I arrived 5 minutes before the 11:00 opening and there were already about 5 groups lined up. Since many people were dining alone, I was glad to be alone as well. Each group was seated with a time gap between them. The full stomach set costs 1,200 yen and includes your choice of 3 rice balls, along with fried chicken, miso soup, and pickles. The rice balls were large and had a lot of rice. Women seemed to be satisfied with just 2 rice balls because they were quite filling. However, the variety of rice balls in the set of 3 choices was intriguing. There were rice balls priced at 400 yen, 350 yen, and 300 yen, and most people, including myself, seemed to choose from the 400 yen and 350 yen options. I chose salted salmon, sea urchin, and salmon roe. This combination turned out to be the right choice. The rice was softly packed and perfectly cooked. The fresh ingredients were plentiful and even the salted salmon rice ball without fillings was delicious. The fried chicken and miso soup had a simple and comforting taste, which was delicious. The salted salmon, which is usually associated with a strong fishy smell, was fresh and not fishy at all, making it delicious. The rice balls were packed with plenty of ingredients and were satisfying on their own. The sea urchin rice ball was filled generously with fresh sea urchin, and the salmon roe was overflowing, making it my favorite out of the three. All three rice balls were worth the price. The restaurant is located a 3-minute walk from Hakata Station's Hakata exit, making it very convenient. The Hakata Uzumaki Hakata Ekimae branch is a shop that operates only on weekdays from 11:00 to 13:30. They seem to have calculated the number of customers well to provide freshly made rice balls. The mother and a male staff member worked efficiently and skillfully. The mother was very polite, friendly, and provided excellent service. There is also a counter, making it suitable for solo diners. With a wide variety of rice balls to choose from, the experience of selecting them is enjoyable.

Located about a 10-minute walk from Hakata Station, this rice ball specialty shop that operates as a sublease was packed during weekday lunchtime. I ordered the rice ball set (¥900) which came with 2 rice balls of my choice, fried chicken, and miso soup. I chose the rice balls with salted cod roe and sea urchin topping (additional ¥100) and they were overflowing with generous fillings. Each rice ball was quite substantial, and I left feeling full. The fried chicken was also delicious, making it a satisfying lunch experience.

Recently, I often see onigiri shops on social media. Being a trend follower, I decided to stop by before running errands. It seems like onigiri shops are increasing in number lately. They only open for lunch, and according to online information, they seem to be subleasing the space. It's about a 6-7 minute walk from Hakata Station, Hakata Exit. When I arrived about 5 minutes before their 11 o'clock opening time, there were already 4 people waiting. After that, 3 more people lined up. The interior of the shop had more seating than I expected, and on this day, even after 11:30, it wasn't completely full, so it may vary depending on the day. You may not need to line up before they open, but who knows. There were a few tables and counter seats visible. Before entering, I pondered over the menu. Although two onigiri seemed like enough in terms of volume, I couldn't decide between options like salmon mayo and salmon with salmon roe. I asked if I could take them to go if I couldn't finish them. I went for the "Satisfied Set (1,200 yen including tax)" which included 3 onigiri, 2 pieces of fried chicken, and miso soup. From left to right, I chose "salmon with salmon roe (on this day, it was Isagi), salmon mayo, and seared salmon mayo. The size of each onigiri was larger than I expected. I quickly realized I wouldn't be able to finish them all and started thinking about which one to take home. The salmon with salmon roe was made with warm rice and was nicely shaped. The seasoning was good, with plenty of salmon roe not only on top but throughout. The salmon with salmon roe (Isagi on this day) had a delicious flavor, and it became my favorite. I think I could be satisfied with just 2 onigiri. I personally feel like 1.5 onigiri would be enough for me. I took the seared salmon mayo to go. They wrapped it carefully for me. It had a generous amount of salmon and tasted great. The fried chicken had a homemade taste to it. The miso soup was filled with ingredients, which is not common for onigiri shops, and I found it surprisingly delicious. For women, the "Onigiri Set (2 onigiri)" might be enough.

Onigiri set. You can choose 2 of your favorite onigiri, so I picked mentaiko mayo and pickled mustard leaf with dried sardines. Comes with fried chicken and miso soup for 900 yen. The onigiri was fluffy, large, and delicious. I was tempted to get 3, but 2 was enough for me. I thought there would be a line, so I went a bit later around 1 pm, but there was still a line and I almost missed out on rice. Phew. It might be better to aim for opening time instead of going late.

On this day, I went to "Seafood and Onigiri" in Hakata♪ It's located about 6-7 minutes from Hakata Station☆ For lunch, they serve onigiri♪ When I arrived, there were 14 people waiting, all women~♫ It seems to be popular among women. It took about 42-3 minutes to get seated. I ordered the "Onigiri Set (@900)" which includes your choice of 2 onigiri (salted fish and Hakata spicy cod roe mayo), homemade fried chicken, and miso soup. The onigiri set was ready in about 10 minutes. When ordered separately, salted fish is @400, Hakata spicy cod roe mayo is @350, homemade fried chicken is @300, and homemade miso soup is @200. The portion size is decently large and soft, with the salt seasoning being mild. While the technique of making onigiri is not as impressive as at "Bongo" in Otsuka, it was a satisfying lunchtime experience.

It is located about a 5-minute walk from Hakata Station towards Sumiyoshi Shrine. It operates as a pop-up restaurant in an izakaya. There are 4 tables and a counter. They offer various onigiri ranging from 200 yen, as well as individual items like miso soup and karaage. A good deal is the onigiri set, which includes 2 onigiri, karaage, and miso soup for 900 yen. For 3 onigiri, it is 1200 yen. I tried the nameko (400 yen) and seared salmon mayo (350 yen). The miso soup was generous and just the right thickness. The karaage was freshly fried and deliciously crispy. The onigiri was fluffy and full of filling. It was quite large, so 2 filled me up. I want to try the tuna mayo and sea urchin next time. The staff were very friendly. However, there is usually a long line and they may close before the stated time. It's best to go early. Thank you for the meal.

Today, I had work near Hakata Station, so I decided to explore for lunch. Honestly, there aren't many exciting options around Hakata Station during lunchtime. I was considering going to a certain ramen shop, but I wasn't really in the mood for that today. As I was walking in that direction, I noticed a place called "Uzumaki" serving vegetable-wrapped onigiri for lunch. It seemed like a new place that had recently opened. The shop was operating in a shared space style, which seems to be a growing trend these days. They had real onigiri displayed outside, which looked cute. I decided to give it a try. It was before 1 pm and the weather wasn't great, but the shop was about 80% full. I later found out that this place seems to be creating a buzz on social media. They offer individual onigiri as well as set meals. The ingredients were plentiful, reminiscent of famous shops in Tokyo. The set I ordered for 900 yen included 2 onigiri, pickles, fried chicken, and miso soup (with free refills). The value for money was amazing! You could choose three fillings from a variety of options, even if you chose the more expensive ones! It was fantastic! They also had a set of 3 onigiri, but judging by the size of the person next to me, I opted for the 2 onigiri set this time. It was a bit crowded, so the small gesture of asking, "Will it be okay if it takes about 10 minutes?" was appreciated. After a short wait, the onigiri arrived! The visual presentation was overflowing with ingredients! I chose the seared salmon mayo and shrimp mayo fillings. The luxurious presentation made me wonder, is this really okay? The volume of each onigiri was quite substantial, but they were surprisingly fluffy and didn't fill me up as much as I expected. Each bite left me looking forward to the next onigiri. This place is bound to become popular! I quickly devoured the onigiri while enjoying the pickles and fried chicken. It was gone in no time. I had visited a famous shop in Tokyo last year, but this place matched or even surpassed the quality! It was a fantastic find for a random visit! The owner's child was helping out during spring break, which added a heartwarming touch. I love these kind of cozy shops. Before leaving, I had a chat with the owner, and to my surprise, they mentioned that they are a fisherman with a boat in Karatsu! They use freshly caught fish as ingredients! They also source their rice directly from a brand rice farmer! The person making the onigiri had over 5 years of experience as an onigiri chef at a now closed onigiri shop affiliated with Hankyu? That's why everything is of such high quality! It all made sense. This kind of serious lunch experience, only possible in a shared space setting, is truly enjoyable! The owner was very friendly and welcoming, making me want to support the place. I'll keep my senses sharp to find more hidden gems like this! Thank you for the wonderful meal!

I learned about this place through a friend who sent me a message saying "Do you know this place? It looks delicious." The place is called "Seafood and Onigiri," where fishermen from Karatsu and onigiri chefs from Hakata collaborated to create visually appealing onigiri. I visited the restaurant right away because the onigiri looked so delicious. Located in a corner of the business hotel district near Hakata Station, "Hakata Uzumaki" is a vegetable skewer and robatayaki restaurant that opened for lunch last month on the 13th. Although the menu board outside does not mention "Seafood and Onigiri," many people may think that "Hakata Uzumaki" has started serving lunch. The restaurant operates from 11:00 to 13:30, so it was a bit late when I arrived at 13:00. The staff kindly informed me that there would be a 20-minute wait, but I didn't mind waiting. The menu offers over 20 seafood onigiri options, and they offer sets like the "Hakusen Set" and "Hakusen Manpuku Set," where you can choose 2 or 3 onigiri without worrying about the price. I ordered the "Hakusen Manpuku Set" and chose the "Uni," "Ikura," and "Salmon Aburi Mayo," which the staff's daughter recommended. The onigiri were about 1.5 to 2 times the size of convenience store onigiri, warm and fluffy, with plenty of toppings and fillings between the rice grains, reminiscent of the famous "Bongo" in Otsuka, Tokyo. The crispy fried chicken was surprisingly crunchy, and the miso soup with plenty of tofu was delicious. The natural conversation and friendly service from the staff made the dining experience even more enjoyable, and I would definitely like to visit again. The onigiri I ordered to take home were individually wrapped in plastic wrap to maintain the crispy texture of the seaweed, with additional toppings provided separately, showing their attention to detail.

I arrived a little after 11 o'clock and there were about 3 people waiting in line. I ordered 2 rice balls, miso soup, and fried chicken set. The portion was quite filling for a woman. The rice balls were soft and delicious!