I heard that there is a Calbee Plus store in Hakata Hankyu, so I went to check it out. It was located halfway inside the department store, making it easy to spot even with luggage. Currently, they only sell products and do not have an eat-in area. There were signs indicating Calbee Plus exclusives and Kyushu exclusives. I bought the Hakata Hankyu exclusive Essento Potato as a souvenir for a friend. The staff mentioned that the Hakata Hankyu exclusive comes in two flavors: mentaiko and Kyushu soy sauce. I opted for the Kyushu soy sauce flavor this time. The mentaiko flavor was recommended for those who don't like spicy food as it is not too spicy. The price for a box of 4 packs (17g each) was 575 yen, and I also received a free Hankyu paper bag with my purchase. The price was reasonable, and the expiration date was about 4 months, making it a perfect souvenir.

I stopped by to buy it during my business trip to Hakata. The potato chips were a bit thick, with a fairly strong seasoning, and felt a little heavy. I bought some as souvenirs for my friends, but since I didn't really like them after trying them myself, I gave them something else instead. Maybe feeling heavy was just because of my age? 😉

I have purchased Calbee Plus chips at shops on Kokusai Dori in Naha, in the underground shopping area of Tokyo Station, and at Chitose Airport. I also found them at a department store basement in Hakata. My favorite flavors are the Churapote with a hint of spiciness and the Wasabipote with a refreshing, tingling wasabi taste.

I came to buy a souvenir gift and after wandering around the Hankyu underground, I ended up at this reliable store where they have Calbee's rare products and high-end line-up. There are various items available, but I usually buy the "Kappa Ebisen Takumi Kai" here. It comes in two flavors: sesame oil and simple seaweed salt. This time, I chose the seaweed salt flavor (18 pieces for 972 yen). The sesame oil flavor is 15 pieces for 972 yen. It's a popular choice even for those who don't like sweet snacks, and it's light and has a good shelf life, making it one of my go-to souvenirs. The previous black packaging had a luxurious feel, but the new packaging is also lovely. I also bought some for home use. Enjoying it with Yame tea makes for a luxurious tea time. The shrimp flavor is rich and delicious, perfect for a snack with alcohol. I will visit again, thank you for the meal!

Jaga Pokkuru, a popular Hokkaido souvenir, was a hit. I happened to stop by Calbee Plus and found it being sold as a limited edition item, so I bought it as a souvenir for my family. Jaga Pokkuru costs ¥820 and is made with 100% Hokkaido potatoes. The sticks are made from raw potatoes and fried as they are. The texture is very light, and while each bag has a small volume, the box contains 10 bags which could be handy for sharing. It was particularly well-received by children, and I would like to buy it again as a souvenir if I have the chance. Thank you for the meal.

I have purchased Happy Turns in Osaka before. A few years ago, there were always long lines and waiting times were expected with a number system. Now, it has become easier to purchase them in Osaka as well. I found a limited edition mentaiko butter in Hakata, so I bought two. It is made from powdered mentaiko from Hakata, and the combination of mentaiko flavor and butter is quite delicious.

I tried some freshly made potato chips. They had different toppings available, and I chose chocolate and soft serve. It was sweet and salty, and delicious! The freshly made potato chips were also tasty. The seating area was a bit cramped.

I heard that they sell freshly fried chips, but unfortunately they were not selling them when I visited. It was very disappointing. Maybe it was because I went in the evening, after sunset? They didn't mention the reason. Since I had come all the way, I bought two boxes of their chips sold at the counter. The taste was different from the chips I usually buy at supermarkets or convenience stores - they were smaller but thicker, with a generous amount of delicious flavoring. They were really tasty. Of course, they were a bit pricey, so they might make a good souvenir.

I had freshly fried potato chips!! They are usually in a bag so they feel oily, but these were freshly fried and very crispy and delicious!! The Jagariko was also very tasty!! (^o^)

At Hakata Station underground, I tried the Tsumami Essen Potato in mentaiko butter flavor and the Essen Potato in Kyushu soy sauce flavor.

This time, in addition to the Poteriko salad flavor, the Poteriko mentaiko flavor is just right in saltiness, and the spicy kick that comes later is also good. I liked it again.

At Calbee's directly managed store, the freshly fried Jagariko and potato chips from the local shop are guaranteed to be delicious. They are crispy and tasty! I referred to Yui's review. It's located underground near the station.

At the limited edition Calbee Plus Hiroshima Station store, I tried some hot snacks that were delicious, so I found out they also have a store at Hakata Station and decided to visit. There are various souvenirs available, but my main interest was the hot snacks. They offer limited edition freshly made potato chips here. I ordered the Ishigaki salt flavor for 310 yen and the Kyushu soy sauce flavor for 310 yen. They start making them after you order. When the chips arrived, I tried them and they were delicious! They were crispy and well-fried. If they were a bit less oily, they would be even more delicious. The slight lack of oiliness made them a bit too crispy. When asked which one is better compared to regular potato chips, I would say freshly made ones are supposed to be better, but there is a certain charm to the regular ones too. However, the variety of freshly made hot snacks here that can only be enjoyed here is definitely worth trying before leaving.

I went on a day trip to Kyushu and on my way back, I didn't have much time so my plan to eat near Hakata Station fell through, and I ended up just buying some souvenirs. As I was heading to the station through a different route, I noticed a trendy-looking store near Hakata Station. It was called Calbee+Essence. I remembered seeing a similar store in Kobe's Harborland called Mosaic. I recalled trying freshly made Jagariko there. This store also seemed to be making something, so I decided to buy their "Essen Potato" product, which was stacked like a mountain. There were different flavors to choose from, but I picked two that seemed Kyushu-inspired: Kyushu soy sauce flavor and yuzu kosho flavor. The colorful and compact box contained four small bags. Each box cost 500 yen, making one bag equivalent to 125 yen. The texture was similar to Jagariko, with thick potato chips, but there seemed to be very little inside, leaving me with the feeling of "Is this it?" It may be a bit pricey for a souvenir, but if there are no other options, I might consider buying it again due to the variety of flavors available.

Earlier, on the way back from an outing with my mother, I noticed and purchased Calbee Plus Essence. In front of the store, there were many limited edition potato chips exclusive to Hakata, as well as high-end potato chips that you can't find in regular supermarkets. I saw many people buying in bulk, probably for souvenirs. I don't usually buy snacks at the supermarket, but Calbee is an exception. Sometimes I just crave Jagariko or potato chips from Calbee's potato series. I heard that this new store opened, and since I'm a fan of Calbee, I was curious to try it out. My kids also love potato chips, but I only let them have them occasionally, even from Green Co-op, so I thought it might be a good souvenir. We were already full from lunch, so I could have just gotten a box, but I wanted to try the freshly fried potato chips, so I bought the freshly fried potato chips for 310 yen. The photo shows Kyushu soy sauce on the bottom left and salt on the bottom right. The freshly fried chips were indeed fried, but they weren't as hot or crispy as I expected. I had a preconception that they would be like Kogepote (crispy potato chips), but they were the opposite – light and fluffy. The salt flavor, made with salt from Ishigaki Island, was not too salty and had a gentle saltiness, allowing the potato flavor to shine through. The Kyushu soy sauce flavor had a unique powder coating and was too intense in flavor, tasting more like something you'd buy at a regular supermarket. This one might be better suited as a snack with drinks due to its strong flavor. Considering the price, I thought the Kogepote version might have been a better choice for me, being frugal. The store also provided bags for takeout if you couldn't finish eating in the store.

Ever since it opened at Hakata Hankyu, I've been curious about this shop. I ordered the following three items: *Poteriko Salad Flavor* Potato Chips, Kyushu Soy Sauce *Potato Chips, and Ishigaki Island Salt *Potato Chips. The potato chips were delicious, as they were freshly fried. But the real star was the Poteriko! The moment I put it in my mouth, the soft and sticky texture inside made me fall in love. I definitely want to eat it again.

I visited the newly reopened "Calbee Plus Essence Hakata Hankyu Store" on August 10th this year. They offer freshly fried snacks, and there were various menu options available. After some consideration, I decided to order the "Freshly Fried Potato Chips with Ishigaki Salt Flavor" and the "Poteriko Salad." In the glass-walled kitchen, they were frying the potatoes each time an order came in. It was quite interesting to watch! After a short wait, the piping hot potatoes were ready. The potato chips were crispy and crunchy, while the Poteriko was crispy on the outside and fluffy and hot on the inside. I was surprised that the Poteriko mascot was not a giraffe! Both dishes were delicious, and I look forward to trying other menu items next time. Thank you for the delicious freshly fried potatoes!

After eating ramen at Chaya Shoten, I returned to Hakata Station. I decided to make a detour to Hankyu Hakata's underground area to buy a snack to eat on the highway bus. Since Hakata is famous for mentaiko (spicy cod roe), I purchased the limited edition "Grilled Mentaiko Flavor" (310 yen) from Hankyu Hakata. It uses mentaiko powder from Kanefuku. The freshly fried potato chips are crispy. The spicy mentaiko flavor goes perfectly with them. I didn't want to oversleep on the bus, so I enjoyed it with beer at home.