It's a shop that leaves a sophisticated impression. We stopped by for lunch while shopping on our anniversary. Located inside a former department store, the prices are a bit high, but since it's a special occasion, we opted for the deluxe bento box. Each item was carefully crafted and had an elegant taste, reminiscent of a traditional Japanese restaurant. Feeling a bit unsatisfied with just that, we also ordered a matcha parfait and left feeling satisfied.

I visited this restaurant because I heard their udon is really delicious. I ordered the "nabe-yaki udon" and for dessert, the "matcha with 3-color cream anmitsu". The udon was amazing, especially the broth. It was so good that I felt it would be a waste to leave any soup behind. The ingredients, like the crunchy bamboo shoots and tasty shiitake mushrooms, were carefully chosen. The udon definitely lives up to its top-class reputation. The desserts were also delicious. The roasted green tea ice cream was impressive, and overall, the sweets were not too sweet, more like sophisticated treats for adults. I can understand why people would go out of their way to eat here. The restaurant seems to attract mostly older customers, and it gets quite crowded during lunchtime. It's a popular place for a reason.

I ordered fried rice and simmered udon. The fried rice was delicious, but it didn't seem much different from what I could make at home. As for the simmered udon, the seasoning was on the sweeter side, giving off a Kyushu-like flavor. The price is also not cheap, around 1000 yen.

Please register on the official LINE account to participate in the offline meeting. LINE official account https://lin.ee/M97scKk I stopped by before going to Tenju Shi Kyoto-machi store. The place was almost full of people having meals. It seems to be a shop loved by locals. I think the desserts are delicious. TikTok specializing in udon https://www.tiktok.com/@alwaysudon ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ LINE official account https://lin.ee/M97scKk Official blog specializing in udon https://alwaysudon.com/sanwa-shorokane/ Instagram https://instagram.com/alwaysudon/ YouTube https://www.youtube.com/user/techno9353/featured Official newsletter http://alwaysudon.online/mailmagazine/

Kita-Kyushu Kokura Kita Ward, Kyoto-machi. A dessert cafe on the first floor of Saint City. The name of the store changes every time the building's name changes. From Kokura Collet store to Kokura Ekimae AIM store. And now it is called the Saint City store. They offer meal menus such as Wakatake Zen, Cha-Soba Teppan Soba set meal, Kamayaki Udon, Wakatake Bento, Zaru Soba, Hot Sandwich, Chicken Set, etc. They also have dessert menus like Cream Shiratama Zenzai, Shiratama Anmitsu, Warabi Mochi, Coffee Jelly, Wakatake Parfait, Chocolate Parfait, etc. For drinks, they have Wakatake Original Coffee, Matcha Juice, Fresh Juice, Soda Water, Bottled Beer, Sake, and more. This time, I ordered the Wakatake Parfait (910 yen). The Wakatake Parfait is a fusion of Japanese and Western flavors, with vanilla ice cream and black sesame ice cream, whipped cream and red bean paste, yokan and castella, agar and fruits, and chestnuts. It's sweet but delicious. The overall balance is not bad, but the red bean paste and fruits don't really go well together. The presentation is quite impressive. The food and desserts are both satisfying, making it a popular spot among ladies. They also serve warm tea and cold water, which is a nice touch. Thank you for the meal.

After lunch, I had ice cream and yokan with azuki beans inside, which was nice. There was whipped cream on top. I wish it was soft serve instead of whipped cream, though. I thought it was soft serve because it was called a parfait. Thank you for the meal.

Upon entering Wakatake, I immediately ordered their original coffee for 590 yen and coffee jelly for 770 yen. I found the coffee to be a bit weak, wondering if this is what makes it their original. The coffee jelly had a bitter undertone, which made sense once I saw the maple syrup that came with it. I sat by the window, enjoying the view of Ogura Station, and took a moment to relax. It's just another silly day, as usual. I noticed that Mr. MK, the king of St. City, has visited this place before. Apparently, he was discussing the differences between the kiln-cooked set meal and the kiln-cooked rice set. I always learn something new from MK.

When you don't feel like cooking for yourself and are unsure of where to go or what to eat, this is the place to go. The udon and yakimeshi are delicious, but today I felt fancy and opted for a two-tiered bento box with a sweet treat included. When you want to treat yourself a little for lunch, this is the place to go. They also have it at Izutsuya, so I might come here once a month...

The kettle-cooked udon I had the other day was delicious, so today I went to Wakatake-san for the second time, located near the east entrance of the first floor of Suntec City, and had the kettle-cooked set meal. When I asked if there was rice with sushi or other side dishes, I was told there was only sushi, which was perfect for me as I wanted sushi rice. The interior here is stylish as well. It's the same place where I visited for a segment recording of a local program, although it's actually a compilation show (laughs). The difference between the kettle-cooked set meal and the kettle-cooked rice set is that the set meal allows you to choose from two types of rice, while the rice set comes with grilled rice but at a higher price. The kettle-cooked udon is the same as the one at the Ito-Ya store, with plenty of ingredients such as meat, fried tofu, and sweet mugwort mochi that truly give it a traditional sweet taste. The soup is on the sweeter side, perhaps due to the sweetness? (laughs) The sushi is assorted sushi, known as bara sushi, which may also be called pressed sushi or cake sushi depending on the region or person. While the filling may be minimal, the taste is truly top-notch. Wakatake also has a branch at Daimaru Fukuoka Tenjin, so the next time I visit Tenjin in Fukuoka, I'll drop by Daimaru and maybe try something different, like desserts. Thank you for the meal!

I visited "Wakatake" in the "Kokura AIM" in front of Kokura Station. I was interested in this shop because it was introduced by the talent Emotorie on a TV show called "Udon MAP" and visited by Akira. Although Fukuoka Prefecture is under a state of emergency, I had some business in Kokura and decided to visit. Even on a weekday, Wednesday, there were quite a few people around. I visited around noon and waited for about 10 minutes. It seems like they are arranged with plenty of space to maintain social distance and avoid crowding. I was seated at a table and ordered the "Kama-yaki Meshi set." It is a set of "Kama-yaki Udon" and "Yaki-meshi." It arrived about 10 minutes after ordering. The "Kama-yaki Udon" was filled with ingredients such as half-boiled egg, green onion, meat, tamagoyaki, kamaboko, bamboo shoots, yomogi mochi, shiitake mushrooms, and kitsune. The soup was sweet and flavorful, and the chewy noodles were delicious, making it an Instagram-worthy dish. On the other hand, the "Yaki-meshi" was well-seasoned with salt and pepper, and tasty. While the quality is high, being located in a prime spot in Kokura AIM, the prices are also high. Honestly, the cost performance is a bit questionable. Nevertheless, it seems to be a place loved by the ladies of Kokura for relaxation.

Wakatake on the 1st floor of Collet and also inside Izutsuya. The clientele is mostly older, with a Madam's leisurely atmosphere. The food and desserts were not bad, but slightly on the expensive side. The cost performance may not be great, but it's a nice place to relax during shopping.

I suddenly crave Wakatake Udon. I went there again. I've been eating it since I was a child, so sometimes I come all the way here to eat it. For me, it's like soul food.

It's been a while since I visited a women's traditional cafe, and I had the hot pot udon and chirashi sushi at Wakatake. It's a nostalgic spot that reminds me of the Lakegetsudo, which is another favorite of my grandmother's. The presence of yomogi mochi gives it a sweet treat-like feel.

Looking for the famous ginger ale at Wakatake, I stumbled upon a different restaurant. Wakatake! They have warabi mochi!? I was surprised to see warabi mochi being served as a standalone dish for the first time. The prices were quite high, and I decided to give it a try. I ordered the warabi mochi, but they said it was not ready yet due to the Golden Week rush. So, I ordered the Shiratama Matcha Set instead. The shiratama was delicious on its own, but when I tried it with their homemade syrup, it was even better. The syrup, made with black sugar and honey, had a unique flavor. I also tried their campaign shaved ice, which was disappointing in terms of quality. I asked when the warabi mochi would be ready, and they said in about an hour. When it finally arrived, it was too perfect to feel like real warabi mochi, but when I added their special syrup, it made a difference. In conclusion, the highlight of this restaurant is definitely their syrup.

Wakatake Tea House Ogura Colette Store Located on the 1st floor of Ogura Colette Izutsuya, directly in front of JR Kokura Station South Exit. When it comes to sweet treats in Kitakyushu, both Kogedodou and Wakatake are popular choices. Wakatake has 2 stores in Fukuoka and 2 in Kokura, with the Colette store opening last year. Conveniently located inside a fashion building with parking available. Recently, there have been many overseas customers, so there are English cafe signs on the sample case at the storefront. There is also a takeout menu at the entrance. Inside, it has a calm cafe atmosphere. I visited during the 18:30 dinner time on a weekday and sat at a table by the window overlooking the station. They serve both cold and hot tea upon seating. Looking at the menu, prices range from around 1000 yen for individual items like udon and yakimeshi to 1200-1500 yen for bento boxes and sets. They also offer hot sandwiches, parfaits, and other sweets for around 800 yen each. I had the Wakatake Bento for 1580 yen, which included chirashi sushi, squid, shrimp, okra with sesame dressing, grilled young chicken, rolled omelette, simmered bamboo shoots, shishito peppers, fried chicken, pickled ginger, and okara soup. For dessert, there was shiratama anmitsu. The chirashi sushi was delicious with a generous amount of ingredients, and the bento had a good variety of side dishes. The okara wrapped in bamboo leaves was a nice touch. The shiratama anmitsu was a bit diluted, but overall, the meal was tasty and homemade. The cafe seems to shine more for dessert, but it's convenient for all-day dining. Wakatake has a fan base of older Madam customers.