Taiyaki House, Anchorage AK

If you’d like the perfect Japanese Alaskan fusion food, look no further than reindeer taiyaki.  You’ll find them at the Anchorage weekend market, at the Taiyaki House stand.

Taiyaki are Japanese cakes filled with sweet anko red bean paste and named for their fish shape – tai is sea bream and yaki means grilled.

Turns out they’re also quite tasty when made with reindeer sausage and cheddar cheese instead, creating a melty, savory contrast to the slightly sweet pancake exterior.

Everything is cooked to order by one of the three “grill masters”, who are happy to chat with you while you wait (and, in my case, watch the process).

Besides reindeer, there are also bacon and chocolate, “cheese goo”, and traditional red bean versions available.  I had to try the bacon and chocolate, which is actually bacon and Nutella – another great combination.

Knowing that I’d get hungry on our redeye flight, I got a couple extras to take on the plane as a handy, self-contained snack.

Finding taiyaki made on an authentic cast iron grill may have been the biggest surprise of my Alaska trip – cheers and good luck to the Taiyaki House crew!