I visited the restaurant after lunch. It was my first time here, but the atmosphere inside was amazing. There were plenty of dumplings and sweets to choose from, all of which looked delicious. This time, I ordered matcha warabi mochi. A drinkable warabi mochi?! I was surprised by the deliciousness of it. Next time, I'll do some shopping inside the store.

I went to the restaurant with a friend and we ordered A plate, which was very healthy. There were various side dishes like ratatouille to choose from, and we were first presented with a choice of 4 salad dressings, all of which looked delicious. Then we had to choose from about 10 different salad side dishes, all of which also looked very appetizing. Finally, we had to choose between 2 warm and healthy options, which was another tough decision. I ended up choosing octopus with basil sauce, spicy grated nagaimo and eggplant, and tofu lasagna with sweet potato pie. Everything was delicious. The restaurant seemed to have many female customers, and the dessert selection was also great. I tried the Isobe mochi dessert, which had a nice combination of seaweed, mochi, and a sauce similar to mitarashi. It was extremely tasty and I definitely want to go back again.

I visited Kikutaro, known for its traditional Japanese sweets in Kitakyushu! The character's expression is so cute. The place was busy with customers getting takeout, so I decided to dine in. I ordered a matcha drink and some sweets. The matcha drink had a strong flavor and included a delicious mochi. Surprisingly, I enjoyed the mochi, which I usually don't like, because it smoothly went down my throat while drinking. The sweets were also delicious, especially the crystal-like one with smooth red bean paste inside. The tart was average, but the matcha flavor, mochi, and red bean paste were outstanding. Thank you for the meal!

Seasonal Ohagi from Kikutarou, a confectionery shop in Kokura Minami-ku, Kitakyushu. The strawberry, matcha, pumpkin, chestnut, and yuzu flavors are colorful and cute, almost too cute to eat! But we enjoyed them thoroughly. They have an elegant sweetness and are incredibly delicious. Perfect for souvenirs or gifts that will surely be appreciated. ☺︎♪

This was my first visit for lunch. The gender ratio was about 1:9 with more women. It felt a bit awkward to have lunch alone as a man. I ordered the A plate salad and when choosing the toppings, it was very generous. The taste was more foreign than Japanese, which I personally didn't dislike but it might not be everyone's preference. I bought some warabi mochi to take home, looking forward to eating that. I would like to visit again. Thank you for the meal.

Second visit. You can easily buy traditional Japanese sweets at a low price, but the staff's efficiency is still poor, and the customers are not being handled properly, making the store chaotic. While waiting in line to pay, there are people ordering fresh dorayaki at the far showcase, causing further delays. It would be better if they considered the placement of products and the flow. Also, I am still concerned about the crowd, so it would be helpful if they marked lines for the queue, so that customers don't get too close to each other. There was no such guidance this time. The new item I bought this time was the caramelized nuts. There were so many in it and it was cheap! I bought two types, but they both had kinako (roasted soybean flour) in them, which I only realized after opening them. However, they were delicious with tea. Here is what I bought this time: Skewered dumplings - Mitarashi (120 yen), Azuki bean (160 yen), Yomogi (170 yen), Three-color dumplings (130 yen) Dorayaki - Matcha (280 yen), Sakura (260 yen) Kinako (roasted soybean flour) in Caramelized nuts - Matcha (630 yen), Kinako (630 yen)

Kikutarou, a confectionery shop in Kamisone, Minami Ward, Kokura, is famous for its stylish and delicious Japanese sweets. Their warabimochi sweets are particularly popular, often causing long lines. On the first floor of the main store, you can find their signature warabimochi, as well as dorayaki, karinto, freshly boiled kinako-coated kibidango, and chestnut yokan, all displayed in a way that makes it easy to choose. The freshly boiled kibidango is exquisite, and as soon as we got back to the car, my husband and I couldn't resist and ended up eating them all before even taking a photo. We enjoyed the coffee dorayaki, anko butter dorayaki, and warabimochi at home in a relaxed setting (laughs).

Visited during my homecoming trip. This stylish Japanese sweets shop in Minami Ward is spacious and has a garden-like atmosphere. They offer not just the usual manju and such, but also cute ohagi like the ones from Sakurashinmachi Takenoto. They are so Instagrammable! And the prices are reasonable too. I was happy that they packed them in a traditional wooden box just like the Takenoto ohagi. I stopped by on the last day of my homecoming trip before heading to the airport. They have a variety of Japanese sweets that last long, so they make great souvenirs. When I got back to Tokyo and tried the ohagi, the decorations like flower petals were only on the top; the base was just a regular ohagi.

The other day, I went to the main store of Kashiya Kikutaro in Minami Ward, Kokura, Kitakyushu. I heard that their butter dorayaki, available only on weekends, is delicious, but it was sold out. So, I bought a purple sweet potato Mont Blanc dorayaki for 330 yen, a strawberry one for 302 yen, a matcha one for 324 yen, and a hojicha one for 600 yen. I enjoyed them at home. I hope to try the butter dorayaki next time. Thank you for the delicious treats!

Warabimochi drinks and traditional Japanese sweets are delicious. My favorites are the matcha milk warabi, hojicha milk warabi, and hojicha dango. As it is a traditional Japanese sweets shop, the aroma of matcha and hojicha is really nice. While it may not be cheap, the deliciousness is definitely worth the price. The drinks take some time from ordering to receiving, and the store can get very crowded on weekends with many customers waiting inside. The parking lot can also get full. On weekdays, it is much less crowded. However, due to the limited staff, there can be long waiting times even when there are fewer customers, so be patient. There are separate registers for drinks and traditional Japanese sweets. If you only want a drink, you can order at the front register. If you are buying items like dorayaki, karintou, or dango from the showcase, you will pay at the register on the right. If you are buying traditional Japanese sweets, you can also order drinks at this register without having to line up at the drink register again. PayPay is accepted.

I had been to this place 2-3 times several months ago, but I went back after a long time. It's difficult because I live in Kita-ku, but the deli lunch was really delicious. Being able to choose 4 types of dishes was great! The portion was generous, and I was full. You can also choose from 3 types of dressings for the salad, my sister chose onion and I chose beet, both were not too sour and very tasty. The hot deli was unfortunately cold, but it didn't affect the taste. There is a small shop at Kokura Station where you can buy sweets, but I wish they would open a similar lunch spot in Kita-ku! I first learned about this place when I received a red bean ball last spring, and it looked like a jewel, I was impressed. However, since I'm not a big fan of red bean alone, I won't be a repeat customer, but it's a treat I would like to give to red bean lovers. I also bought two types of warabi mochi, but I prefer mochi that is not too sweet, so these were a bit too sweet for me. I love kibi dango, skewered dango, warabi drink. The dorayaki was fluffy and delicious. The Kikutaro manju was like a plum branch cake (delicious).

Strangely stylish traditional Japanese sweets shop. I tried the fresh strawberry dorayaki for 302 yen. I bought it and chilled it in the fridge before eating. It was just as I had imagined, nothing special. If there were a bit more strawberries, it might have made a difference, but the dough was pretty ordinary. Maybe I had set my expectations too high. They accept PayPay.

A Plate Lunch for 1200 yen + 100 - A shop that my mother and I have been curious about for a long time, as we both love traditional Japanese sweets! We often go to the northern part of the city, but rarely have the chance to visit the southern part. We missed the timing due to COVID-19, but finally, we were able to go! - The lunch starts at 11:30, so we left early after seeing good reviews. We arrived early and were able to secure a spot in the cafe area! However, I recommend making a reservation. - For lunch, there is a plate where you can choose your side dishes, with brown rice included, and another option where you can choose side dishes without rice. This time, we chose the A Plate with 4 side dishes. - When choosing, you first select the dressing, followed by 2 cold side dishes, and then 2 warm side dishes! I'm indecisive, so it was a bit of a challenge. - Surprisingly, the order was reversed, and I was at the back of the line with people waiting. I felt really sorry for the staff who had been holding the plates for a long time. - As the name suggests, the side dishes were all healthy, with ingredients like tofu, avocado, fish, and meat cooked in a healthy way. It was a win for me! - My choices were apple dressing, avocado and tofu salad, grilled chicken with tomato sauce, tomato and cheese quiche, and tofu meatloaf. - My mother chose carrot dressing, cold lotus root and sweet potato salad, avocado, tomato, and mozzarella salad, grilled mackerel and persimmon with five-grain mix, and avocado gratin. - Everything had a gentle flavor, which I love, and I felt like going for seconds. The best of the best was the tofu meatloaf, made with ground chicken and tofu, seasoned with a Japanese-style broth. It was gentle but satisfying. - I was satisfied with just the side dishes, and without rice on the plate, I didn't feel guilty about ordering dessert afterwards.笑

I was looking for a nearby shop and accidentally entered a store that had beautiful ohagi, dorayaki, and karinto instead. On my way back from the intended shop, I decided to buy souvenirs. I checked if the store allowed dining in, and although it looked nice, I was already full so I opted for souvenirs instead. I bought ohagi with sweet bean paste and various types of karinto.

I bought some peach-flavored dorayaki for 450JPY, cherry blossom-shaped ohagi for 140JPY, and a variety of sweets in a box for 4,766JPY (including shipping). I also bought a set as a gift, hoping the recipient will be pleased. I enjoyed the fresh sweets at a cafe.

◎Kikutarou Confectionery (Kokura Minami Ward)◎I finally visited Kikutarou Confectionery, a place I had been curious about. The parking lot is spacious, and the store has a very stylish appearance. It was so popular that there was a long line on weekends. I ordered the "Matcha Milk Warabi" drink, which I had been wanting to try. I'm not a fan of overly sweet tapioca drinks, but surprisingly, the warabi mochi drink was refreshing. The matcha sauce was rich and not too sweet. The warabi mochi looked like tapioca at first glance, but it melted in the mouth with a subtly sweet flavor. Some people may have mixed opinions, but I found it to be very delicious. This popular shop offers a variety of drinks and sweets.

I went to the café of the popular traditional Japanese sweets shop "Kasho Kikutaro" in Kokura Minami-ku, Kitakyushu City. They sell delicious treats like rice cakes, dorayaki, and karinto. They are having their 3rd-anniversary festival from November 30th to December 1st. A popular item is the Warabi Drink made with warabi mochi instead of tapioca, and there are often long lines for takeout.

I finally visited this restaurant that I've been wanting to go to for a while. I asked a friend to make a reservation for me. I heard that if you don't arrive by 11:30 when they open, you can't make a reservation. I arrived about 5 minutes early, but the parking lot was already full. And it was filled with groups of girls. When I hurried into the restaurant, it was already packed with customers. I wondered when we would be able to get in, but we were seated on the second floor. I had studied how to order from reading reviews the day before. I ordered the B set and a hot hojicha tea. It was all about vegetables. When asked what was delicious, I had to think about it. Maybe the vegetables were good. It was nice to have this kind of lunch once in a while. Even though it was all vegetables, I got quite full from eating it all. Thank you for the meal. By the way, the carrot dressing was delicious, so I thought about trying to make it at home.

"Alicia's Food Log: It's a place nearby, so I don't usually go there, but I visited with my daughter who came home for a visit. They had something called 'warabi mochi drink' that caught my attention. This time, we decided to get it to go. After much deliberation, I chose the peach milk warabi mochi. At first, I thought it was a strange combination, and I was considering other flavors like matcha or hojicha. But it turned out to be cute and exciting. When I tried it, I was surprised by how delicious it was. The combination is a unique taste that only those who have tried it would understand. The warabi mochi in the drink was softer and more drinkable than usual. It was fun to see the warabi mochi coming up through the straw. It's softer than tapioca. Definitely worth a try!"

The last stop of the Ogura Minami Ward Sweets Rally was Kikutarou, just a short drive from the previous sweets shop. Due to time constraints, I couldn't dine in, so I decided to buy some souvenirs. They had butter dorayaki, rice cakes, and steamed buns, among others. I tried the Kikutarou steamed bun, which was small but very sweet. They also had karinto snacks. The service was excellent, and I hope to dine in next time.