There are many regular customers, so there is a high possibility of waiting in line until around 1 pm. I went after hearing that you can have sesame mackerel for lunch. The lunch menu seems to change daily, and on this day it was "sesame sea bream" instead of sesame mackerel. The owner and his wife kindly asked us to wait inside because it was cold. The turnover is quite fast, so even if you wait in line, you don't have to wait too long. The sea bream ran out, so it will be replaced with mackerel, the owner informed us. Lucky!! The restaurant is not very spacious, with a counter and tables in the back. There is a self-service rice and miso soup corner behind the counter. The rice is cooked deliciously, and the miso soup is nicely flavored with a slightly sweet miso. You can choose how much seaweed you want. Free refills are available, which is great because the portion size is generous. Due to the season, you can only have one egg. The thick mackerel is served. The mackerel is delicious. It's in season, so it's fatty. It comes with a lot of wasabi. It's good that it didn't come with sauce or anything. There is also soy sauce for the egg over rice. It's nice to have such attention to detail. While you're eating, they fry some chicken for you. It's great to have it freshly fried. The outside is crispy, and the inside is fluffy. The restaurant calms down after this. I heard that for customers who come later, they can freely choose the combination of side dishes... "I wanted to try the miso eggplant too." The evening menu also seems to be substantial. It must be popular as an izakaya as well. The staff are kind and very polite, making it a likable place.

During lunchtime, I was invited to several places and finally decided to come here after more than 2 years. The lunch menu is priced at 980 yen for various options, but it was 100 yen more expensive than last time. I was aiming for the daily grilled salmon and eggplant pork, but they were sold out, so I ordered fried chicken and eggplant miso instead. You can help yourself to rice and miso soup for refills. They also offer a complimentary raw egg, but limited to one per person! The fried chicken was freshly fried and crispy, with juicy meat, very delicious! It would have been perfect with a cold beer! The eggplant miso was piping hot and flavorful, complementing the rice well. Don't forget to add the raw egg early and enjoy some Tamago Kake Gohan! The big guys at the table were getting plenty of refills, so if you're a hearty eater, you'll be very satisfied with this izakaya lunch! Well, thank you for the meal~

"Located in a quiet alley just south of Hakata Station and Sumiyoshi Street, 'Shokudo Yamatomi' is a hidden gem. While their evening service is popular, today I came to try their lunch, highly recommended by nearby salarymen. Last time, there was a long line so I had to go elsewhere, but this time I arrived later and found a seat available. After some deliberation, I ordered the 'Goma Tai and Chicken Karaage Set' for 980 yen. Since it's a small operation, rice, miso soup, and pickles are self-service. The miso soup was simple with just seaweed and green onions, and the pickles were turnip pickles. They also provide one raw egg per person for egg over rice. While waiting, the Goma Tai arrived first. Although not a large portion, it was just right. I enjoyed it with the egg over rice I made earlier. I've had sesame mackerel and sesame amberjack before, but it was my first time trying white-meat sea bream. The flesh was light and not too fishy, making it easy to eat. The sweet taste of the miso soup in between bites was to my liking as well. The chicken karaage, which arrived later, was large but crispy on the outside and not greasy, making it a hit with me. I would love to take it home if they offered takeout. The refreshing combination of Goma Tai and chicken karaage was excellent. Thank you for the meal."

■Overall Impression This restaurant is located right between Hakata Station and Minoshima. I saw it on YouTube and decided to give it a try. It offers fantastic lunches for salarymen. I can confidently say that no one leaves here feeling hungry. ■Menchi Katsu Their main dish is Menchi Katsu, which changes daily. It's quite a task to come up with a new menu every day, but they manage to do it well. The homemade feel of the food is great. ■Simmered Fish Even though the rice is already filling, they also offer simmered fish, which is amazing. This place is a paradise for salarymen. ■TKG and Miso Soup By making this self-service, they manage to keep the prices down. And the fact that you can also have TKG here is a delightful surprise. Thank you for the wonderful meal.

In the office district of Hakata, there is a small restaurant located in a narrow alley. I went there around 11:30 AM to avoid the long line that forms after 12 PM. The seating consists of counter seats towards the back and table seats. It's perfectly fine for a solo female diner. I ordered the "sesame sea bream & chicken tempura" for 880 yen. They served chilled tofu as an appetizer before bringing out the main dish. They also provided white rice and miso soup while waiting for the tempura. Many people opt for seconds, so it's best to ask for more rice right away if you want it. The sesame sea bream goes well with alcohol, but it also pairs nicely with rice. The tempura pieces are quite large and freshly fried. The rice was so good that I had to get a second serving. I even made a tamago kake gohan (egg over rice)! It's great that they offer both tempura and fish dishes. With the option for extra rice, it's perfect for those with a big appetite. By the time I left, a line had formed outside the restaurant. But I believe they have a relatively quick turnover.

Located in a narrow alley just south of Sumiyoshi Street, "Yamari" is a dining establishment. Today, I stopped by this place to kill time before attending a welcome party for a new employee at a nearby chicken skin shop. The restaurant had a couple of other customers already, but I was able to get a table as it was still early. I ordered a bottle of beer along with a side dish of simmered taro root, followed by cheese-filled sweet potato tempura. The simmered taro root was soft and had a gentle flavor, which would probably go well with shochu or sake rather than beer. The fresh sweet potato tempura arrived a bit later, with melted cheese inside that oozed out when bitten into. It was delicious and piping hot. Today, I went for a light snack with the tempura, but I look forward to coming back for a more leisurely meal next time. Thank you for the meal.

I visited the restaurant for lunch less than a month after my last visit. The lunch experience was different from the evening one, with added bonuses like a free raw egg, miso soup, and unlimited rice. I ordered the "sesame buri and fried chicken set" for 880 yen. The sesame buri and chilled tofu arrived first. The rice and miso soup were self-service. The miso soup, with plenty of green onions and wakame seaweed, had a simple yet sweet flavor that I enjoyed. The sesame buri had a firm texture and tasted fresh. The fried chicken, which arrived a bit later, was well-seasoned with a crispy exterior, making it a perfect side dish for rice. Everything was delicious, so I plan to try a different menu item next time. Thank you for the meal.

Located in a narrow alley just south of Sumiyoshi Street, "Shokudo Yamari" is a popular restaurant known for its long lunchtime queues. I visited during the evening, recommended by nearby office workers. Despite being the first customer at the early hour, the friendly chef made me feel at ease. As more customers filled the counter, I ordered the "Nanban-zuke" with mackerel instead of horse mackerel, which was satisfyingly large and delicious. The famous lunchtime specialty, the fried chicken, was also to my liking. Before I knew it, I had ordered several more dishes, including a customizable half-size option for solo diners like me. I ended the meal with a tasty miso soup, not on the dinner menu but highly praised during lunchtime. The total bill came to around 2700 yen, but considering the quality and quantity of the food, I left completely satisfied. Thank you for the wonderful meal.

I had planned a business trip to Edo area starting from Monday for 3 nights, but after discussing with stakeholders, we decided to cancel due to the state of emergency in Tokyo. Everything from flights, rental cars, hotels, to a course meal at a sardine specialty restaurant in Minami Boso had to be canceled. It was a last-minute decision, and we should have postponed it last weekend. As a result, we ended up going for our usual lunch at a sushi restaurant, but they had stopped their lunch service. So, we decided to try a popular underground restaurant with a long line. Luckily, when we arrived, there was no line and we were seated immediately. We ordered the daily special set meal which included cold tofu, simmered hamburg steak, and simmered yellowtail. The meal also came with fried eggplant. The hamburg steak was average and the yellowtail was a bit tough, but the fried eggplant was delicious. Overall, the meal was okay but the best part was the fried chicken, which was being prepared in a unique way by the chef. I would like to try the fried chicken next time.

Lunch is a hearty fried chicken! At Hakata Station, there is a restaurant called "Yamari" located one street off of Sumiyoshi Street. They offer a lunch menu centered around fried chicken, all for 880 yen. I decided to go for the fried chicken set without thinking too much. First, you serve yourself rice and miso soup. You can have up to one egg. They also have soy sauce specifically for Tamago Kake Gohan. And then, the fried chicken arrives - it's huge! The size might not be clear from the pictures, but trust me, it's massive. I tried to take a step back to capture it, but even then, it might not fully convey the size. I went light on the rice, but the volume of fried chicken more than made up for it. It's delicious, but the road to dieting seems far away... ● Shop information Yamari Fukuoka City, Hakata-ku, Hakata Ekimae 4-5-18 Business hours 11:30-15:00 17:30-23:00

I went to a restaurant called Yamari in Hakata, Fukuoka on January 14, 2020. It's a popular spot located in a back alley on Sumiyoshi Street. I arrived early and found out that their lunch menu is all priced at 880 yen including tax. What's great is that you can help yourself to rice and miso soup for refills. I ordered the Sesame Buri (yellowtail) and Tori Karaage (fried chicken) set. The miso soup and rice were self-service from the start, so you can choose to have a smaller portion if you're a light eater, or go for a super-sized portion if you're hungry. They even provide a raw egg as a service. There's soy sauce specifically for pouring over the raw egg on the table. The Sesame Buri and Tori Karaage arrived, but since the rice, miso soup, pickles, and raw egg were self-service, the actual dishes served were the side dish, karaage, and Sesame Buri. The yellowtail sashimi looked delicious as it was soaked in sesame sauce. Although it may seem messy, when neatly arranged like sashimi, it's quite a generous portion. There were two large pieces of karaage, mayonnaise, and fresh vegetables. The karaage was big enough to cover the rice completely. Just the Sesame Buri bowl itself was delicious. The egg over rice was also tasty. It was a lunch that left me super full. The restaurant is located at 4-5-18 Hakata Ekimae, Hakata-ku, Fukuoka. Closed on Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays.

At the end of November, I happened to be near Hakata Station for work. I came across this restaurant on my way to my destination and decided to have lunch there. Luckily, I was able to sit at the counter and chose one of the popular lunch sets, the fried chicken set. After 12 o'clock, there was quite a line, including office ladies. The set included rice, miso soup, and a raw egg (one per person) for self-service. The fried chicken was crispy and delicious. You can have seconds of rice and miso soup, making it a popular choice for those who eat a lot. The price is around 850 yen, which is quite reasonable. I wish there were more restaurants like this in Tokyo.