Pre-make the batter. It can hang out in the fridge, covered and the flour can really get hydrated, making the batter smooth. It’ll help the crispiness of the outsides.
Use a lot of oil. Oil is what is going to make the outsides crispy and easy to flip.
Use a generous amount of batter. Professional takoyaki vendors almost always overfill the takoyaki cavities and stuff the excess inside the ball so that each ball is perfectly round. Top up the batter if needed.
Move the balls around. After the takoyaki are lightly grilled and hold their shape, move them around the pan. Lots of home takoyaki pans are uneven so moving them around with help with browning.
Kewpie mayo. This is essential to finishing off your takoyaki. Gives takoyaki that iconic look.
Bonito flakes. These flakes are what make your takoyaki look like it’s dancing! They are delicate, paper thin shaved dried fish that wave around from the hot steam of the takoyaki. They are super savory.
Seaweed. A little green sprinkle of powdered seaweed.
