BeanFish: A present day acquire on the ‘donut of Japan,’ & only taiyaki foods truck in U.S.

The only thing that could potentially be superior than a stuffed waffle, is a stuffed waffle in the condition of a minor fish, or else identified as taiyaki, a Japanese fish-formed, cake-like treat from the early 1900s.

“It is really fairly significantly Japan’s #1 comfort foods, which you can pretty much come across on each and every avenue corner or at every single prepare station in Japan,” stated Brady Woo, proprietor of BeanFish food truck in the International District. “It can be kind of like the donut of Japan in phrases of record and recognition – like the donut is in the States.”

BeanFish is a reimagined, artisanal get on the Japanese culinary tradition and is the only taiyaki food truck in the United States.

Woo acquired how to make taiyaki though residing in Japan, wherever he ended up working in a smaller taiyaki store supporting a grandmother with her enterprise.

“I in essence just begged her to enable me aid mainly because it was more successful for me when I didn’t have anything at all else to do,” claimed Woo. “I did it as a finding out practical experience.”

Though traditional taiyaki commonly attributes an azuki bean or custard filling, Woo observed opportunity for a little something new and exclusive, together with a Fruity Pebbles development known as Harajuku Chic and a savory breakfast waffle stuffed with bacon, tots and cheese aptly named mmmBacon.

“The full time, I was wondering ‘taiyaki is genuinely just a car for flavor,’ so I figured that a person could things the waffles with anything at all,” reported Woo. “So in excess of the past 8 several years, we’ve grown the menu from two fillings up to 17 or 18 – at times we do specials, so it can typically hit 20 distinct sweet and savory fillings.”

Woo’s artisanal taiyaki even produced it about to Japan, in which they were featured twice on nationwide tv.

“[Japan] was blown absent when BeanFish did savory taiyaki,” said Woo. “They were freaked out simply because no a single in Japan assumed about undertaking savory taiyaki about the final 100 a long time.”

Irrespective of the first shock, Woo said that BeanFish and its imaginative get on taiyaki has been effectively acquired in its culinary homeland.

Aside from artisanal flavors like Gimme S’mores (chocolate chips, jumbo marshmallow and crushed fortune cookies) and Roscoe San (katsu chicken and slaw with sweet crimson chili sauce and Tillamook cheddar cheese), BeanFish also presents taiyaki in the classic azuki bean (Jiro) and custard filling (Colonel Custard).

“There is pretty a lot a thing for all people,” claimed Woo when requested about his flavors. “I assume it suits each and every demographic – male, female, puppy or frog, there is some thing for absolutely everyone.”

BeanFish’s success as Seattle’s only taiyaki mobile foods truck led them to lease a brick-and-mortar room that will be positioned in the Uwajimaya foods corridor in the Worldwide District. Woo expects the house to be up and running in 6 months.

“One reason for beginning BeanFish was to keep the custom of taiyaki alive – it really is a dying artwork – and give other people the option to try it,” explained Woo. “We’ve developed a exclusive solution, and after individuals uncover out about it, they welcome their discovery.”

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