Table of Contents:

・① Spicy but delicious! The homemade flavor of [Tsukasa]’s mentaiko tempura

・② Authentic and grilled to perfection! The charcoal grilled chicken at [KUROchan]

・③ The onion-rich gyoza of [Takechan], a sweet flavor that will keep you coming back for more!

Spicy but delicious!
The homemade flavor of [Tsukasa] ’s mentaiko tempura

“Please tell us which yatai and dish you would personally recommend!

With these words, our quest began. The first person we asked was the owner of yatai [Takechan fr Tsukasa]. Nakai san responded “Let me think. I think the mentaiko tempura at [Tsukasa] in this area is really good. They specialize in tempura and feature a lot of grilled items on their menu. I’m actually very familiar with their menu because I used to work there before opening my own stall.” 

When Nakai san worked at [Tsukasa], he and the former owner were in charge of making the tempura. “The current chef [Tsukasa] was my younger co-trainee when I worked there. Since I left to start my own place I’ve continued to frequent my former work place from time to time, and now I think he’s gotten skilled to the point where I can recommend him to anybody.” 

▲Right: [Takechan fr Tsukasa] Left: Owner Nakai san

Takechan fr Tsukasa
Separate page here
Address: 4-1 Nakasu, Hakata ward, Fukuoka City (Inside Seiryu Park)
Tel: 070-7523-7307
Hours: 18;30 PM ~ 1:00 AM
Closures: No set holidays

With Nakai san’s strict but kind words of praise for a dish he is deeply familiar with, we headed for the area of the Naka River next to Canal City Fukuoka to visit [Tsukasa] ourselves. 

As we stepped inside we caught a glance of the menu. Written there we found not only “mentaiko tempura”, but “homemade mentaiko tempura”!  

Homemade mentaiko? Yatai owner Nishimura san replied “Yes, that’s right. Our karashi mentaiko is homemade and we pickle them inhouse. While it depends on several factors such as the quality of the roe and time of year, we pickle the mentaiko for several weeks and for this reason it’s the most elaborate item on our menu. We have other popular tempura with different seasonal availabilities, but right now I recommend the tempura made with anago eel from Tsushima Island.”

Mentaiko tempura 1,000 yen 

The store recommended anago eel tempura from Tsushima Island 1,000 Yen

The mentaiko tempura is wrapped in shiso leaves and batter and fried to crispy perfection. Tempura made at yatai are always fresh and are a cut above in terms of quality.

According to Nishimura san he’s thought about adding ramen to the menu when he changes the menu in order to mirror other yatai. However, to protect [Tsukasa]’s legacy he has held off on introducing other items and continues to focus on the tempura that has made the stall famous for the past 40+ years. 

While we could clearly perceive the challenges that come with inheriting a mainstay like [Tsukasa], by continuing until the present day we were able to try something truly unique in the mentaiko tempura and enjoy a moment of culinary bliss. 

▲[Tsukasa] Owner Nishimura san

Tsukasa

Separate page here
Address: 1-8 Nakasu, Hakata ward, Fukuoka City (Inside Seiryu Park)
Hours: 18;00 PM ~ 23:00 PM
Closures: No set holidays

Authentic and grilled to perfection! The charcoal grilled chicken at [KUROchan] 

To get to our next target we followed the Naka river towards the sea (roughly north) leading out of the Nakasu area for about 10 minutes. This brought us to the Uranakasu Nakashimamachi area. In recent years the increasing number of new yatai has brought it into the spotlight. 

[Furai Kenbo] is the name of a yatai that has been operating for nearly 40 years, and we asked second generation stall owner Yasunaga san for his personal recommendation. 

[For me? I have to recommend the stall across the street [KUROchan] and their charcoal grilled free range chicken. This is an item you won’t often find on other yatai menus, and you can’t miss the sensory experience of biting into the freshly grilled free range chicken.”

▲Left: [Furai Kenbo]’s Yasunaga san Right: [Furai Kenbo] yatai

Furai Kenbo

Separate page here
Address: 5-5 Nakasu, Hakata ward, Fukuoka City (In front of the Meiji Yasuda Hall)
Tel: 090-1979-7296
Hours: 18;30 PM ~ 1:00 AM
Closures: No set holidays

[KUROchan] is a popular yatai and tends to be filled with regulars. As we approached the noren curtain we could hear the lively sounds of laughter and banter from within. 

Sumibiyaki, or charcoal grilled chicken, is one of Miyazaki prefecture’s soul foods. For this reason it doesn’t come as much of a surprise that [KUROchan]’s chef and owner, Kuroki san, is from Miyazaki. Offering a flavor of home to Fukuoka’s eager diners, in his stall there is a sticker that proudly states “This is a Miyazaki affiliated store”. 

The bright color of the flames emanating from the grill and familiar scent of charcoal give this the unmistakable seal of authenticity. It’s hard to imagine that all of this is possible inside a yatai. A piece of grilled bone-in thigh is placed before us on a hot griddle. “My older brother runs a free range chicken sumibiyaki restaurant in Fukuoka. We use only the freshest Itoshima-sourced chicken. I recommend taking some of this spicy yuzu kosho (a kind of citrusy pepper paste) and eating your chicken with it. Make sure to eat while it’s still hot!” It is delicious, combining both intensely savory flavors with a pleasant texture. The yuzu kosho paste only further enhances the flavor.

Free range chicken sumibiyaki 1,300 yen

Kuroki san also recommends another specialty: the slow cooked pork rib cartilage stew. 

The cartilage is soft and easy to eat, but comes with a spicy dipping sauce that provides a kick. The soup is thick and packed with flavor. We find ourselves totally blindsided by this unexpectedly delicious dish. Noticing how we’ve been ensorcelled by the flavors, Kuroki san says “I only put out food that I would eat myself. That’s how I guarantee the quality”. Before we know it, we’ve cleaned our bowls. 

The slow cooked pork rib cartilage stew 500 yen 

According to Kuroki san [KUROchan] was recently featured on a Korean YouTuber’s channel, leading to a sizable increase in Korean guests to the yatai. On the day we visited there was actually an impressive individual who, in their 2 week stay in Fukuoka, had managed to visit five times. In this small and somewhat cramped space there was a convivial energy peppered with the conversation and laughter of visitors and locals alike. Indeed, it’s times like this that help us remember what make yatai so special. 

▲Left: [KUROchan]’s Kuroki san Right; The warm and friendly atmosphere inside the yatai

KUROchan

Separate page here

Address: 1 Nakashimamachi, Nakasu, Hakata ward, Fukuoka City (In front of Fukuoka K-Square)

Tel: 080-4608-9105

Hours: 18;30 PM ~ 1:00 AM

Closures: No set holidays

The onion-rich gyoza of [Takechan], a sweet flavor that will keep you coming back for more!

Our next stop was a fellow yatai in the same Uranakasu area. Called [Hakata Yatai Tsuna Tsuna], it opened in July of 2023. As it turns out, the owner Kogawa san is apparently the youngest yatai owner in all of Fukuoka. What could somebody who worked part-time in yatais since they were a student, somebody who passed the requirements to open his own yatai at such a young age, have to recommend? 

▲Left: [Hakata Yatai Tsuna Tsuna]’s Kogawa san Right: [Hakata Yatai Tsuna Tsuna]

Hakata Yatai Tsuna Tsuna 

Separate page here
Address: 1 Nakashimamachi, Nakasu, Hakata ward, Fukuoka City (In front of Fukuoka K-Square)
Tel: 080-8585-7849
Hours: 18;00 PM ~ 1:00 AM
Closures: No set holidays

When asked Kogawa san replied “I think I’d have to go with [Takechan], which is where I worked part-time when I was a student. Broadly speaking, Hakata is generally well known for its one-bite gyoza, but the gyoza at [Takechan] are special. So special in fact that I’d even wager to make them their own category of gyoza entirely. It has the sweetness of onions and a light yet robust flavor. The flavor of the ingredients are very discernable, and although there is yuzu kosho, I prefer to eat the gyoza as they are.”

As a matter of fact, [Kojima Shouten]’s Kojima san had also recommended [Takechan]’s gyoza to us. 

“The gyoza there are all made completely by hand and it’s clear they put a lot of effort into the sourcing of the ingredients. The yuzu kosho is also made by hand and you can taste the expertise of a true veteran in every bite. The first time you taste one make sure to eat it without applying any flavorings to truly savor the sweetness of the onion. Then, try dipping it in the accompanying sauce, and then finally the yuzu kosho to experience the many dimensions of flavor.”

▲Left: [Kojima Shouten] Right: Kojima san

Kojima Shouten

Separate page here
Address: 1-8 Nakasu, Hakata ward, Fukuoka City (Inside Seiryu Park)
Tel: 090-9575-1200
Hours: 19;00 PM ~ 1:00 AM
Closures: No set holidays

So with all of this having been said, we headed over to [Takechan] and ordered ourselves some gyoza.

Unlike the previous yatai we’ve visited, this one comes with a notice when ordering. The staff tell us “You can only order food once. Additional orders can only be placed for beverages.” 

This yatai was once introduced on a popular TV program by a celebrity, and because of the constant lines, they are now using this ordering style in order to allow more people to taste the gyoza.

▲Left: Takeuchi san Right: [Takechan] yatai

Each plate of gyoza comes with 8 pieces. When we were made the recommendation, we were told that we could order as many plates as we wanted, so without hesitation we said “Two plates please!” 

“My father learned how to make gyoza at Hountei, a famous restaurant in Nakasu. When he set off to start his own business, rather than open up a brick and mortar establishment he decided on opening this yatai. He takes onions from Awajishima and then lets them rest for a bit to extract more of the sweetness from them. A generous amount of onion (about 20 kg) are used in the preparation, and they are thoroughly mixed with homemade minced pork. We also add chives and other ingredients, but only to the extent that they do not interfere with the sweetness of the onions,” says the owner, Takeuchi san.

The gyoza (one-bite serving has 8 pieces), 700 yen *depicted are two orders

As the one-bite gyoza are delivered to my table, they are brown and crisped to perfection. Kogawa san was right, these are unlike any gyoza we’ve ever had, with a perfect blend of sweet and savory flavors. They are light and feature little garlic, ensuring that the aroma of the garlic does not interfere with the sweetness of the onion. Probably could have been ordered one or two more servings for good measure- they’re that good. 

Because of the time required to prepare the food, the stall is only open three to four days a week. If you see it open, make sure to give it a try. 

Takechan

Separate page here
Address: 1-8 Nakasu, Hakata ward, Fukuoka City (Inside Seiryu Park)
Tel: 090-9479-6348
Hours: 18;30 PM ~ 12:30 AM
Closures: No set holidays

The menus introduced here are just a few of the many options available at Hakata yatai stalls in Fukuoka. To fully enjoy the charms and idiosyncrasies of the yatai we recommend checking out several during your visit so that you can compare them.