September 2019. Last day in Hakata. In the afternoon, I returned to Hakata Station and had Maruten Udon for lunch. After that, I went souvenir shopping as requested by a friend. They asked for frozen chicken wings, so I was a bit confused. I asked the staff at the Hakata Meibunokura store, and they guided me to the frozen food section. There, I found it - Nunubun Chicken Wings for 1080 yen. I was wondering if I should thaw it before eating, but apparently, you should chill it again at home before eating (it's like a chilled snack, similar to fried chicken). I brought it home and had it right away. It was quite firm because it was well chilled, but the flavor was rich and delicious. It goes well with beer and is indeed a perfect snack for the summer. *It's more of a snack rather than a side dish for rice. Thanks for the meal!

From Hakata to Kokura, take the Shinkansen. Heading to lunch in Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture. Be careful because the Kyushu discount ticket does not apply to the Shinkansen. However, it was somehow cheaper than the regular fare, which was a bit mysterious.

I bought a set of 5 pieces of "Hakata Torimon" as a souvenir on my way back from Hakata. They were priced at 560 yen each. As soon as I put them in my mouth, they melted and were filled with plenty of sweet bean paste. I really love them. Thank you for the delicious treat!

Located at Hakata Station, there is a souvenir shop called Hakata Meishinzou. There are three Hakata Meishinzou shops at Hakata Station, with the one closer to the center being the Hakata Station Chuo Store. This time, I was browsing for souvenirs here and ended up purchasing the following item that I have bought for myself before and also received as a gift from a friend: - Fukuya's mentaiko senbei (rice crackers) for 540 yen. Fukuya is well-known for their mentaiko (spicy cod roe) products, and they are the ones selling this item, although I am not sure where it is manufactured (lol). What's great about these senbei is that they are individually wrapped at this price. Each small packet contains 2 pieces, and there are 5 small packets in a medium-sized bag. There are 2 medium bags in total, so you get a total of 20 pieces. If you are giving them as souvenirs, that's enough for 10 people. Even if you are eating them alone, getting 20 pieces for 540 yen is quite a good deal for a souvenir snack (lol). The taste is just your typical senbei, but if you like mentaiko, this snack will definitely be appreciated. There are various types of spicy cod roe senbei out there, but in terms of cost-performance ratio and taste, this mentaiko senbei is definitely a standout.

Let's buy some spicy cod roe (mentaiko) as a souvenir from Fukuoka. Even in the early morning around 7 am, shops in the central passage of Hakata Station or inside the Shinkansen gates are open, which is convenient. The mentaiko was being sold in a frozen state, making it easy to carry around. There were various options in terms of taste, size, and price, so it was hard to choose, but I ended up buying the following two: - Fukusaya: Ajodashi Spicy Mentaiko, 90g for 1188 yen - Kabata: Konbu-zuke Spicy Mentaiko, 1425 yen. I have tried Fukusaya before, but I was not familiar with Kabata Foods. According to their website, "Kabata's products are made using the pickling techniques that have been passed down since 1921." When I tried them at home, the Ajodashi Spicy Mentaiko had a rich dashi flavor that enhanced the umami of the fish eggs, making it very appetizing. The Konbu-zuke Spicy Mentaiko had a strong spicy kick, which also made it hard to stop eating.

I've been holding onto this material on my PC until today, wondering how it would fare as a review on Tabelog! It's not particularly interesting, so feel free to skip it. Limited to Hakata, the Sugar Butter Sand! "Featuring the rare Fukuoka strawberry 'Amaou.' We baked it with original strawberry butter made from 100% Amaou juice. Inside, there's also Amaou chocolate that spreads a sweet and fresh aroma. A dish full of Amaou strawberries that can only be tasted in Hakata."

This souvenir shop is easily accessible, has a wide variety of products, and is very convenient. They have everything you could possibly want, with a great selection.

Received as a gift in September 2019, this is Kinako's life. From a friend who went on a trip to Kumamoto and Fukuoka, I received a souvenir~♪ The second gift from Hakata was a frozen chicken wing that I had requested to buy if I couldn't go with them. From the frozen food section of the Kyushu and Hakata souvenir select shop "Hakata Meishinkura Hakata Station Chuo Branch" on the 1st floor of Hakata Station: Dream Chicken (Yumeyume Tori) Chicken Wing with Bone 1080 yen (tax included) Boxed (medium) 250g. At the end of August, during my trip to Takayama, Kamikochi, and Nagoya, I tried the spicy Nagoya specialty "tebasaki" with a spicy pepper. I remembered that Hakata also has famous chicken wings, but I couldn't recall the product name, so I asked my friend (^o^)／ "Dream Chicken" is a bone-in chicken wing that has been on sale since 1981, seasoned with a special sauce and spices to make it spicy and flavorful. However, the unique way to eat it is to freeze it and bite into it as it is. It's recommended to thaw it at room temperature for 5-10 minutes after taking it out of the freezer, but eating it while it's still frozen solid gives an interesting texture. When you pick it up with your hands and bite into it, it starts off sweet and then becomes spicy. It may not be a typical side dish for rice, but it goes perfectly with beer and is also delicious as a snack! By the way, there is also a "Shien Chicken" that you can warm up in the microwave to eat the chicken meat and liver. Next time you travel to Hakata, let's try to find that too. Thank you for the meal (●^o^●)