on serving hundreds of customers back to back for many hours by the team and the owner alone is impressive. Not only they are laser focus in preparing the food, they are also well aware of each and every customer on the line and provide detailed explanations and friendly chit-chat while the takoyakis are prepared right in front of you. If you are expecting quick and fast reheated frozen takoyaki from casual Japanese restaurant then don't get on the line, it is a food fair, not a full service restaurant (and yes, you know who you are). If you are planning to visit Karl's balls, then expect a wait line because they ARE the most recognizable novelty name in New York's Takoyaki scene. read more

KARLSBALLS - Amazing and enthusiastic team - Food Stands Near Me

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The wait is little bit long, but totally worth it, recall my times back to Japan. Yessss.

I tried these takoyaki at the Japanese festival. The takoyaki itself was great- soft and slightly gooey on the inside and chewy on the outside. The only downside is that the line was ridiculous long. We waited more than an hour in line for them. read more

Yesss Karl's Balls finally we got to try them! Unable to catch them in last years Japan fest because of the line line. We were able to try them this years Japan fest! These balls are called takoyaki. Karl has appeared on tv several times including Buzzfeed Tasty, Vice Channel, The Food Film Festival, Cooking Channel, and so many more! His mission is to bring Konamon culture to the west through the preparation of real Osaka-style takoyaki. read more

KARLSBALLS - a person holding a hot dog - Food Stands Near Me

It's a running joke that everyone loves Karl's Balls but the rumors are true: these balls are smooth (though the texture may suggest otherwise), plump, fun to play with, and definitely IG worthy. Oh and the food is good too. (#1) The balls in question of course are takoyaki, aka Japanese fried octopus/squid balls. They are stuffed in a wheat based flour molded into a ball via a specialty iron pan. They are delicious and a wonderful snack for folks who enjoy something crispy and bite sized. I usually find Karl and his balls at the Queens Night Market where he's easily one of the more popular vendors. There really aren't a lot of takoyaki options in NYC in general, so I'll take what I can get. Price wise, it feels high compared to the real deal in Japan, but they are excellent overall. I'm looking forward to the market coming back bigger and better (and safer). I plan on smothering the balls in their signature sauce and enjoying them one by one or together at the same time. I'll have the food eventually. (#2) _____________ (#1) Say what? (#2) What in the...? read more

We waited for a long time with a big group but it was worth it! Looking forward to catching them again soon. Workers were also great and made it enjoyable overall. read more

KARLSBALLS - Spicy takoyaki Japan Fes 2021 - Food Stands Near Me

Karls Balls was a new experience for me. I never had fried octopus before, and of course, I was a little nervous if this thing was safe for me to eat. However, I realized the batter is nice and soft like a pancake and the meat is chewy and rubbery. It feels weird, but you get used to it eventually on the second or third ball. The soy sauce, vegetables, and fish flakes add a lot of seafood flavors to the dish. I wanted my balls to have more of a zesty punch to it. Whatever mustard Karls Balls' using is not strong enough for my taste. It's a little expensive, but I had my balls at Anime NYC. I remember getting six balls for $12. I don't if I would pay that much for a seafood snack, but I guess these balls are eaten for special Japanese occasions. At the end of the day, if you like seafood and you don't mind eating weird tasty creatures with mustard...Karls Balls! read more

We had karlsballs at mitsuwa summer fest in NJ.They were amazing.The octopus was so tender and the spicy sauce was bomb.I am glad we tried them inspite of the long line they had.It was nice to see karl making the most delicious takoyaki. read more

KARLSBALLS - Spicy original takoyaki - Food Stands Near Me

Ugh yasss so I have been meaning to get Karls balls for awhile saying this aloud and typing it both sounds equally weird haha but y'all need to find out where they at and try it. I finally got it at mitsuwa summer festival yaaa. Got the original and the scallion mayo and they were so good and perfect. From the amazing exterior to the interior being moist and having perfect dough to octopus ratio. Also the line was long lucky i got there early but I saw people waiting and the line just growing and growing and I was like daaaang but it is so worth it. I wish we got more orders of it to go:( read more

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I truly believe I never had takoyaki until I had Karl's Balls. I had the fortune of Karl visiting NJ a month or so after I had started following on instagram at the Mitsuwa Summer festival. That one one of my driving factors for making it out this year, actually. And it was definitely worth it. Karl's Balls does one thing and does it phenomenally. I opted for original (although the scallion mayo option looked really amazing, too) just to get that authentic feel as my previous experiences had been just at restaurants with takoyaki as an appetizer before. Wow. Just, wow. The large chunks of octopus in each ball were super tender and fresh-tasting. Up until this point I did not know octopus had a flavor! And that flavor was rounded out by the incredible dough, crispy on the outside and chewy/soft in the middle covered in sauce, bursting with umami flavor. Definitely not something you can eat in 2 bites due to the whole thing falling apart but just better to pop the whole takoyaki in your mouth and savor the melding of all the flavors and textures. If you like takoyaki (or think you do) I would definitely recommend Karl's Balls to see what high-quality, delicious takoyaki is. You really can taste the love and effort that goes into these! read more

KARLSBALLS - Food Stands Near Me

Excellent, authentic takoyaki! Reminds me of when I first had it in Japan. Very friendly staff and entertaining even just watching them make it. They offered a few different options (e.g. regular, spicy, etc). The octopus was tender, inside gooey umaminess and not greasy at all. Highly recommend in a heartbeat! read more

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It's that time of the year once again. Streets of New York city closed off for another season of the famous street fairs. Among the many stands that come together to bring you the experience like no other, one stand always has the longest line out of them all. It's for very good reason. It's the one and only Karlsballs. Don't let the name fool you, for this stand is all serious with its craft and service. Every year I look forward to find karlsballs from various street fairs such as Japan fair and queens night market. I've known Karl from way back in the day before he started Karlsballs. He was the head chef of the famed Otafuku where they served traditional Kansai Style street/comfort food such as yakisoba, okonomiyaki and the famed Takoyaki. He was so kind to give me a chance to work at the establishment when I was just a wee bit lad. To unfortunate turn of events I was not able to be employed at that time. Karl still smiled and gave me some Takoyaki to go on the house. Since then I consider him a friend. Years pass and I found him among one of the street fairs and found out that he had started his own business serving his version of the takoyaki. I was thrilled to be able to claim one of my favorite food at the local street fairs. His takoyaki was always on point and delicious. And every year I find his stand, wait in the long line just like everyone else. Because that's how you show support, no special treatment. And it's always worth the wait. This year it was my first of many street fair to attend and it's non other than my favorite street fair Japan Festival. It was my intention to try this year's ramen contest since I was craving ramen. To my surprise, the lines for the ramen was ridiculous and being with my family and kids I could not make them wait so long just to try overpriced small portions of these overrated ramen stands. For what I was supposed to spend I rather go to ramen shack in LIC than spend the money to wait that long. But I knew there was one line worth waiting. I was thrilled to find karlsballs after such disappointment. And through karlsballs Instagram I knew I wanted to try Karl's new item on the menu, the Negimayo takoyaki. Takoyaki is traditionally served with katsuobushi which is dried bonito flakes but this year he is featuring another way of serving his delicious takoyaki. Karl had visited my homeland and he found this new style of takoyaki which instead of the bonito flakes, generous serving of finely chopped scallions are placed on top of the takoyaki and drizzled with mayonnaise. I personally am not a big fan of katsuobushi so I was excited to try this new version. After waiting in the long line I have finally arrived to the front. Karl knew exactly what I wanted even before I had a chance to order them. He told the cashier to give me the negimayo instead of the original and I said give me three please. Something was different. I tried his takoyaki every year but this time he somehow upped his game even more and leveled up his takoyaki. Not only the negimayo was a fresh take on his takoyaki but the takoyaki it's self tasted far more superior this time around. As always it's super hot, a sign of being made fresh. I don't know how he does it but trust me it's amazing. His slogan speaks the truth, The Strongest name in Takoyaki is the one and only Karl's balls. If you find his stand among those street fairs, you must try his takoyaki. You will not be disappointed. ごちそうさまでした! read more

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They make it well. Would have liked it to be a little more crispier and cooked on the inside. Tasted mushy and rushed. And would have liked a lot of bonito flakes. Octopus pieces are great! WATA!!!!! read more

First wanted to try them at the opening night of the Queens International market yeaaars ago but the line was so long. Had some at the Japan sweet fest yesterday. Shorter line . Freshly made and very tasty. We got the original and spicy. The spice level didn't get to me (it was just right) but the heat inside did a bit. It was still hot even after at least 5 min. Just be careful when you take one in a bite or open up the ball a bit to cool it off? Have to try the scallion topping next time. read more

KARLSBALLS - Original (front) and spicy takoyaki - Food Stands Near Me

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I was a big fan of Otafuku when I was in high school but after I took off for college, the takoyaki didn't taste the same. I heard that Karl was one of the chefs there around that same time so I went to Asia Bites last week to check it out. The taste was very nostalgic. The gooey batter. The chewy but tender octopus. It all came together like a symphony. I think they were in a rush so my takoyaki was falling apart, BUT that taste! I had to give this a 5/5. Looking forward to the next time. read more

I ate Karl's Balls at a Japanese street fair in Astoria Queens this past weekend (Japan Fes Ramen Contest). It's the best takoyaki that I have eaten. Otafuku makes great takoyaki but I like Karl's better. There's just something special about his balls. BIG chunks of octopus make for a satisfying chew. The balls are just the right gooey consistency and are topped with the perfect amount of sauce and mayo. It's a very balanced takoyaki taste and delicious through and through. The line can be crazy. I probably waited for like 25-30 minutes. Just be patient, it's worth it, I promise! Since the booth is always busy, the takoyaki comes out very hot! So, be careful not to let Karl's Balls burn your mouth! read more

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It's a five star takoyaki when the takoyaki comes right off the grill! This pop up is so popular and the line is very long so the takoyaki not coming right off the grill is good but hot right off the stove is better! Just catch them when the line is short or new batch. I went here twice, I still think about Karl's balls. I'm addicted. read more

KARLSBALLS - Takoyaki - Food Stands Near Me

C. Yuki T. #KARLSBALLS fresh, grilled, traditional TAKOYAKI is delicious On the weekend of Oct 6th & 7th, I went to the #KARLSBALLS station in the street at JAPANFES on the Upper Westside of Manhattan on Saturday; anxiously looking forward to tasting Karl's made-to- order version of grilled TAKOYAKI with mayonaise & scallions. On Sunday, I deliberately returned to the #KARLSBALLS station; this time, at the JAPANFES East Village location to order one of each of the traditional and mayonaise/scallion versions of #KARLSBALLS TAKOYAKI to share with a friend! I had the best time and the Best Takoyaki in NYC #KARLSBALLS - THE STRONGEST NAME IN TAKOYAKI read more

KARLSBALLS - #KARLSBALLS Konamon Festival, Upper Westside NYC (Sat 10/6/2018) Grilled takoyaki: traditional or scallion/mayonaise - DELICIOUS - Food Stands Near Me

I tried this place at New York comic con a while back and honestly as far as the negative reviews go I really don't know where they're coming from I think they have awesome food! Can't wait till the next festival in nyc when I get to have it again..haven't had it in a while!. See you soon Karl's balls!. read more

Idk if Karl is out here catching his own octopus but man that was theeeeee most tender and fresh octopus I've had in ages ! Karl if your reading this thanks for blessing the world with your amazing balls ! read more

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I routinely travel from DC to NYC for Karl's Takoyaki and it is always worth it so when I found out Karl and his crew would be attending Sakura Matsuri 2023 I instantly bought 2 day tickets. Day 1 I got 2 OG Takoyaki orders and 1 spicy. All 3 orders were 100% delicious, piping hot and creamy on the inside exactly how Osaka style Takoyaki should be. The spicy order had a great kick of heat but not overpowering in its heat level, still had all the delicious flavor I was looking forward to. Day 2 me and my gf went nuts and started with 2 more orders of the OG and it somehow was better than Day 1. Later in the day we got 2 more OG and 1 more spicy. Safe to say we were taking advantage of Karl's Balls being in our city. I cannot rave about their Takoyaki enough. I have had Takoyaki all over the world and I would 100% put Karl's up against anyone else's in the world. When you want the best Osaka style Takoyaki, you want Karl's Balls. read more

I've known Karl since his days as head chef at Otafuku in NYC. HIs okonomiyaki and Takoyaki were always THE BEST!!...and now Karl's been on his own for the past few years with his very own signature line of takoyaki...Karl's Balls!! What makes Karl's Balls so special? Why EVERYTHING of course!! Karl uses only the finest and freshest ingredients available and cuts each piece of octopus skillfully and lovingly by hand. The result? A delicious explosive ball of flavor fueled by Karl's signature takoyaki sauce, then topped and garnished with Kewpie Japanese mayo and dried, shaved bonito flakes. Now mind you...this ain't no pre-made frozen takoyaki that you may find at some Asian restaurants around the way...KARL'S BALLS IS FLAVOR TRUTH SON!! Now most American taste buds may not be used to eating octopus...but the way that Karl serves it up???...well you are most DEFINITELY in for a MAJOR taste sensation!! And people of all ethnic groups line up on the regular to get a taste of Karl's Balls...sometimes for two hours or more. THAT'S how DELICIOUS Karl's Balls are!! So mos def make the trek out to the Queens International Night Market or to wherever Karl may be cooking and get some REAL DEAL FLAVOR for your senses!! "From Osaka to yo blocka...", come on and get you some Karl's Balls today!! Because in two words...they are AMAZINGLY DELICIOUS!! read more

KARLSBALLS - Karl's Balls...accept NO substitutes!!! - Food Stands Near Me

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Heard about Karl's balls and when we saw them we gave it a try and ordered the spicy octopus balls. Once we paid the cashier handed us the octopus balls right away and They were very dark and burnt on the outside, super soggy at the bottom and the inside was super watery, not the typical gooey texture you would expect. We was watching the two guys making the balls on the stand and was hoping to get something that looks like what they were making, but I think what the cashier gave us was a not fresh batch. Looks complete different from what they were making for people to see. The flavor is not much different then the ones we can order at most Japanese restaurants as well and and for $10 bucks I was expecting something a bit better or at least edible. I think most restaurants would have this under 10 bucks and it would be served very fresh and crispy. read more

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Best Takoyaki I've ever had! Waited in line for 4 hrs at Japan Fes and so worth it! I want more read more

KARLSBALLS - Balls - Food Stands Near Me

Got to try the takoyaki at the Japan Festival in the Upper West Side. There was a huge line for it so we decided to try it out since everyone was going for it. The wait was a little long but they had a lot of takoyaki that was in the making so it moved a long slowly. We decided to get one order for $8 which came with 6. It came topped with a lot of sauce and kewpie, along with dried bonito flakes. There was also a piece of octopus inside each takoyaki ball. The takoyaki was good, but I had to take one star away because it felt a bit too soft. I had trouble picking up each ball with the skewer because it would be too heavy and fall through the skewer. So I felt like I had the use the skewer and scoop it in my mouth at the end. Other than that, I thought it was really good. The octopus wasn't overly tough and the takoyaki itself was nice and moist. read more

KARLSBALLS - Food Stands Near Me

After reading some of these reviews I'm tempted to go back and try again... There was a huge line for this vendor. The dough/sauces/flakes were delicious but out of the 8 we got maybe 1 edible piece of octopus (very overcooked) Is there a good time to go? read more

KARLSBALLS - The balls - Food Stands Near Me

Buried upon layers of bonita flakes is them takoyaki balls. Delish with a big chunk of octopus drizzled with some Japanese mayo. Hopefully next time we visit Japan again we can definitely get these gems. OSAKA wait for me! Until then...get them in NYC at the queens nightmarket this summer! Plus the owner Karl is funny n friendly! Insta @eatsumbap read more

KARLSBALLS - $6 for 4 takoyakis. - Food Stands Near Me

2 years ago I tried Karl's takoyaki and was instantly hooked. Fast forward to the weekend of April 29th 2018 and I had an opportunity to try Karl's takoyaki again. As usual, he didn't disappoint! I follow Karl on Instagram @karlsballs and I've watched him spend countless hours, honing his craft. He truly practices the art of kaizen. Keep up the good work and I can't wait to have more takoyaki! read more

KARLSBALLS - Food Stands Near Me

Ok, back to update my review....these are an acquired taste for sure. This is not a good item for me..and I'm pretty adventurous. BUT I did get a chance to get these again in Tokyo japan...and I will say that they where 8 dollars there, and tasted very similarly. SO if you've had these before and liked them...then Karl's balls is going to give you authentic tasting and true to Japanese form. read more