Nichi-Funeyama Takoyaki Main Store at Fengjia Night Market — A Never-Ending Queue for This Nostalgic Japanese Snack

Text & Photos /Orange Dog Loves Candy

Taiwan is a land where diverse international cuisines converge, but each foreign dish takes on a local twist to suit Taiwanese tastes. Steaks and burgers aside, I think the earliest foreign snacks introduced here were probably takoyaki and crêpes. After all, there’s always some suddenly viral snack that pops up in every era, from Portuguese egg tarts onwards, which has been a common occurrence. I still remember the years when takoyaki and crêpes were all the rage—just as ubiquitous as ice cream shops are today, you’d find them on every street corner.

It’s just that back then, we had no idea the versions introduced to Taiwan had already been modified in texture, but Taiwanese people really loved them and ate them for years. It wasn’t until I traveled to Japan that I discovered the real texture was completely different. Some prefer the authentic taste, while others like the modified version—but the focus of this piece is simply that I want to document 【Nichi-Funeyama Takoyaki】 XD.

Speaking of this 【Nichi-Funeyama Takoyaki】, it was probably the first to introduce this snack to Taiwan back in 1995. A small food cart, a blue canopy, black-lettered shop name—once the grill was heated, they started business. Back then, you had to queue to get some, and I remember each serving was just 35 NT dollars. Soon after, more and more imitator takoyaki stalls started popping up.

As expected, after the trend faded, many closed down, but Nichi-Funeyama remained standing strong. But it wasn’t until I started working in Taichung that I learned the original headquarters was actually based there, and they even had a huge store in Fengjia Night Market. What used to be a grab-and-go street snack now has a second-floor seating area in Fengjia Night Market.

But over a year ago, a major fire razed this almost iconic store to the ground.

Now it’s reopened at a more visible corner intersection of Wenhua Road and Fuxing Road, and the queue is still as long as ever. I came by that evening purely to relive the taste of takoyaki I hadn’t had in about a year.

But the roadside location means competing with motorbikes waiting at the traffic light, and you’re constantly breathing in exhaust fumes—not the most comfortable experience. But on weekdays, you only have to wait around 10 minutes to get your order, even though the takoyaki craze has pretty much died down.

But here, the queue remains as usual, and there are still plenty of staff busy making takoyaki.

In the end, you choose how many servings you want, then decide on toppings (like dried bonito flakes and mustard), or go with the original flavor if you skip the mustard. Now each serving is 40 NT dollars—just a 5 NT increase from a few years ago, which I think is pretty reasonable.

【Mustard Flavor Takoyaki / 6 pcs / 40 NT】
Six perfectly round takoyaki balls, topped with dancing bonito flakes, brushed with sauce, then topped with mayonnaise and mustard. From an outside perspective, it’s not much different from the original Japanese version, and their packaging box has remained unchanged for over a decade. The real difference between the Taiwanese version and the Japanese original probably lies in the outer texture and the amount of filling.
Taiwanese-style takoyaki has a firmer, chewier texture, whereas the Japanese ones I’ve had tend to be soft and mushy once you bite into them. As for the filling, the Taiwanese version is simple—cabbage and small pieces of octopus—with a crispy, chewy feel but not very filling. The Japanese version, on the other hand, is bursting with filling in every ball. The octopus pieces are bigger, and there’s also more pickled ginger.

Of course, there are also slight differences in the sauces, but Taiwanese people have their own preferences for both textures. To be honest, while I prefer the authentic, bold flavors of Japanese ramen, I actually like the Taiwanese-style takoyaki more. Though I can’t be sure if it’s just my imagination, but it feels like the octopus pieces have gotten smaller—I haven’t had it in so long that I can’t say for certain.

But honestly, I’m not used to it without the mustard—I really do like that sweet yet spicy kick. But would I say this takoyaki is mind-blowingly amazing? Not really—it’s just a nostalgic flavor. But if you also like takoyaki, you might want to try the nostalgic taste of this founding store.

I visited Fengjia Night Market on a Monday, and surprisingly, the whole place was packed with people. Almost all the popular stalls had queues—probably for things like grilled sausage in sticky rice, Nichi-Funeyama takoyaki, and Beihui Papaya Milk... Later I realized it was probably because school had just started.
A new wave of students had arrived in the city, rediscovering this bustling night market, lining up again at the same stalls they’d queued at countless times before. For me, eating a serving of takoyaki was just about reliving a taste from the past.

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◎ Shop Info: [Nichi-Funeyama Takoyaki / Takoyaki Main Store at Fengjia Night Market │ Xitun District]
◎ Address: No. 13, Wenhua Road, Xitun District, Taichung City (Intersection of Fuxing Road and Xitun Road)
◎ Phone: 04-23553899
◎ Business Hours: 3:00 PM – 12:00 AM
◎ Tip: Open year-round regardless of weather, but expect to queue
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