Kyushu Flavors

As I've mentioned in a previous post, the Kyushu region of Japan, Fukuoka being no exception, has a food culture that is in a few ways different than that of Tokyo, despite both being built upon the same crucible that makes Japanese food identifiable for what it is. Here are five notable things I ate in Kyushu, with the fifth being the glorious highlight. Of course, if the pictures are too small, keep in mind you can click to make the whole thing bigger.

Taiyaki
 Taiyaki literally means "baked sea bream," but it's not quite that. It's actually simply regular waffle batter cooked into a fish shape. The inside is filled with one of a variety of pastes, most commonly red bean paste. This shop claimed to have the best Taiyaki in Japan. It was...quite okay. I guess.


Seafood Barbeque 
 Fukuoka in particular has great access to seafood, allowing places like this one to make a killing in terms of profit. Hell, they don't even need to hire cooks, you just put the damn food on the grill yourself and light that shit up. They do offer lots when it comes to different types of seafood, though, and the prices are very affordable when it comes to shellfish.


Sushi
 Of course a surplus in seafood also means abundant access to affordable yet delicious sushi. Ken himself claims that Tokyo's quality in sushi (except for the ludicrously expensive places) doesn't compare at all to that of Fukuoka. Though I'm no expert in sushi, I can say that the one place I did eat sushi in in Fukuoka was quite nice indeed.


 Ramen
 Each of Japan's prefectures has its different take on the classic meal. Fukuoka's Hakata ramen has a particularly rich and flavorful pork soup, counterbalanced by very thin noodles. It's probably my favorite kind of ramen, and although you can find it in Tokyo, it's nowhere near as rich as that of its progenitor. 


And, alright, here's the kicker. This really ain't for the faint of heart. Click on the video to play.

Live Sashimi (Iketzukuri)

 So basically, they gut this horse mackerel live and cut it into pieces. The fish's vital organs are left intact, so it's effectively served alive, taking some seven or so minutes before fully dying. 

 It's...somewhat interesting seeing your meal stare back at you as you're eating a piece of it, but I guess fish have no feelings to begin with. Live sashimi is really something that can't be done very far from a coastal area, so Fukuoka's teaming with places where this is available. If you've ever had sashimi...well...this is the same damn thing, except, well, alive.