My husband brought me to "Tempura Hiroo" as he had eaten there and enjoyed it about 10 years ago when he first came to Fukuoka. It was recommended by our eldest daughter who is familiar with Fukuoka. It's a popular chain with several locations, so we arrived early to avoid the lines. We entered around 5:20, bought our meal tickets, waited in the waiting area for about 40 minutes, and were then seated. We both ordered the Taste Set Meal for 940 yen each and a medium-sized draft beer for 600 yen. A grill for the tempura, beer, and tempura dipping sauce were placed on the table, along with rice and salted fish innards, which were delicious with a hint of yuzu. The rice and beer went well with the meal. My husband was disappointed to hear that salted fish innards used to be all-you-can-eat. Miso soup was served, and the tempura consisted of shrimp, white fish (kasa-go?), chicken thigh meat, pumpkin, eggplant, squid, and green pepper, all fried crispy and delicious. It was nice to have the tempura served fresh. Some people even ordered additional tempura, like scallops. The beer made us feel full. The building we were in was also lovely. It was convenient as it was near a hotel in Tenjin Minami, making it easy for us to wander around.

I arrived at the restaurant at 6:00 PM. It was disappointing that the yuzu salted fish roe has been limited to one plate per person since June, but the freshly fried tempura is still delicious as always. Every year when I come to Hakata, Hirao is a must-visit! If possible, it would be great if they could set up a stall around Hakata Station for easier access to their food.

In the crispy tempura batter, there were delicious, tender ingredients like conger eel, squid, shimeji mushrooms, and pumpkin. Some people say tempura is a steamed dish, which makes sense. The conger eel was thick and tender, the squid was incredibly soft, and the vegetable tempura was sweet. The pork tempura had a satisfying texture. When dipped in tempura sauce, everything became even more delicious.

Tempura Hirao's main store is located near Fukuoka Airport. I decided to visit the Acros store, which is also close to my hotel. When I arrived at the store around 6:40 pm on a Friday, there were about 20 people waiting ahead of me, showing how popular the place is. I ordered my meal from the ticket machine - a customizable set meal (small portion), with conger eel, scallops, and a large beer. The set meal included shrimp, squid, pork, white fish, and three kinds of vegetables. The wait was quite long, as more and more customers kept coming in. Since it was evening and alcohol was being served, the wait was longer than during lunchtime. It also seemed like there were fewer staff members, as the tables were not being cleared quickly. After waiting for about 30 minutes, I was seated at the counter. I started with a beer and some salted fish roe (limited to one plate per person). The tempura was served around 7:20 pm, about 40 minutes after I arrived. Once the food started coming out, it was served quickly and efficiently. I finished my meal in less than 20 minutes and left the restaurant. The tempura was light and crispy, and I found it quite satisfying. The prices were reasonable, as expected from Hirao. Personally, I prefer the main store for its atmosphere. Thank you for the meal.

I came back again! This is actually my third time already, haha. I had the set meal for the second time. I've become obsessed with the mentaiko tempura. The soft shell shrimp, hokke fish, squid, and various vegetables, including bell peppers, are all delicious. It's like a competition of frying oil happening under the thin batter! Everything is freshly fried and piping hot, the rice is fluffy, and the white miso soup tickles your nose. Inokashira-san, you've got to try this place. I'm definitely going back again. (The photo shows mentaiko and soft shell shrimp ^_^)

Fukuoka Wanderings. I will continue to post Fukuoka gourmet reviews for a while! A short 2-night, 3-day trip to Fukuoka during the Bon Festival. I visited many gourmet spots, so let me introduce them. *I also posted on my Instagram highlights, so please take a look if you're interested! After enjoying Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine, we visited this famous tempura restaurant. There are several branches in Fukuoka, but we visited the one in Acros, about a 5-minute walk from Tenjin Station. It has been selected as one of the top 100 tempura restaurants in Fukuoka. We visited around 1 pm on a weekday and there was a wait of about 20 people. It's incredibly popular. Despite the number of people waiting, the turnover rate was quite good, and we were able to be seated in about 30 minutes. Today, we had the following: The set meal is more cost-effective, but choosing individual items is also a good option as each item is reasonably priced. - Assorted Tempura Set Meal (1040 yen) - Mentaiko (Spicy Cod Roe) as a single item (350 yen) While waiting for the set meal, we were served squid salted guts, which was amazingly delicious. It used to be all-you-can-eat, but now it's limited to one plate per person. A bit disappointing. It's not as salty as regular salted guts, with a hint of yuzu fragrance, making it refreshing. The tempura is served as soon as it's fried, so you can enjoy it freshly cooked. The assorted tempura in the set meal includes conger eel, shrimp, chicken tenderloin, squid, eggplant, pumpkin, and green pepper. The additional mentaiko goes well with rice. The chicken tenderloin is plentiful, and the shrimp, although small, is packed with flavor. Dip the tempura in the rich tempura dipping sauce, mix it with rice, and enjoy it to the fullest! The squid salted guts is also available for purchase as a souvenir at the vending machine, and I liked it so much that I bought two for takeout. For 1040 yen, you get 7 items, including salted guts, and miso soup, which is a steal. Everything was delicious, and I would love to visit this restaurant again when I come back to Fukuoka. Thank you for the meal!

When I travel on business, I always used to visit the main store near the airport, but it was always terribly crowded. So this time, I visited this branch which is easier to reach from my workplace. I arrived around 7:30 pm and was able to enter without waiting in line. I chose the assorted color set meal with conger eel from the ticket machine. While waiting at the counter seat, the restaurant gradually started to fill up. First, they served rice, miso soup, tempura dipping sauce, and salted squid. As I was enjoying the salted squid, they served shrimp, conger eel, and chicken breast one after another. I slightly regretted when the chicken breast was served (as I'm not a big fan of it). From next time, I decided to order the base items and add my preferred items separately. The meal ended with pumpkin, eggplant, bell pepper, and squid. It was delicious. Thank you for the meal. It's a great place where you can easily enjoy freshly fried food.

When you come out of Exit 16 of Tenjin Station, you will already smell the tempura. The first stop on the Fukuoka gourmet trip to Tempura Hyakumeiten, which opens at 10:30. I headed straight there after getting off the plane. I arrived 5 minutes before opening, but there was already a line of about 30 people. I bought a meal ticket and found a seat, just in time! The seating is all around the cooking area in a counter style. The set meal menu includes rice and miso soup, ranging from ¥840 to ¥1,200. As a bonus, you get the famous squid salted guts. I chose the small size of the Ajisai set meal for ¥910, which includes shrimp, chicken thigh, white fish, squid, and 3 kinds of vegetables. Drinks are self-service with cold water and green tea in paper cups. First, the salted guts, then grated radish with ponzu, rice, and miso soup are brought to you. The salted guts are made with a type of squid called "Matsuika" and contain yuzu, with excellent saltiness and umami. The miso soup is made with white miso. The tempura, freshly fried in a basket, is placed on a tray for each seat at the counter. White fish, shrimp, chicken thigh, pumpkin, eggplant, squid, and green pepper. When serving the eggplant, the staff will inform you that the squid and green pepper are coming next, and that's all. Despite the busy restaurant, the staff's attentiveness was much appreciated. The freshly fried tempura was delicious. When I left at 11:10, there was still a long line. It was a casual dining experience, but the restaurant had a clean and beautiful white wooden counter, reminiscent of a sushi restaurant. The restaurant is open from 10:30 to 19:30, and it is easily accessible as it is connected to the subway in the building.

I arrived at the restaurant around noon on a regular day. There was no one outside, so I thought there was no wait. However, when I entered the restaurant, there were about 15 people waiting inside! The layout of the restaurant makes waiting easy. I ordered the colorful set meal, which included shrimp, squid, chicken breast, and three types of vegetables. Everything was delicious, with high-quality ingredients! Among them, the pumpkin tempura was my personal favorite. Thank you for the meal!

It was Friday afternoon, I lined up from 1:20 pm and was seated at 2:45 pm. The line was both inside and outside. Once seated, the service was fast. However, the salted fish roe was limited to just one small plate per person. Disappointing. The waiting time and limited salted fish roe were negative points, but the restaurant had high expectations to begin with. It's one of the few places accessible by train in the area. This was my experience. Thank you for the meal.

I went to "Tempura Hiro" in Tenjin, Fukuoka for lunch during my recent business trip. The restaurant is located on the 2nd floor of Acros Fukuoka. When I arrived, there were already 2 customers waiting in line, so I joined them and entered the restaurant as soon as it opened. The place was already full with a waiting line of over 10 people. I chose the "Ajiwai Set" and added some scallops from the ticket machine. The tempura dishes included shrimp, squid, chicken, fish, scallops, pumpkin, green pepper, eggplant, each fried to perfection. The taste and quality were great, and the value for money was also good. They also served delicious salted fish roe as a side dish. It's more about enjoying the tempura with rice rather than pairing it with alcohol, so the turnover rate is quite fast despite the long line. Thank you for the delicious tempura.

The first week after the Bon festival is over! This week I was planning to do a trial run, but the time at the company feels longer compared to the holidays. My trip back to Kagoshima was fulfilling and went by so quickly. Anyway, I need to work hard for the second half of the year! So, for dinner on Friday, I came to Acros Fukuoka! I had a craving for tempura, so I visited Tempura Hiroo. Originally, Hiroo was opened in 1977 by founder Kenjiro Kawauchi as "Kawauchi Shoten" with fresh seafood, produce, and meat departments in Higashi Hirao. The following year, a dining hall called "Drive-in Hiroo" was opened next to Kawauchi Shoten. The year after that, it was rebranded as "Tempura Hiroo" and started anew. In 2017, it changed its name to "Tempura Hiroo" and has been operating under that name since. Hiroo has 7 locations, and at present, this Tenjin Acros Fukuoka store has the highest rating, surpassing the main store by a narrow margin. It was the first time they received the Tempura Top 100 award in 2023, along with the main store and the Daimyo store. So, in 2018, I arrived at the Acros store around 6:30 p.m. I bought a ticket for my favorite toriten set and a bottled beer, and there were already 10 people lined up! I learned for the first time on their website that the Daimyo and Acros stores have a 100 yen higher price for set meals than other stores. I guess it's because they are in the city center, where rent is high. After waiting for about 15 minutes, I was seated at the counter. First, they served the famous squid shiokara! Before the pandemic, there used to be plenty of jars on the tables, but now it seems they provide individual servings. It was mixed with yuzu peel, giving it a refreshing acidity that paired well with the beer. I really wanted to try it with beer! When the tempura dipping sauce, rice, and miso soup were served, the freshly fried tempura was served in the following order: ① chicken tenderloin ② 2 pieces of chicken thigh ③ pumpkin ④ eggplant ⑤ green pepper ⑥ 2 pieces of chicken thigh First was the chicken tenderloin! It was so tender, you wouldn't even think it was chicken tenderloin! The tempura batter was light and crispy, making it easy to eat. Next was the chicken thigh! It's my favorite menu item, and it was incredibly tender. It was juicy, with the meat juices overflowing, making it incredibly succulent! It was not greasy and had a perfect finish, and I wanted more than just 4 pieces. The vegetables sourced from designated areas were all fresh and delicious! Especially the green pepper was thick and had a substantial bite, becoming my favorite. As always, the speed from frying to serving was incredibly fast! And of course, tempura goes really well with beer! The clean interior and the many healthy menu options seemed to attract an equal number of men and women. This aspect, among others, is probably a factor contributing to its popularity surpassing the main store! When I left the restaurant, there was a long line formed. They have a special dedication to shrimp, so I will definitely try it next time! Thank you for the meal!!

I visited "Tempura Restaurant Hira" which was newly selected as one of the top 100 tempura restaurants this year. It is located a 5-minute walk from Tenjin Station. This particular branch is my first visit, and it is one of the three branches that made it to the top 100 list. The restaurant offers tempura set meals for less than 1,000 yen, served at a counter where freshly fried tempura is provided one by one, giving it a high-class tempura restaurant feel. I arrived 15 minutes before opening on a weekday and was the 19th in line. I was able to enter as soon as they opened. I ordered the Taste Set Meal (medium rice) for 940 yen, which came with rice and miso soup. The tempura included white fish (megochi), shrimp, chicken thigh, eggplant, pumpkin, squid, and green pepper. The squid salted guts were all you can eat and I ended up having a full plate of it. The tempura was delicious as it was freshly fried. The shrimp and eggplant were particularly tasty. Overall, Hira is still great at this price! I enjoyed every bite until the end. When I left the restaurant, there was a line of over 30 people waiting.

I visited Hiraok, recommended by a colleague, during a business trip because there were no suitable flight times available. We waited in line for about 1 hour and 15 minutes before finally getting our meal around 11 o'clock. The freshly fried tempura was delicious, but waiting in line was tiring. The line starts from around the front of the restroom, so expect to wait for about an hour.

I arrived 30 minutes before the store opened and was second in line, but by the time the store opened, there were about 20 groups waiting in line and not everyone could be seated in the first round. I added an extra order of conger eel to my set meal, and all the sushi was freshly fried and delicious. The prices were also very reasonable. If I had to mention one thing, it would be nice to be able to easily add more sushi after being seated. I hope they expand to Tokyo. The salted squid was very tasty, but one plate was enough.

I arrived at the restaurant around 11:20 on Friday, but there was already a line of about 20-25 people waiting. I decided to treat myself a bit and purchased a meal ticket for 1,200 yen. After waiting for about 30 minutes, I was seated at the counter seat. The freshly fried tempura kept coming out one after another, and with the addition of the complimentary shiokara, the rice went down quite easily, so I ended up finishing my meal in no time. For the "laugh set meal," the pace of serving 7 pieces of tempura and the shiokara was well balanced, about the equivalent of 2 pieces of tempura. The hot tempura was really delicious as expected.

This time, I visited Akross store. This place is popular not only for tempura but also for its salted fish guts. Actually, I prefer regular salted fish guts. There were about 20 people lined up, so I waited for about 2 hours. I wasn't hungry, so the wait wasn't a problem. It felt like waiting in line for a pachinko parlor (I've never done it though, lol). I couldn't take pictures of the tempura dishes that kept coming one after another. The reason is simple. They would get cold. It would be a waste to take photos of freshly fried tempura! So I only took pictures at the beginning. I wanted to drink beer, but I had to drive, so I resisted. I plan to take a taxi next time.

Fukuoka business trip lunch. Arrived at 11:30 on a weekday but there was a line. The wait inside the restaurant was long, ended up waiting for an hour. Added eel to the okonomiyaki set. They served it efficiently, freshly fried and delicious. The miso soup and squid salted guts were refreshing. The quality at this price point explains its popularity. Got a bit oily towards the end, but overall it was a high-value lunch. Thank you for the meal.

When it comes to tempura in Fukuoka, this is the place to go. It's a casual tempura restaurant where you can enjoy affordable, delicious, and quick meals. It is highly rated by people of all ages and genders. There are several branches in the city, but the Acros branch is relatively new and the restaurant is very clean, making it a comfortable place to eat. Unfortunately, the unlimited consumption of squid salted guts has been discontinued as of June 1st, and now each person is limited to one plate, which is disappointing for fans like myself. If you want to enjoy some crispy and delicious tempura in Tenjin, this place is recommended.

Located in the underground restaurant corner of Akihabara. It was cash only. I waited for about an hour during lunchtime, but I could sit down and wait so it was not a problem. They bring the tempura dishes to your table in the order they are fried, so you can enjoy them while they are still hot and crispy. The tempura was delicious, so I was very satisfied.

I visited a famous tempura restaurant in Fukuoka City. I decided to go because they offer delicious tempura at a reasonable price. I purchased a tempura set meal from the ticket machine and sat at the counter. Before the tempura was served, a small dish of salted squid was presented. It was delicious and went well with the rice. The salted squid seemed to be one serving per person. Just eating the squid and rice alone was satisfying enough. As I enjoyed the complimentary salted squid, the fried tempura was served. All the tempura was tasty, but my favorite was the salted squid that was served as a complimentary dish. It was delicious. Thank you for the meal.