Gantetsu-Ya

This is the restaurant across from Ganko, the ramen place- some of the other reviews here on yelp seem to be referencing Ganko so just wanted to make they clear! Gantetsu-Ya was recommended to me as an okonomiyaki restaurant, and I was excited to see pictures of Hiroshima style okonomiyaki as well as takoyaki. Unfortunately, upon arriving today, I learned they no longer serve okonomiyaki and don't really have plans to bring it back. Pretty disappointing, but understandable. Then I learn that though they have takoyaki listed as available on saturdays/sundays, they don't have that either! We ended up trying the Karaage and the gyoza and I must say the karaage was very very good- great chicken meat and super flavorful. It seems that Gantetsu-Ya serves mostly to make appetizers for its sister restaurant Ganko, which had a quite long line of people waiting for ramen today! All in all the Karaage was excellent and the feel of the space was authentic, but without okonomiyaki nor takoyaki it felt a bit lacking. As long as your expectations are realistic for what this place offers, then you'll be fine, and that's why I felt the need to share this review ASAP after our trip there, as we didn't see anything online about there no longer being okonomiyaki nor takoyaki.

First time here - tried the karaage (Traditional fried chicken)! We were disappointed that they were doing takeout only, but the 10-15 min wait was fully worth the tender, juicy, and lightly fried to perfection chicken which we quickly devoured. Honestly one of the best karaage we've had in Boston, and the staff was helpful as well. Unfortunately, they are not selling okonomiyaki currently. $9 for 4 juicy pieces of 7 oz. chicken thigh goodness!! This place is a hidden gem within Brookline.

Gantetsu-Ya is located at 318 Harvard Street in Brookline, MA. It is located in the neighborhood Arcade Building. The restaurant specializes in Japanese street food, particularly two well known dishes, takoyaki and okonomiyaki. The restaurant is also owned by the same company as the very popular Ganko Ittetsu Ramen, which is also located in the same building. I having been reading that the restaurant would be opening up in September in the same building but to my surprise, they are located directly across from each other. The close proximity is strategic as the two restaurants will bring customers to each other. You can't help but see the other restaurant. If the wait for ramen at Ganko Ittetsu Ramen is long, patrons can easily grab an order of takoyaki at Gantetsu-Ya. Takoyaki is a very popular street snack in Japan. I have had takoyaki at several restaurants in the area. Gantetsu-Ya is definitely in my top three. One order came with eight doughy squid balls. When I say doughy, I mean the inside is not cooked through. And this is how it should be, somewhat oozy on the inside and with a nice chunk of tako (squid). If a restaurant serve this dish cooked through, it's kind of like passing a fully boiled egg off as a poached egg? Okonomiyaki, another Japanese Street food favorite, is a savory pancake that is filled with vegetables and meats. It usually has lots of shredded cabbage for vegetable and usually pork for protein. There is also a layer of noodles too. Everything is typically wrapped in a layer of egg and common toppings include otafuku sauce, Japanese mayonnaise, scallions, dried bonito flakes, aonori (dried green seaweed flakes). As for the okonomiyaki options at Gantetsu-Ya, you can choose from five versions. They vary slightly but all have some common ingredients such as sliced cabbage, noodles, and an egg layer. The original version contains sliced pork belly and sliced cabbage. The Mayo-cheese version has American cheese. The Negi-Mayo version is kind of like the original but with Japanese mayonnaise as one if the toppings and extra green onions. The Veggie version has mushrooms. And lastly, the seafood version has shrimp and yari-ika which is a type of small squid. Definitely look over the ingredients and pick what you like. As for myself, I tried the seafood okonomiyaki. This was only my second time having okonomiyaki. The first time was at another Japanese restaurant (Ittoku). The okonomiyaki at Gantetsu-Ya was definitely more filling. I don't know about others but after finishing a bowl of ramen from the ramen restaurant across the store, I only had room enough for one takoyaki ball and a teeny bite of the okonomiyaki. If you want to try these two items first before heading over to try the ramen next door, there might not be enough room for ramen after. It's a tough decision. Or maybe just bring a friend. The interior of the restaurant is designed to look like you're in Japan. Very small, with about three tables for seating. The wait for one takoyaki and one okonomiyaki was about 15 minutes. There was no one waiting before us so I am unsure what other people wait time was. The service was polite. Price was fair. I would definitely come back. See my pictures.

This okonomiyaki eatery is hidden away in the same plaza as the Ganko ramen shop. I think it is an affiliate brand, but can not verify that with certainty. Either way it's a great place to have a bite to eat with waiting in the long ramen line across the way. This eatery has quite a few Okonomiyaki options including pork, veggies, and seafood. They also have Takoyaki as well. Since it was my first visit, and I had just had a giant bowl of ramen, I ordered the veggie Okonomiyaki. This dish was made fresh to order so it took a little longer than I anticipated. It includes noodles, cabbage, bean sprouts, mushrooms, and otafuku sauce (since I opted for no egg or oil). It was extremely hot when I was served and didn't cool down for awhile.The staff was friendly and even called out my order using my first name. This made it easier not to grab some other patrons item. Since they have a small menu it's definitely a necessity.

Very simple and decent for a snack. The hand made Yaki (I believe) gyoza was simple and flavorful. The most surprising thing was, it didn't have the taste of overbearing cornstarch (if any was placed) and instead has a decent consistency all around within and a lightly cooked outside. The only critique I would give is a side of ponzu sauce could make this the perfect balance which would allow for a touch of both sweet and savory.So, if you're on this side of Brookline, don't forget to try these little cuties (not the fruit) as a nice warm snack!

Good street-fare in a cool location. Atmosphere/ambience is hip hop Japanese izakaya sans the alcohol. Just three high tops of four seats each and some standing room to eat and drink looking into the small kitchen. Service is decent. They've picked up pace with Ganko taking orders from them for their sit down customers. Turn around time during weekday dinner was 12 minutes from ordering to delivery. Food is on point. This isn't fancy fare. It's Japanese fast food. Okonomiyaki is literally a pancake filled with cabbage, noodles, some protein, and sweet and/or mayo-like sauces. I had the Negi-Mayo with pork and mayo as the variants. It was very good, filling, you only need to order one and might not finish it as a whole meal. Nothing fancy but it'll do. Ingredients seemed pretty quality. Price is okay. $14 for okonomyaki is high but location matters and this was a more substantial okonomiyaki than I've had in the past both in and outside Japan. I'll return if Gankos wait is too long again

I went here two months ago for a quick bite. I ordered the takoyaki and okonomiyaki. There were only three tables but luckily I was able to grab one. The takoyaki and okonomiyaki took a few minutes to prepare. Both were piping hot. I didn't like how they added pickled ginger inside the takoyaki. It wasn't my cup of tea. The okonomiyaki was good though it had too much sauce.

Gantetsu-Ya is a great new addition Ganko Ittetsu Ramen restaurant group. I went around 1:45 pm on a weekday and there was no line--score! If you want to dine in, they have about 3 tables. Similar to its sister ramen restaurant across the hall, it's a cozy little nook that's perfect for grabbing a quick bite. I originally planned to get their signature takoyaki (delicious fried dough balls w/ octopus), but opted for the veggie okonomiyaki since my server said that would be more of a meal if I was really hungry (which I was.) They make a Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki which I hadn't tried before! The style I'm familiar with has more flour and is more pancake-like in its consistency. This one swaps in noodles for batter, which was an interesting new twist for me to try. The dish is PACKED with flavor! At about $15, the okonomiyaki does feel a bit expensive for lunch, but it was a very generous portion--enough for me to pack my leftovers for another day. Regardless, I'll definitely be back to visit soon, and I'm looking forward to trying the takoyaki next!

This place is pretty good but I really only come here while waiting for their ramen across the hall. I got their original okonomiyaki and takoyaki. The okonomiyaki was delicious and the cabbage was cooked to perfection. Sometimes I find that the cabbage is raw but this place did not let me down. The takoyaki was just okay - I think its because it was made and just sitting there. I understand though because it takes a while to make it. Still tasty!

Small and not much ambiance. Food is amazing. Definitely recommend tan tan. Love for take out.