Fukuoka // Food Part 1

While in Fukuoka, we had a list of eateries to visit, but they were more back-up plans in case we couldn’t find anything suitable for the kids etc. I am way past the stage where I will hunt down the most instagrammable Japanese-French pastries or some exotically exorbitant sushi joint that requires a Japanese speaker to make reservations. Yup, Mizutani – been there, done that. Moving on.

Like most major Japanese cities, there are tons of kid-friendly options from ramen to tendons, from the freshest bounty of King Neptune to innocuous farmstock that get daily massages. In worst case scenario, there is always a convenience store (with really decent looking hot food, if I may add) or depachikas where you can easily assemble a smorgasbord of yummies.

I only had three requirements:

1. It has to taste good – doesn’t have to be great.
2. The boys can have a reasonably healthy meal with carbs, protein and vegetables.
3. The place has to be kid-friendly spatially – the last thing I want is to inconvenience a group of salarymen in a bid to get that ramen fix.

One meal that I really enjoyed was our depachika meal in Mitsukoshi. Unlike other department stores, Mitsukoshi has a smallish seating area and we were lucky to snag some seats. As we were approaching the panic hangry mode and I hurriedly bought a bunch of food consisting of Japanese fried chicken, katsudon, prawn salad and mackerel sushi. After we were done, I had to get a drink and I chanced upon this amazing otoro and chutoro sushi set that cost only 1080 Yen. Satisfying much.

One morning, we made our way to Yanagibashi Market, thinking it would be like Tsujiki in Tokyo to Nishiki market in Kyoto with eateries surrounging or within the markets. Turns out, it was just a grocery-shopping market. There weren’t many options around the market but we found a random tempura joint that looked pretty decent. We order some udon and dons. For breakfast.  

I have to say, that luscious oozy yolk atop of that kakiage don was indeed food for the soul.

It is hard to go wrong with unagi. Really, there is good unagi and there is omfg-awesome unagi. This moreish bowl of smoky charred unagi and plump glistening Japanese rice was gone sooner than it took to serve.