Only an hour and a half until the appointed time... I used this place to adjust my schedule. The staff, although speaking broken Japanese, provided pleasant customer service. The owner was also very energetic and attentive, which was nice. I had sesame tofu and eggplant gratin. The appetizer was served hot and was delicious. I'm not sure what it was, but it seemed like some kind of tempura. The sesame tofu had a unique taste, with a smooth and delicious sesame broth. The eggplant gratin had a tomato sauce on top and was very creamy. I only had a little bit because I had somewhere else to be, but I would love to try more dishes if I have the chance next time.

Warakitare is a well-established restaurant in Nakasu Kawabata Shopping Street, with a warm-hearted owner. I had visited this place two years ago with my boss, who was a regular here. I had forgotten about it until recently when I planned to go drinking with a friend in Nakasu. The restaurant is located in the basement of a building that also houses a famous curry shop in Nakasu Kawabata Shopping Street. Although the lady who used to run the place had retired, the atmosphere remained the same. The restaurant has tables and semi-private rooms, but the counter is the main spot for solo drinkers. The recommended sashimi dish included a small abalone, which I ate by pouring lemon and ponzu sauce over it, akin to a "namera" style of drinking. It was delicious. I also tried the grilled mackerel, sesame tofu, shrimp chili, and they were all consistently tasty. The owner mentioned that they can accommodate special requests for dishes not on the menu if they have the ingredients, especially during less busy times. I ended up having a great conversation with the owner at the counter, and his words about the importance of finding the right balance in running a restaurant resonated with me.

First visit. It was run by two people, but they were energetic. There were group customers, and a group of five people entered later. I was prepared to be approached as mentioned in other reviews, but they seemed busy, which was just right for me (laughs). Normally, sashimi starts from two servings, but they made it for one person. The seared mackerel sashimi was delicious with the fatty part melting in the mouth. The recommended red clam was also tasty. I added the recommended mirugai, which had a good texture and was delicious. I wanted to try more dishes, but I had to leave for a bit, so I'll come back for more next time. Please keep some Kumamoto sake for me (laughs). Appetizer Sashimi assortment (1 serving) Mirugai sashimi \1200 Manzakumideta Total \4630

The food, starting with the fresh fish, is delicious overall. The prices are reasonable. The staff is friendly and nice.

On this day, my husband had a drinking party, so I decided to go out for a drink as well. However, the restaurant I had in mind was fully booked. I wandered around the Kawabata shopping street, and found a restaurant with a signboard on the roadside. I looked at the menu placed nearby and thought that I could have some delicious sashimi there. So, I went down the stairs and entered the underground restaurant. When I opened the sliding door, I made eye contact with the staff in the middle of the counter. I told them I was alone, and they guided me to a seat at the counter. I sat in the corner. The staff were all very cheerful and greeted me with a warm smile, saying "Welcome!" which made me feel relieved. I ordered a draft beer first. Then, since I wanted to have sashimi, I asked for a sashimi assortment for one person. While waiting for the sashimi, the young chef recommended sesame tofu to me, so I decided to try it. The homemade sesame tofu was soft and had a slightly sweet cream on top. The sesame flavor was not too strong, making it easy to eat. When my beer was finished, I switched to sake and had a glass of "Ame no Tsuki" Junmai sake. It was Friday night, so more and more groups of guests with reservations were coming in. The back rooms and private rooms were filling up quickly. The kitchen also seemed very busy. After a short wait, the sashimi assortment arrived. It was quite a generous portion for one person. The assortment included sea bream, flounder, mackerel, seared salmon, sardine, Pacific saury, octopus, and abalone. I noticed that the abalone was moving slightly on the plate, which surprised me. However, all my concerns disappeared after the first bite. It was really delicious. The abalone was chewy yet full of flavor. I had always thought that abalone and turban shell were better cooked than eaten raw, but this place completely changed my biased opinion. The other sashimi was also fresh and tasty. Especially the mackerel, with its vivid bloodline, was fresh and had no fishy smell at all. Along with the sashimi, I had the recommended "Gokyo" chilled sake. It was poured generously into the glass, and even when a new sake bottle was opened, the surface tension was maintained as it overflowed into the masu cup, which was a great service. It had a sweetness and richness that made it a delicious sake. Perhaps because I was alone, the lovely motherly figure, called "Machi-chan," and the staff from the kitchen took turns talking to me, making my experience enjoyable. I also noticed that there was no smell of cigarette smoke in the restaurant. It might have been because the customers at the counter happened to not smoke. The total bill came to 3400 yen. I had a very satisfying evening, enjoying delicious sashimi and drinks in a pleasant atmosphere. The owner saw me off with a cheerful smile, even though they must have been very busy. I would love to visit this place again.

This is a seafood izakaya located in Kawabata Shotengai. The taste and service are excellent, and I have been coming to this place for about 6 years (sometimes once a month, sometimes once every six months). The restaurant has counter seats, tatami seating, and tables. The tatami seating doesn't have sunken kotatsu tables, so it can be a bit tight on the legs. Recently, I visited with 4 adults. We ordered: - Sesame tofu x2 (each 420 yen) - Omelette-style egg roll - Sesame mackerel - Assorted sashimi (including seared horse mackerel) for 2 people - Shrimp chili mayo - Lettuce wraps with minced meat miso - Vinegared oysters x2 - Potato fry croquettes x2 (4 in total) - 4 rice balls (each 300 yen) I highly recommend the sesame tofu. It has a chewy texture and is very creamy with whipped cream on top. Most of the menu items or today's specials are recommended by the staff, who are very friendly and helpful. They offer a wide variety of drinks, and with 4 people drinking, the bill came to 20,000 yen! Such a great value! Lastly, they served sweet potato to female customers only, and it was delicious! The fresh fish (the shrimp in the sashimi set had been moving just an hour before!) is offered at a reasonable price, and the staff are all very friendly, making it a very cozy and welcoming place. I will definitely be visiting again soon.

I was gracefully rejected by "Tsukiyoshi" on this day... so, how about the one I've been interested in for a while, "Warakitare"! It's located underground in the Kawabata shopping street. Walking like this, being careful not to pass by! As soon as I entered, they greeted me enthusiastically, "Welcome!! Please, have a seat!" I started to feel a bit anxious if I came sober, but I sat at the counter. Well, let's start with a toast with beer! I ordered enoki and spinach ohitashi. I actually like this! The menu looks like this. There was a separate grand menu. I forgot the name, but there was a "whatever salad" (laughs)... I asked what kind of salad it was, and they said, "It's a salad! Normal! Um, green!" Oh, a green salad. Too vague to understand at all (laughs). Anyway, I also ordered "Grilled Scallop Sashimi for 790 yen" and "Grilled Eggplant"! While waiting, Shin-chan (head chef) and Acchan (manager) continued their rapid-fire talk. It became like a side dish, and before I knew it, I was toasting with them. (laughs) The salad arrived quickly, and oh, it's green, green. All green. A typical salad. Just a salad! The taste is probably as you would imagine (laughs). The scallops arrived~! With myoga, shiso, momiji oroshi, and green onions... lots of condiments! Looks so beautiful. It must be delicious, right? The rare grilled texture was as expected, delicious! The grilled eggplant was also to my liking. I felt like having some sashimi, so I ordered octopus and mackerel. I'm not a fan of mackerel, but this octopus was amazing!!! It had a texture close to raw octopus (or was it raw octopus?) and it was delicious! It's amazing with sesame salt! See? See? Looks delicious, right? It's really delicious! You don't need soy sauce. It's okay as it is. After eating such delicious food and drinking, the staff kept serving me alcohol (laughs). Ah, it was so much fun♪ The staff members with their full Hakata dialect approach you with a rapid-fire talk, but if you're a fan, you might really like it♪ But when talking about work or serious matters, they will quietly leave you alone. I like this type, so they are added to my favorites list! Decision made!

Seafood izakaya located in the basement of Kawabata shopping street. This was my third visit, with the first one being 10 years ago when they first opened. My friend from Kansai and I visited without a reservation at 6 pm and luckily got seats at the counter. <Menu> - Sashimi platter for two (2400 yen) including medium fatty tuna, small abalone, shrimp, sea bream, horse mackerel, flounder, octopus, seared scallop, and sesame mackerel - Grilled sesame mackerel (840 yen) with a delicious sauce - Grilled turban shell with plenty of green onions - Assorted pickles - Grilled fish...I forgot (lol) - Enjoyed a draft beer and sweet potato shochu (Tama Roku) throughout the meal We had a great time chatting with the staff and enjoyed the meal for about 2 hours. Thank you for the feast!

I caught a cold for the first time in a few years, probably because I've been busy lately. It's been hard to recover this time. Due to the cold, I couldn't go to Tokyo and had to stay at home, which caused a delay in posting articles. The Santa Claus staff welcomed us energetically and kindly. We started with a toast with beer. We asked the staff to serve the dishes as they saw fit. The appetizer was "U-no-hana" which was quite delicious. The sesame mackerel was recommended by the chef. There was a special dish called "Chilled Crab Soup" which was mild in taste. There was a sashimi platter with sweet shrimp served last in miso soup. The quality of the sashimi was average. The simmered red sea bream was well seasoned and tasty. The miso soup with fan shrimp didn't have much fan shrimp in it. With 8 people, it was hard to keep track of who had what. I apologize for not being able to provide more detailed information.

This is a restaurant located in Nakasu Kawabata. When we arrived with three people after 6 pm, there were no available seats. We had to choose between sitting outside or at a small table near the entrance with three people. Since it was very cold outside, we opted to sit near the entrance. The staff members were constantly changing, greeting us one after another. It seemed like they were trying to find time to attend to the customers. It must be tough to handle new customers all the time. Despite that, we were pleased with the service. We ordered recommended dishes one after another. The sashimi platter had a variety of fish and shellfish. The abalone was still moving, which was a rare experience for me. The mackerel seemed to be from the Goto Islands and was delicious and firm. I love shellfish, so I was happy to find a variety of affordable options on the menu. They also served simmered dishes and included whelk as an appetizer. The restaurant had a diverse menu, and I thought it was a great place.

I have been commuting from Saga City for about 5-6 years now. I first discovered this place in a guidebook, where it said the opening time was 5:03, which caught my interest. As soon as I entered, I was greeted with a big, lively welcome from the staff. Ever since then, I always psych myself up before entering. We have fun exchanging jokes and the sake just keeps flowing. Sometimes you need to make a reservation to get in. If there's a specific fish you want to eat, you can request it the day before and they'll make it for you. A highly recommended dish to go with the sake is a combination of cream cheese and sake lees - just this alone can make you drink 4 cups of sake! Anyway, you have to stay focused and not lose your spirit, otherwise it won't be as enjoyable.

The night of a business trip to Hakata is long. After indulging in food and drinks with an expense account, taking a short break to sing, I casually stopped by this restaurant located in the same shopping street. It's located on the basement floor of a building with various food and drink establishments. As I descended the stairs thinking any place to drink would do, I noticed a high-class sushi restaurant, but the two staff members who seemed to be busy with something hurried off without even saying "welcome". Not feeling like entering such a place, I headed towards this restaurant across the street (by the way, that sushi restaurant is known to be a high-end establishment in Hakata). Now, this restaurant may look like an ordinary izakaya, but the experience after being seated is quite something. As mentioned in other reviews, the staff members will constantly engage you in conversation. Where are you from, what do you do for work, what have you eaten in Hakata, which other restaurants have you visited, how much did you spend with the expense account (laughs), and so on. The staff members, who seemed a bit idle due to the late hour of my visit, enthusiastically jumped into the conversation. Yes, it can be quite annoying for some people. In some cases, I'm sure some people would just leave quickly. But for those who enjoy this kind of interaction, it must be incredibly entertaining (which is why I rated the service 5 stars). Especially for gathering local information, this place is perfect. The customers seem to be more regulars than tourists, so it's a place where people who enjoy this atmosphere gather. The only other place that comes to mind where staff members engage in conversation like this is Tsukiji Wakou's Tokutaro Niwa. Undoubtedly the most meddlesome izakaya. The concept is also reflected in the origin of the name of the restaurant, "Good fortune comes to a laughing gate". Now, for the food and drink review, it might be a bit harsh to compare the seafood dishes here to those at a place like Senmontsukai. On the other hand, since it's more geared towards locals, it may not have the Hakata vibe, but I think the menu is enjoyable. It might feel a bit lonely to have your first round here during your visit to Hakata, but for those who want to enjoy a normal drink and normal food while chatting with locals and having a lively night, I recommend it. I look forward to dropping by for a second round next time.

I go to this restaurant every 2-3 months. The staff speak in a cheerful Hakata dialect and provide excellent service, paying attention to every detail. Whether sitting at a table with friends or chatting with the staff at the counter, it's always a fun place to be. My go-to orders are sesame mackerel and assorted sashimi, which always leave me feeling happy. The fish is very fresh and satisfying. I also choose dishes from the daily recommendations, such as simmered dishes, sashimi, and stir-fried dishes. I have never been disappointed. I will definitely visit again this year!

When I visited Fukuoka, I tried this restaurant. It is located underground and was already full as soon as it opened. The interior is not very spacious, but it was constantly filled with customers, indicating its popularity. The dishes mainly focus on seafood and were very delicious. I particularly enjoyed the raw filefish sashimi, and then they served bone crackers made from the same fish, allowing us to enjoy the ingredient in two different ways. In Kyushu, people say that they become friendly with each other at izakayas, and I witnessed strangers striking up conversations and having a good time together, whether they were first-time visitors or regulars. The staff was supportive and friendly, creating a lively atmosphere. I think the restaurant embodies the warm and welcoming spirit of Kyushu. I would definitely love to visit this place again when I go back to Fukuoka.

On the way to Hakata, I looked up in a guidebook and decided to have dinner here because it was close to the hotel. I visited around 11 o'clock. It seemed to have been full until now, but they quickly cleaned up and showed me to the counter. The staff here are very friendly and cheerful. It's a cozy restaurant. Every dish was very delicious. Although the menu had Five Island mackerel sashimi, it was already sold out, so I tried the recommended amberjack sashimi instead. It was crunchy and very tasty. Next, I had a nicely sized red sea bream grilled with salt. Also, I tried some rare parts of horse sashimi, etc. Everything was delicious with ingredients unique to Kyushu, and I was very satisfied with the dinner. The restaurant is a bit small and seems popular, so it will probably fill up quickly. Also, I wanted to have ramen as a finish, so when I asked the staff for a recommendation, they kindly told me about a nearby ramen shop. The ramen there was amazing. Thank you very much.

I have been going to this restaurant for almost 4 years now. They used to call me the "idol of Warakita," but recently I haven't been visiting as often. They have been very accommodating, adding items to the menu like beer and horse meat that I requested. Thank you for listening to my requests! The a la carte dishes have become even more delicious than before. However, when it comes to sashimi, the taste at this price is unbeatable! The freshness and deliciousness of the fish compete for the top spots in Fukuoka. The atmosphere of the restaurant is lively and casual. Once you become a regular, it gets even more lively (laughs). Ah, sashimi... Let's go eat some delicious sashimi.

It was a sunny and hot day on June 14, 2008. I had dinner with some colleagues at a stylish izakaya. The name of the restaurant didn't seem to have any particular meaning. The atmosphere was nice, but it might not satisfy those looking for a more Fukuoka-like experience. We started with some draft beer and were served squid and daikon stew as a complimentary appetizer. We had a crispy burdock salad, various sashimi (including tuna, medium fatty tuna, Ishigaki snapper, and horse mackerel), sand lance tempura, simmered black sea bream (a bit muddy tasting), and deep-fried swordfish. The variety of sashimi wasn't very typical of Fukuoka and the overall quality of the seafood was just okay. We finished with rice mixed with small dried fish and miso soup with mushrooms.

During my trip to Fukuoka, my local friend took me to this restaurant located in Nakasu Kawabata arcade. The fish here, sourced from local fishermen, is incredibly fresh and surprisingly affordable. The "sesame mackerel" was a new taste experience for me and I was amazed by it. The grilled tilefish liver was also delicious. The shochu and other drinks were impressively cheap, with some even bearing the premium Kyushu label. The staff were quick and efficient, making it a place I would definitely visit every time I go to Fukuoka.

I actually went there a few years ago, but this is an izakaya in Fukuoka that I want to make my regular spot. There aren't many reviews, so I decided to post one. It's located in the underground area just off the arcade in Nakasu Kawabata. They serve fish directly sourced from the nearby Genkai Nada fishing port. The restaurant mostly has counter seating and is small, but the staff is lively and friendly. While they don't have brand-name fish, I think the cost performance is top-notch in Fukuoka. People who have recently visited seem to be satisfied. I think it's a good choice for tourists who want to know about izakayas in Fukuoka. It's often full of locals, so I recommend calling ahead before going.