A crowd stands outside a tiny hole-in-the-wall stand on 9^th Street, between 2^nd and 3^rd Avenue. As you look closer, you see that most of them are eating small balls covered in a dark sauce. Takoyaki, known as Japanese octopus balls, is a street snack that is widely popular in Japan. This dish has made its mark here to Japanese and Americans alike. Otafuku is where you can get one of the most tasty and authentic takoyaki in New York City. On the East Village tour, this destination is one of the highlights where you can experience real Japanese street food!

Served straight off the takoyaki cast iron pan, you can feel the heat emanating from the plate. Take one bite and you find yourself pleasantly surprised, tasting both sweet and savory flavors. The octopus in the middle provides a nice chewiness through the dense batter and katsuobushi (fish shavings) enhances the seafood intensity. The ponzu brings the acidity that cuts the oil and the okonomiyaki sauce adds another layer of sweetness. There is also mayonnaise that brings out fatty flavor to the takoyaki. Immense pleasure overcomes you; your stomach satisfied.

You get to try takoyaki and Otafuku on our East Village Tour! Please check out our website for more details. Be sure to give us your impression on this dish when you participate in our food tour!

Bon Chon, also known as Korean Fried Chicken, is the famous and trendiest wing available in New York City, the center of culinary arts! The New York Food Tours team ventures into Boka, where Bon Chon is served. We cannot wait to taste and experience their popular spicy wings.

Can we say tempting and tantalizing? We quickly munch away at these small crispy pieces of fried chicken. Even though they are not that spicy, they are good enough so you can taste the little kick of heat in your tongue. It is not oily or sticky like Buffalo wings, but it is just as tasty if not more so. We notice that all the other patrons order bon chon with beer just like they would with Buffalo wings. Who can go wrong with that combination? You are guaranteed tasty bar and snack food by ordering both beer and wings.

Boka is one of the restaurants you walk past when you go on our Original East Village Food Tasting and Cultural Tour, so make sure to check it out. You get to experience many other restaurants and different foods in the East Village, so be sure to prepare your stomach for a culinary and historic adventure.

It can be difficult to comprehend the “New York lifestyle” just by standing in Times Square, seeing the Statue of Liberty, and walking down 5^th Avenue. Here at New York Food Tours, we believe that the best way to understand the history and culture of any place is by eating! Known to be a culinary center and melting pot, New York is comprised of numerous cultures that range from American to Vietnamese to Ukrainian. Since there are so many restaurants and food stands to choose from, New York Food Tours is here to show you where to go and what fun, interesting, and tasty things there are to eat around this marvelous city.

There are a number of different tours we provide such as:

• The Ultimate New York Food & Culture Tour
• The Original East Village Food Tasting and Cultural Tour
• Everything Chocolate!
• Exotic Southeast Asian
• The First Multicultural Wine & Beer Tour
• Healthy Asian Food Tasting and Cultural Tour

And many more! Visit and explore our website for more details and listings of the food walking tours we provide: http://foodtoursofny.com. You can also check out our Facebook and Twitter page for updates and current events.

If you want to read more about a particular food or restaurant, feel free to send an email to info@foodtoursofny.com and title your email – Blog Idea.  Also, leave a comment if you have something to say or just want to say hi. We are happy to start conversations and learn more about this food-centric city together.

We hope to hear from our readers and fans in the future. Happy Eating!

Times Square Photo Courtesy of d.dawg