An Octopi Pie Party!

Do you remember this guy?

Or how about this cuter version from my recent trip to Osaka?

December 20th was Haruku's birthday, and being from Osaka, he decided that he wanted to celebrate with a "create-your-own takoyaki party.  Now, for those of you who might not remember, takoyaki is a Japanese fritter-like food stuffed with octopus and other yummy things.  It was originally created in Osaka, and while it has become popular all over Japan, the best place to eat is still Osaka.

Osaka takoyaki

Anyway, getting back to the story....  Sarah and I decided it would be fun to surprise the birthday boy with a special dessert --  an Octopi Pie!  Okay, so maybe that's a slight misnomer (but it has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?)   We actually decided to make egg tarts -- another goodie found in Osaka (though originally from China) -- with a special twist. 

Ummm.... not quite!

The day of the party, there were all kinds of takoyaki fillers -- cheese, fruit, wasabi, Korean kimichi, pickled plums, sausage, and Sarah's chocolate (for chocoyaki, which happened to be not too bad!)

Haruku making takoyaki (l. to r.: Haruku, Joanna, me, Youko, Sarah, Mami)

Mami and Daisuke making yakisoba and misoshiru

Yakisoba (fried noodles) and takoyaki (or maybe its cheezuyaki!)

After dinner, it was time for the big reveal... which as most desserts, ended up being cuter than they tasted.

 

Oh well!  At least we were prepared with a back-up cheese cake that didn't dye everyone's tongues red ...

 ... and an adorable birthday card (if I do say so myself!)