#Minshuku Chaya Rokki [Eel Rice Bowl ¥2,890 Bamboo steamer] #Fukuoka Prefecture #Yanagawa City #Okibata-cho #Minshuku Chaya #Eel Restaurant #Japanese Cuisine #Restaurant #Rokki #Shogetsu #Fukuoka Food #Fukuoka Lunch #Lunch #Fukuoka Gourmet #Gourmet #Local Gourmet #Kanazawa Food #Eel #Unagi #UnagiLovers Taste: ★★★★ Price: ★★★☆ Atmosphere: ★★★★

I remembered a fun fact I learned in a lecture about the poet Hakushu, that "roku" in "rokki" is actually pronounced as "rok

When it comes to sightseeing in Yanagawa, the highlight is the "river cruise". I used the "Yanagawa Special Ticket" which includes a round trip from Hakata to Yanagawa on Nishitetsu, a river cruise in Yanagawa, and a meal. After the cruise, we went to a restaurant near the disembarkation point called "Mingei Chaya Rokki". The exterior of the restaurant with raw wall finish was lovely. The interior had a calm atmosphere with folk craft furniture. I started with a bottle of beer (medium/Asahi Super Dry) for ¥620. It was delicious and refreshing on a surprisingly hot day for the end of October. For the meal, I had the eel rice (steamed in a steamer), which is normally priced at ¥2,750 but included in the Yanagawa Special Ticket. Under the eel and shredded omelette, there was rice coated with sauce. The dish was served in a steaming vessel, giving the eel a nice smoky flavor. The eel was tender and moist, although there was a slight fishy taste and some bones to watch out for. The sauce soaked into the entire dish, making the rice flavorful and chewy. After the meal, I enjoyed a hot coffee as part of the set. The staff at the restaurant were very kind and provided a heartwarming service. Another convenient aspect was the shuttle bus from the restaurant back to Yanagawa Station. Yanagawa town was charming and beautiful, and I had a delightful experience. Thank you for the meal.

I went on a river cruise with a Yanagawa special ticket! In good weather, I leisurely enjoyed the one-hour river cruise... It was a weekday, but there were many customers! The eel steamed in a bamboo steamer was delicious and fluffy... The rice was also good, and I enjoyed eating it!

Eel and rice steamed in a bamboo basket (Matsu) for 3,670 yen. The rice is steamed together with the eel, so when you dig into the piping hot rice, a fragrant aroma rises up. The sauce permeates every part of the rice, leaving no area untouched. The eel is plump and delicious. The sauce is not too sweet. I used to dislike liver, but for the first time, I found it delicious. This restaurant is famous for loach dishes, but the eel is also delicious.

When asked if there is a place where you can eat loaches, a search in Yanagawa City reveals 3 places. The first place mentioned on Tabelog states that they have loaches, but when I called, they said they are not serving them currently. I wish they would update their official page. The second place mentioned that you can eat loaches, so I reserved a seat. Upon arrival, I found that they offered Yanagawa hot pot (without rice). The atmosphere was casual and welcoming, with a spacious table that was not overly fancy. The loaches dish arrived first, and although it was not my first time trying it, it had been a while. I tried a small bite and found it to be delicious. The appearance was similar to a type of fish called "kibinago," but I prefer kibinago over loaches. The grilled eel set meal that followed had a crispy surface and a tender texture, and it was quite tasty. I would have preferred more rice, but overall, it was a pleasant dining experience. This restaurant is welcoming for solo diners, especially if you have extra income to spare.

Due to Golden Week, I wanted to go a little further to enjoy some eel, or rather, try "dojou" (loach) for the first time, so I drove to Yanagawa. With the long weekend and the festival at Suitengu Shrine, eel restaurants in the Yanagawa area were all packed! Among them, "Rokki" had good reviews on Tabelog, so we decided to visit. In Yanagawa, eel is mostly steamed in a steamer, and Rokki also serves steamed eel. They had options for Matsuba (3,600 yen), Take (2,700 yen), and Ume (1,900 yen). For starters, my friend and I ordered the Take and Ume sets, as well as the long-awaited Yanagawa hot pot dojou for 1,030 yen, along with some beer. Looking around, it seemed like there were a lot of tourists, especially foreigners. The steamed eel took a while to arrive, but first, the Yanagawa hot pot was served. It was cooked with what seemed like dojou and burdock, thickened with egg in a thin clay pot. I was hoping for a more traditional dojou dish, but it seems like the trend now is to serve it opened up, so it wasn't as grotesque. The taste was mostly like burdock, maybe because of the egg. I couldn't really taste the dojou flavor, so I wondered what it's supposed to taste like. After a short wait, the steamed eel arrived. The Take set had 3 pieces of eel, while the Ume set had 2 pieces, which looked a bit disappointing. Well, that's the business with tourists, I guess. Even though it was served in a fancy steamer, the balance of 2 pieces of eel and rice was off, so I ended up just eating the steamed rice. The eel was supposedly charcoal-grilled, but it was hard to tell because the pieces were so small. It had less sweetness and more of a soy sauce spiciness to it. The liver sashimi that came with the set also seemed like it was only half of what you would get at a regular eel restaurant. In terms of cost performance, it might be better to eat at a regular eel restaurant. But that's just the way it is in tourist areas!

You can enjoy local cuisine in Yanagawa, including eel dishes. I made a reservation but everywhere was full, so I ended up at a full house as well. I ordered the Yanagawa set meal, which included Yanagawa hot pot, local delicacies, and of course, steamed eel. I tried dojō (loach) hot pot for the first time, and it was delicious without any fishy smell. It's great to be able to try Yanagawa's local dishes like this.

Cheaper compared to other stores. Recommended for those who don't need a lot of quantity. However, the fact that the restroom is connected for both men and women was a bit concerning, so -1 point.

I visited to eat eel by going down the river. It was amazing. You can eat delicious thick and fluffy eel. Definitely worth a visit.

I visited the folk craft tea house "Rokkyu" in Yanagawa City. I suddenly felt like eating Yanagawa hot pot, so I decided to try their Yanagawa set meal with sweet flag for 3090 yen. It came with mini eel rice, small side dishes, soup, and pickles. The Yanagawa hot pot on its own was 1030 yen. I had to wait for over 20 minutes, but it's understandable since it's eel. When the set meal finally arrived, I was surprised. The mini eel rice was actually steamed in a basket! The small side dishes included grilled eel, and there was also sweet flag simmered in soy sauce! If only they had mentioned that, I wouldn't have hesitated for 5 minutes! The set meal allows you to enjoy Yanagawa's local cuisine, so even though it's a bit pricey, it's great for tourists. The Yanagawa hot pot with loach and burdock combined to create a earthy aroma that was enjoyable. The ingredients, including sweet flag, were not particularly impressive (in my opinion), but everything was well seasoned, making me crave beer or more rice. Personally, I think I would have preferred the option with eel rice instead of mini eel rice for 2160 yen.

Under the scorching sun of summer, I was swaying on a boat for an hour, feeling exhausted by the time I arrived here. I actually wanted to go to a different restaurant, but they had a one-hour wait. This experience reaffirmed that Japanese people really love eel. I ended up coming here after wandering around. I ordered the eel steamed with plums. It cost 1850 yen, and I received 2000 yen in change. My first impression was that the eel was small! Even with the plums, it was small! Even if I paid double the price for double the size, it was still small, and I felt the cost performance was poor. Unfortunately, I had to acknowledge that this was a tourist spot with high prices. It's also annoying that the rice sticks to the steamer and it's hard to eat the rice grains cleanly (but it can't be helped).

On March 12th (Sunday), three women visited the restaurant around 11:30 am. It was a bit early for lunch, so we were able to get a table easily. After 12 o'clock, there was a wait, so arriving a bit early is recommended. We decided to try the special set meal that includes both Yanagawa hot pot and eel, since Yanagawa is known for its Yanagawa hot pot. When the set meal arrived, we were surprised by the amount of food! It was a lot, especially for women, but we were impressed by the value with dishes like fish stew and grilled skewers that we had never tried before. The eel was delicious without any disappointments, but the Yanagawa hot pot... it had a bit of an earthy taste, maybe because of the loaches? So, I would give it three stars.

Located near the end point of the Yanagawa river cruise, this restaurant comes highly recommended by the famous boatman Tacchan. We initially planned to go to Honkichiya, but the landlady's attitude was poor, so we decided on this place instead. The staff here are friendly, the steamed dishes are delicious, and they even serve complimentary coffee. It was the perfect way to wrap up our trip to Yanagawa. We tried the bamboo dish, which was tasty, and the liver sashimi was also delicious. We left feeling completely satisfied.

Return to Yufuin after a short trip to Omuta. After wandering around the Three Coal Mine Port area, we quickly arrived in Yanagawa via the coastal road. Of course, we couldn't miss having eel for lunch. With a hungry stomach, we decided to avoid the famous shops and went to "Rokki" (pronounced rokkyu). It's located near the end point of the river cruise. It's a folk art-style restaurant. First, we had the Yanagawa hot pot for 1030 yen. It's been a while since I had dozeu (eel hot pot). It's not bad, but it's just dozeu after all. And it costs 1030 yen. Had a sip of beer. Of course, we also had steamed eel. Served in a bamboo steamer for 2470 yen. Three large pieces. It's decent. The sauce is a bit on the strong side. A bit lacking in quantity, but I guess it's fine. The liver sashimi was like this. This makes you feel like you're really in Yanagawa.

In the latter half of July, on a sunny holiday, we planned to enjoy a 1-hour river cruise near Nishitetsu Yanagawa Station. The boat gliding on the water with the beautiful voice of the boatman guiding and singing was indeed relaxing, but the piercing heat of midsummer was hard to bear. Despite wearing a hat for heatstroke and dehydration prevention, and ensuring sufficient hydration, our energy gradually diminished. So when the boat entered a shady area, it was a relief. Now, Rokkiya is located on the opposite side of the disembarkation point. When we first entered the air-conditioned restaurant, it felt almost cold. The "Mini Eel Rice and Yanagawa Hot Pot Set" includes delicacies such as Akashitabirame, Yanagawa hot pot, eel sashimi, liver sashimi, and mini eel rice (steamed in a steamer). When I looked up "Akashitabirame" online, it was also called "soles with distorted soles", and if you don't mind the soft bones around the edge, you can eat it cleanly except for the head, backbone, and tail. The Yanagawa hot pot had almost no muddy smell of loaches, so even first-timers can eat it without resistance. Personally, I think it would be better if it had a bit more unique flavor, though... The eel sashimi served with cucumber vinegar goes well with beer. The white mushroom-shaped object floating on the liver sashimi is a type of jelly called "neri", and the small brown one hidden in the shadow is the liver. Perhaps because we had lunch early, we quickly became full, so I ended up leaving about half of the rice and only finished all the steamed eel. It would have been even better if the eel was plump and tender.