I visited Kurofune-san, a restaurant I always go to after the Kokura horse racing. This place offers a variety of delicious dishes such as squid, local chicken, motsunabe (tripe hot pot), and sesame mackerel. It's a great place for beginners in Kokura. Reservations are recommended as it was already crowded at 5:00 pm on Sunday. This time, I visited with my family and both my wife and daughter had a satisfying evening.

The staff were friendly. I forgot to take a photo, but the food was delicious. When I mentioned that I was dining with friends from out of town, they kindly offered to save the last serving of fresh squid for us. Their thoughtfulness was much appreciated.

On a Saturday night, a bit late, I tried several places without a reservation, relying on Tabelog, but couldn't get in anywhere. Just as I was about to give up and thinking "This place won't work either," I happened to see a few customers leaving, so I took a chance and went in. I told them I didn't have a reservation, and they provided excellent service, preparing a table for me right away! I toasted with local sake and draft beer. The seasonal fish, local chicken, and meat sushi were all delicious and I was really satisfied. By chance, the person in charge seemed to be sitting on the opposite side of the counter, so I had a pleasant chat with them. It was lucky to find a good restaurant in an unfamiliar place.

On this night, I went to a yakitori dinner with my friends (^_^) We searched for a restaurant where we could enjoy until late, and ended up going to "Kurofune Uomachi" where the last order was at 11 pm. We started with a refreshing glass of draft beer. Beer on a hot day is the best! We ordered yakitori such as pork belly, beef tongue, gizzard, tail, negima, sasami, and enoki bacon roll, as well as mentaiko dashi tamago and yamaimo teppan. The yakitori was delicious, with each ingredient's quality shining through. The mentaiko dashi tamago and yamaimo teppan were also very tasty. Feeling hungry, we also ordered motsunabe. The miso-based motsunabe with chewy offal and rich soup was exquisite. We also had champon noodles as a finale, and even salted mackerel grilled rice balls. We left the restaurant fully satisfied and had a great night with my friends (^_^)

We were a group of four and decided to eat here as we were a bit hungry. One person was already full, and another only ordered dessert. The tantanmen wasn't too spicy, so anyone could enjoy it. It was delicious. The mentaiko tamagoyaki was different from what I expected, as it had mentaiko sandwiched inside instead of mixed in. The tiramisu had too much cocoa powder on top. Ordering was done through a touch panel. The private room was cozy, more suitable for groups rather than individuals.

The restaurant has a calm atmosphere and a beautiful interior. The two-seat counter was mostly occupied by couples. They offer sashimi platters starting from one serving, which is convenient for solo diners. The potato salad is served with the potatoes roughly mashed, allowing customers to adjust the seasoning to their liking. While it may seem odd to have customers season their own food, the dishes and drinks were decent enough to overlook this minor inconvenience.

I wanted to eat fresh squid sashimi, so I searched for several options and decided to make a reservation at Kurofune, a restaurant near the station. The course with live squid sashimi was only available for a minimum of 3 people, so I secured a seat the day before and asked them to hold a reservation when fresh squid is available. I enjoyed crispy fresh spear squid sashimi, followed by tempura, which added a different texture when heated. There is a wide variety of skewered dishes, including the famous tsukune. The grilled rice balls cooked over charcoal were delicious with a crispy outside and fluffy inside. I chose the grilled mackerel rice ball. I had a great time enjoying the food and drinks. Thank you for the meal. Just for reference, the seats near the entrance on the first floor counter may be affected by the opening and closing of the door, making it less comfortable. It would be nice to see more attention to details such as organizing the toilet and handwashing area.

You can probably get in without a reservation on a Saturday here. The atmosphere is right in the middle of an izakaya! The tables are spacious. The ordering process is you fill out a slip and then pay at the register. The crowd was pretty lively, but we didn't have to wait to get in. The service was average. The menu has a typical izakaya selection. There is no parking. The cheese spring rolls were delicious. The beef miso yaki didn't warm up at all because the heat was too low.

I was in the mood for yakitori, but I researched a restaurant where I could enjoy more than just yakitori and chose Kurofune. The spacious interior was packed with customers. I ordered the bamboo shoot sashimi, which was delicious! The yakitori was naturally delicious as well. I particularly enjoyed the pork belly and gizzard. The pizza and shumai were also delicious. And to finish off, the meat sauce on the fresh pasta was exquisite. The flat noodles paired perfectly with the sauce. The staff were friendly and the variety of menu options made the dining experience enjoyable. The cost performance was also good, so I highly recommend this restaurant. I will definitely be going back! Thank you for the meal!

I couldn't get into my first choice, Rokurougi, for my coming-of-age ceremony as all the restaurants were fully booked, so I ended up here. The staff recommended their affiliated restaurant, Kurofune, known for sashimi and yakitori, as an alternative. Both Kurofune and Rokurougi serve delicious food. The beer was refreshing and the saba with sesame and kawahagi were very fresh. I sat at the counter on the second floor and could hear the staff talking behind the scenes, which was a bit disappointing. The service was quick and efficient. I recommend visiting multiple restaurants for a better experience and to avoid overspending. Today's total bill was 6,720 yen.

It's been a while since my last visit. Usually, it's always fully booked (because I always make last-minute reservations), but this time I got lucky! I managed to snag a counter seat as a walk-in. This place is known for its delicious yakitori, but I always have to order sashimi first. I ordered the sea bream, and my friend ordered the amberjack soup – both were delicious. The yakitori was as tasty as always. I love that they use large cuts of meat. The sake had a lot of fins in it, which was a nice surprise. We decided on a second round last minute, so this time I treated. Thank you for the delicious meal!

We reserved a private room for four people at around 18:10 on a regular day. The squid sashimi and mackerel sashimi we had pre-ordered were delicious. The squid was transparent, sweet, and crunchy, while the mackerel was firm. The motsunabe (offal hotpot), salad, and yakitori were also delicious. It was a satisfying dinner.

Yesterday, I missed out on having mackerel during my meal, so I decided to visit a reliable restaurant to make sure I could have it. I had sesame mackerel, tempura of shirako and corn, charcoal-grilled chicken, and tempura of mentaiko mochi. The local sake, Tenshin, was stable and delicious, but surprisingly expensive.

In Kokura, there is a famous restaurant known for its delicious yakitori. They offer over 25 different types of yakitori, which you can choose to have with salt or sauce. Their specialty is the Tsukimi tsukune, but I personally prefer to have the chicken with sauce as it is not too greasy and very flavorful. I also recommend trying the Seseri and Bonjiri with salt, as they are delicious. They have unique options like round intestine skewers as well. Aside from yakitori, the Ebi Mayo (shrimp with mayonnaise) is also very tasty. Today, I also ordered the Goma Buri (sesame yellowtail), sashimi platter, dashimaki tamago (rolled omelette), chicken karaage, and shumai. I forgot to take a picture, but we also had Negi Chahan (fried rice with green onions) and a tiramisu plate. The staff's service is excellent and the atmosphere is welcoming. As a thoughtful gesture, they even gave us kashiwa meshi onigiri (chicken rice ball) as a souvenir when we left. I highly recommend this place and will definitely be a repeat customer. The main branch is located near the Yakitori Zanmai Kurofune main store, which also offers the same menu and is worth a visit.

On May 1, 2021, I visited for the third time, but it had been a few years, so I was excited. Unlike the popular main branch, this place is elegant and clean, like a classy izakaya, which I like. I requested a private room through online reservation, but ended up at a table with partitions, which was a bit disappointing. Why? I underwent a temperature check and was seated. They didn't have call bells. I ordered a draft beer and a sashimi assortment. For skewers, I ordered tomato cheese bacon, chicken tenderloin with plum and shiso, and more. The service was quick and efficient, which left a good impression. When the sashimi arrived, the plate was long and narrow, much bigger than I expected, but it looked nice! The sashimi was fresh and had a nice texture. I especially liked the slightly seared saury. The tomato cheese bacon was tasty, but I thought they could reduce the amount of cheese for better balance. The acidity of the tomato was lost. I believe adding more plum paste to the chicken tenderloin with plum and shiso would make it much more delicious and go well with drinks. Overall, the food was delicious. It was a good experience. However, the staff were a bit too eager to clear empty plates, which was a bit distracting. They cleared plates too frequently, disrupting the flow of conversation and atmosphere. They didn't need to clear glasses or small plates every time they were empty. Nevertheless, I'm satisfied and would like to come back again. Thank you for the meal.

Today I brought a customer here. The squid sashimi and sesame mackerel are delicious as always. The leftover parts of the squid were made into tempura and served with coarse salt. We also had iron pot dumplings and rolled mentaiko, which the customer seemed to enjoy.

At night in Kokura, Kurofune is a must-visit. Today, the sesame mackerel and cod milt tempura, Hakata mentaiko dashimaki tamago, and corn tempura were delicious. I tried a variety of drinks, but Yukino Bijin was probably the best. The restaurant is clean and you can relax comfortably, so you can enjoy your meal with peace of mind even during this season. I forgot to order squid.

I went to Kurofune for the first time in a while. As always, I was there for the mackerel and live squid. I ordered the sesame mackerel, which is delicious with soy sauce. The texture is really firm. The live squid is delivered straight from the tank. After enjoying it as sashimi, they fry up the tentacles and head, which is also delicious. The Saga beef and local chicken grilled over charcoal are also tasty. The variety keeps you from getting bored. I mainly drank shochu, and tried Kenhachi for the first time. It's a barley shochu with a smoky flavor that I really enjoyed. As a bonus, I had Mitsui's Jyuu.

I have a bad feeling about the meeting in Kokura. "I'm sorry, but I need you to go to Matsue from now on." Oh no, a sly smile. There's always a catch with free drinks. I should have learned from my Lehman era lesson. Alcohol tastes 100 times better when you pay for it yourself. 1. Amakara Junmai Sake, Mizogami Sake Brewery, Higashiku, Kitakyushu City 2. Tanaka Rokugo Junmai Sake, Shiraito Sake Brewery, Itoshima City, Fukuoka Prefecture. #SakePairing #SakeAppetizer #SakeSnack #LocalSake #JapaneseSake #LoveJapaneseSake #SakeLover #PonshuTagram #Sakestagram #DrinkingTagram

- Date of visit: September 21, 2019, 7:10 pm - Number of people: 2 - Total amount spent: 10,140 yen - Crowd level: About 40-50% of the staff present when entering On the fourth day of our Kyushu train journey, we stayed in Kokura. After being turned away from a few full restaurants in the Uomachi Ginza area, we finally found this izakaya with available seats at the counter. The spacious and clean atmosphere allowed us to relax. [Items ordered] - Draft beer (medium) 550 yen x 3 - Sake: Tenshin (1 cup) 800 yen, Kuro Ryu (1 cup) 850 yen, Niwa no Uguisu (1 cup) 800 yen - Mugi Blue highball 450 yen, Kenhachi highball 550 yen - Assorted sashimi (for 2) 1,980 yen: A generous and high-quality assortment - Goma mackerel 780 yen: Fresh mackerel at a reasonable price - Tsukune with egg 300 yen x 2: With cartilage for a pleasant crunchy texture - Maruchiku (round intestine) 300 yen x 2: Melts in your mouth like water The lineup of local Kyushu shochu and sake was impressive, especially the sweet barley shochu "Kenhachi" with a convincing barley chocolate naming. The young staff provided good service, making it a cozy izakaya where you might find yourself wanting to stay longer.