Takoyaki Teppachi — Restaurant in Dusseldorf

Spending the Easter weekend in Düsseldorf in Little Japan, wandered the city and needed refuelling.

Walking along Immermannstrasse, I saw a huge queue outside one of the Japanese street food restaurants. When there is a queue outside, it’s usually a sign of something good to come. Originally, I joined the queue for the takeaway hatch. Then I noticed that there was actually some space to dine indoors after a couple of groups left.

The welcome was warm and I was quickly sat down with a selection of menus. Unfortunately, there are no menus in English…. but I speak a little German and I have google translate on my camera. When you are seated, after a quick intro to the menu by the team member and an initial order of two items from the Takoyaki options and a beer, you are introduced to the online menu system. From the first item order, you’re invited to add more items via a QR code system. Again, this is in German only, so have your google translate to hand.

My only gripe with this system, is that it of course requires an internet connection. The restaurant does not offer WiFi for diners, and not all tourist diners are equally supplied by roaming data as I am.

Regardless of that, I easily added some items to my order. First of all, I ordered the Teppachi Ramen… and not long after that, a second beer.

The food, both the ramen and Takoyaki were extremely delicious and you can tell the Takoyaki is made fresh to order. The food was lovely and hot and full of flavour and texture. Feeling peckish, I added three Onigiri; Unagi, BBQ Pork, and Spicy Karaage.

The rice was perfectly cooked and the interiors were again full of flavour. By the middle of the second Onigiri I was at bursting point. Truly a meal that satisfied me.

Definitely a place to visit and experience. And don’t worry about the queue if GenZ’s… this is not an “instagram” restaurant.

Image 1. Teppachi Ramen, with Original Takoyaki and Mala Pakuchi Takoyaki Image 2. Unagi Onigiri, BBQ Pork Onigiri, Spicy Karaage Onigiri…...

I visited this place again for their Onigiri and I know my first review about it was quite negative. But I did promise I will visit again to give them another chance.

I ordered their Onigiri Set which include a Salmon and a Tuna Mayo Onigiri with pickled radish, 4 pieces of Kaarage (fried chicken) and Miso soup. Tastewise, everything was wonderful to be short. You could taste the difference between the salmon and the tuna, The chicken meat was juicy on the inside and crispy on the outside. Even the soup was quite good. It's totally worth a shot if you want a quick meal after a hard day of work!

After that amazing experience I tried out my luck again with their takoyaki and had to notice their sign they put up. It is true that traditional takoyaki are not like the ones they serve in other restaurants as a sidedish. Those from these said other restaurants are not freshly made and just fried up. Teppachi is the first place to get an authentic taste of the real thing. This time I tried their Mentai Mayo Takoyaki. Now they even come with more practical wood forks so they're easier to pick up! You gotta love the place for taking criticism so well. Even the taste was satisfying, but maybe I'm just a fried...

Please please please try their Onigiri. SO GOOD. (I just have to point this out - especially if you miss good onigiri, I have not had such a freshly made, large, tasty riced onigiri for a long long long time). It is a completely different onigiri experience compared to the ready made ones that has been sitting on the shelf for many hours. Especially on a cold winter day, eat it while it’s warm as they are freshly made after you order. We had the karaage onigiri and it was food for the soul. We sat in first and got to know you can order onigiri inside only as set but you can do takeouts of onigiri on their own so we had takoyaki inside and then onigiri takeout. Takoyaki was also really good. Also the teopachi themed art inside was super nice and also to get to show my daughter how the takoyaki and taiyaki were made was also very special. There was also a very wholesome heartwarming moment when the Japanese staff making the onigiris said to another new staff that they may eat anything they want for their lunch break. And then he made onigiri for him. The whole exchange was so heart warming to see and to know that the food was made with the hands of people with such kind...