On a Saturday afternoon, after enjoying delicious draft beer at the limited-time "Maruef Yokocho" in Tenjin underground shopping area, my 6th grade daughter insisted on having matcha sweets, so we decided to visit a shop that I had researched. We ended up at "Wakatake" confectionery cafe in Daimaru Fukuoka Tenjin store. "Wakatake" originally started in Kokura, and the Tenjin store used to be in Iwataya's Shin building before relocating to Daimaru. The clientele seemed to mainly consist of older women. We arrived in the evening and had a short wait before being seated. While the food menu looked enticing, we were there for desserts. My daughter chose the matcha parfait (950 yen tax included) while I went for the matcha with three-color cream anmitsu (1160 yen tax included) which came with warm matcha. After a short wait, our desserts arrived. The anmitsu featured vanilla, black sesame, and matcha ice cream on top of red bean paste, shiratama, and fruits, with agar jelly at the bottom, all drizzled with black syrup. The rich sweetness of the syrup combined with the ice cream and fruits created a blissful experience in my mouth. After savoring the sweetness, I enjoyed the warm matcha with its intense bitterness contrasting nicely with the sweets. The aroma was delightful. I relaxed and savored the delicious sweets and matcha while gazing at the Tenjin cityscape outside the window, making it a truly enjoyable and leisurely time.

Located in the restaurant area of Daimaru Elgala. There used to be a cafe where I would often take a break. ★Time of entry ◎ Before 4pm on holidays, there was one group of customers waiting outside the store. I waited about 15-20 minutes before being seated. ★What I ordered this time ◎ Anmitsu with coffee for 1160 yen. On this day, there was a festival called Hakata Dontaku, and I could overlook the Dontaku dance stage from my seat. People were bustling with excitement, but that seemed to have an impact as it took some time to order sweet items, about 30 minutes. The previous cafe also seemed busy, but they managed to handle it with a small number of staff. Despite being called a sweet cafe, they also had meal menus, so they have a lot of items on the menu. The anmitsu was delicious. Thank you for the meal~

I arrived just before closing time, but I was kindly guided inside. The red bean paste mochi was delicious and chewy! The zenzai was also delicious, and the kelp that came with it balanced out the sweetness of the zenzai nicely.

I missed lunch again on this day. I went to Daimaru department store in search of a restaurant that might be open all day, and I found a place on the 6th floor at the end that used to serve Austrian cuisine. I have been to Wakatake before, as they had stores in the basement of Iwataya and in Canal City, so I decided to give it a try. It was almost 3 PM, but there were more people dining than having coffee. It seems like there are a lot of lunch refugees. When I entered, there was one empty table, but more customers kept coming in, showing that it's a popular place. The interior seemed like it was a previous restaurant. The menu didn't have a specific lunch set, just a regular menu. I was quite hungry, so I decided to go for the Soba Set (1,770 yen including tax, credit card accepted). It was served in about 10 minutes and was quite a generous portion. The Chirashi sushi and simmered dishes were delicious. The Chirashi sushi had a good vinegar flavor, and the side dishes like rolled omelette, shrimp, scallops, and chicken were tasty. The sesame tofu had a smooth texture. I was already quite full just from that. The soba had a good texture and mouthfeel. The soba dipping sauce was on the sweeter side, in Hakata style. The clear soup had a small amount of enoki mushrooms and fish cake, with a gentle flavor. I was planning to leave the warabi mochi as I don't like sweet bean paste, but I was happy to find that it was plain warabi mochi. I couldn't finish the soba, but overall, it was delicious. It's a bit pricey, but having all-day service is convenient.

It used to be a café located in the basement of Iwataya Shinkan, a place that my late father loved. Now, it has relocated to the 6th floor of Daimaru Elgala. When I visited for the first time after the move, it was a Sunday afternoon and the place was about 70% full. Originally, I had planned to go to the nearby "Delicious Ice Shop" for shaved ice, but it was too crowded so I decided to eat lunch at this café instead. I ordered the cold soba noodles and Uji no Sato. The soba noodles seemed like they were just boiled dry noodles, nothing special. The shaved ice, although served in a small portion, was delicious and satisfying, especially with the red beans that went well with the Uji matcha flavor. If you're looking for a quiet and relaxing place to spend some time, I recommend this café.

The chicken set was around 1400 yen. The salad dressing had a unique vinegar miso flavor. The rice topped with mentaiko was very Fukuoka-like. You can choose between coffee or parfait after the meal. The matcha parfait had a decent amount of volume! Since it's a department store, I think this price range is reasonable, but it would be great if a drink was included for around 1500 yen. I would like to try the nabeyaki udon or gawasoba next time.

We went to Wakatake in Fukuoka City's Tenjin at around 11:20 on a Saturday morning, located on the 6th floor of Hakata Daimaru Higashi-kan Elgala. We decided to visit based on its appearance in the travel guidebook called "Cocomiru Fukuoka" which made it look delicious. Wakatake is a shop that was founded in 1954 in Kokura, Kitakyushu City, and although the guidebook mentioned it was located in Iwataya Department Store in Tenjin, it seems they recently moved. We took the elevator up to the 5th floor of Hakata Daimaru Higashi-kan Elgala, and then went up one more floor using the escalator. The shop had a beautiful appearance, and the interior was bright with a nice view from the windows, and classical music playing, giving it an elegant atmosphere. A young handsome waiter quickly brought us hot green tea and ice water, and we took our time deciding on what to order from the menu. In the end, we chose the Coffee with Shiratama Zenzai for 1080 yen including tax, and the Wakatake Parfait for 910 yen including tax. We were surprised to see the pure white whipped cream being chilled by the ice water placed underneath, which was a unique touch. The Shiratama Zenzai and Wakatake Parfait were delicious with high-quality red bean paste and chestnuts. We enjoyed them with the Vienna coffee with whipped cream, which was a nice touch. Wakatake has a very beautiful interior, and it's a great recommendation to enjoy delicious sweets while listening to classical music. Check out the blog for more details: https://blog.goo.ne.jp/good-tasty/d/20210315

I moved to Daimaru from Iwata-ya Shinkan where I used to be. This time, I had the Chagayu set meal for 1380 yen. The rice porridge is delicious, but I also like the obanzai-style dishes. I especially liked the sweet Nara pickles in the pickles. Feeling fancy, I also had the coffee after the meal for 300 yen. It had cream on ice, which was quite stylish. Since it had been cold for days, I felt like having something sweet! So, I also ordered the mini zenzai for 300 yen. The red bean paste was rich and delicious, it was a wonderful meal. Thank you for the treat!

Established in 1954 in Kokura, this dessert cafe is extremely popular among the ladies in Fukuoka city. Originally located in the local department store Iwataya's B2 floor, it was replaced by a Starbucks after the store reopened post-COVID. Recently, I discovered on local TV that they have opened a new branch on the dining floor of another department store, Daimaru Fukuoka Tenjin. I decided to visit immediately. The seating arrangement remained the same as the previous cafe that occupied the space, and despite being alone, I was seated at a table by the window with a nice view. The entire clientele seemed to be a group of ladies. Upon being seated, I was served ice water, hot green tea, a menu, and a mask holder. Since the summer heat was still intense, I ordered the Yukichiku (890 yen tax included) from the summer menu. It was a matcha shaved ice with toppings of sweet red bean paste, chestnuts, chewy white rice cakes, and a scoop of salted vanilla ice cream. The matcha flavor was just right, not too sweet or bitter, and very delicious. It seemed like many of the customers were loyal fans who used to frequent the cafe in Iwataya, as I noticed some ordering bento boxes to take home while dining. Before the meal, it was hot, but the shaved ice was refreshing. As the air conditioning cooled the room, I started to feel cold, but the hot tea that arrived at the same time was comforting. With a variety of desserts and substantial meal options available, it's clear why this place is so popular among the ladies. I look forward to returning for a meal next time.

Second visit. Realized how delicious tile soba is once again. Cute flower plate ❤️

On January 5, 2022, the teppanyaki soba at Chasoba was priced at 1130 yen for a single serving.