Recently, the salted squid has become the only appetizer available. Before the pandemic, there were also pickles, but those are gone now, which is a bit lonely. However, freshly fried tempura is still delicious. Today I had the vegetable set meal!! There was also a rare tempura of cherry tomatoes!! It was delicious!

Tempura restaurant "Tenpura-jo Hira-o" ※Laugh set meal (¥1,100-) Fukuoka locals have been showing great love for this popular tempura chain, with long lines forming due to the excitement surrounding it. The restaurant has been making a buzz on Tabelog, and as you hear people talking about it, you can't help but feel your expectations rising. Starting from June 1st, they have implemented a one-plate limit on their salted fish roe, making this month particularly bustling. The laugh set meal includes Hakata specialties like spicy cod roe. The taste is...with the tempura served freshly fried, there's no way it could be anything but delicious.

I enjoyed a laughing set meal~(*´ч`*) It included shrimp, grilled mackerel, spicy cod roe, pumpkin, eggplant, squid, and green pepper. The squid was tender and delicious when half-raw~ The best part was the spicy cod roe, but it was a shame that the salt and other seasonings were missing from the table (´・ω・｀)

Starting from June 1, 2023, there will be a limit of one plate of salted squid per person for a while! There was a notice posted near the ticket machine. I'm not a big fan of salted squid, so it doesn't affect me, but for those who love it, they should make sure to enjoy it before the end of May. After the Golden Week holidays, I came around 1:30 pm on a weekday hoping that there might be fewer customers due to a backlash. The entrance to this restaurant is in the middle of the building. There are benches along the windows on both sides of the restaurant where you can wait in order. There was a line formed on the right side of the benches. Perhaps the increase in customers is due to the shock of the salted squid restriction. I was able to get a seat in about 20 minutes. I noticed that the staff at the restaurant were becoming more international, but the tempura was as delicious as always. Towards the end of May, there may be a strong crowd of customers coming for the purpose of stocking up on salted squid.

"Hirao" is always crowded, but that's part of its charm. I arrived around 4:30 PM and surprisingly didn't have to wait at all, smoothly getting seated. The tempura, fried to a crisp, was delicious as expected. When it comes to Tokyo, a rating of 3.6 on Tabelog is pretty solid. Overall, it was a satisfying meal.

I entered the restaurant around 6:00 p.m. on Thursday. It was the first time I had zero wait time. I was so focused on eating that I only took pictures halfway through... I ordered the Ajisai set meal and also ordered chicken and mackerel as single items! The food was so delicious and satisfying. Even though I ate a lot of Hiraono tempura, I didn't feel bloated afterwards.

This restaurant always has long lines during lunchtime, so it's hard to come by. However, I decided to try coming around 12:45 pm the day after a slightly heavier snowfall in late January, and surprisingly I was almost at the front of the line for a table. Despite some customers already eating, I was able to enjoy delicious tempura being served one after another. The snow had stopped, so there were no issues with getting there. It seemed like some people had the day off, which may have contributed to the shorter wait time. I was able to eat tempura continuously without any long breaks, and I left the restaurant a little after 1 pm. It might have been my shortest visit to Hirao yet. It seems like a well-known fact, but I discovered that the day after a heavy snowfall is the best time to visit Hirao with the shortest wait time. I plan to take advantage of this insight and visit this restaurant on bad weather days in the future.

On the second day back in Iizuka, I felt like eating tempura so I went to "Hisayama Shop". I arrived 30 minutes before opening but there was already one person waiting, so I was second in line. Gradually, more customers arrived and by 5 minutes before opening, there were over 50 people in line. Amazing "Hirao"!

When you feel like eating tempura, it's better to go out to eat instead of making it at home!! Tempura Hirao is known for long lines, but if you go before 6 pm, it's surprisingly easy to get in. Since the pandemic, they only serve squid salted guts, but they will give you refills. The miso soup here is also delicious.

On September 28, 2022 (Wednesday) at 18:30, I visited Hiraosan for the first time for dinner with my subordinate. It was the first visit for my subordinate, who is from Kyushu. I decided to go for the shrimp set meal (990 yen) without hesitation. I had seen my colleague eat it at the main store in August and decided I had to try it next. Hiraosan is known for its delicious shrimp, and I have always felt that way. According to their website, Hiraosan is very particular about their shrimp, with the president personally traveling to Indonesia to source Black Tiger shrimp raised using special farming methods. When cooked, the shrimp become sweeter and more elastic, making them perfect for tempura. They were really plump and delicious. And big too. If ordered separately, one costs 230 yen. But with four shrimp, fluffy pumpkin, and thick, non-bitter green peppers included, it's the best value set meal! My subordinate was also impressed. The restaurant was bustling, but being able to eat after a 20-minute wait at this time is a great advantage of its location. Hiraosan in Fukuoka is amazing!

I knew there would be a line at lunchtime at HiraO, but I got excited and arrived before 1 pm on a weekday. I waited by the entrance door and was finally seated at 1:30 pm. The tempura was consistently delicious. Recently, HiraO has added soft shell shrimp as an option for shrimp. I'm not interested in eating shrimp that can be eaten whole, so I didn't try it, but it might be good for shrimp lovers.

Hirao is my favorite B-grade tempura restaurant in the world! While there are several branches in Fukuoka, the taste is generally the same, so the key factors in choosing Hirao are the time it takes from deciding to eat tempura to actually being able to eat, and the atmosphere of the restaurant. After considering various elements, I have determined that the Kyuyama branch is the best for me. The Kyuyama branch is not as spacious as the main branch, but the well-lit interior creates a pleasant ambiance. The high ceiling and lack of gloominess while waiting in line are also appealing. Additionally, the restaurant shares a parking lot with a rural pachinko parlor, so there is always ample parking available. Hirao does not emphasize brand information like XXX from XXX region, which saves time in decision-making. Hirao carefully selects the best ingredients. While they used to offer Aurora salmon, it is no longer available. The rice at Hirao is decently tasty, and the sight of the rice serving machine from the table adds a sense of fairness. The miso soup at Hirao has a unique deliciousness that is unforgettable. The tempura dipping sauce at Hirao is delicious, and for me, about 75% of Hirao's deliciousness comes from the taste of the dipping sauce. Due to the pandemic, the right to freely eat squid salted guts has been lost. I personally do not care for squid salted guts, so this did not affect me, but I hope that the freedom to enjoy pickles will be restored soon.

On a regular day, we arrived at the restaurant around 12:20 and had to wait in line outside for about 30 to 40 minutes before being seated. By 1:00 PM, the line was only inside the restaurant, so if you have some time flexibility, it's better to come after 1:00 PM. The daily special white fish was "itoyori". We were seated and served promptly with tempura, squid salted miso soup, and rice. The tempura was served quickly, so the meal time was short. The tempura from Hirao is delicious at both locations. I noticed the person frying the tempura was coordinating with the staff, which I think helps with the fast turnover of customers in the restaurant.

Hot, crispy, and deliciously satisfying! To have freshly fried tempura served at such a price... it was truly shocking when I first visited. The basic set is under 1000 yen, including tempura, rice, and miso soup. Although items like yuzu squid and bean sprouts are no longer unlimited due to the impact of COVID, you can still get refills. The tempura is always hot and crispy, making it a great fast food option. You can also order extras like extra rice, scallops, chicken, and other items from the menu. Those who are unfamiliar with Hiraoka will surely be impressed. Give it a try. Oh, don't forget to ask the staff for salt, as options like matcha salt and curry salt were not available.

I ordered the Ajwai set meal! The shrimp was the most delicious. It was disappointing that the price had gone up. You can ask for extra salted fish by telling the staff. On the way back, I received free tempura and went home. It's delicious when added to udon at home.

I finally made it to the long-awaited "Hirao" restaurant that was highly praised by Hakata Hanamaru-Daikichi, but there was a line even at around 3:00 PM when there are usually fewer customers. I ended up waiting in line outside the restaurant. It took 20 minutes to get inside and another 30 minutes to be seated! Since I hadn't had lunch yet, I ordered the "Ajwai" set, extra large rice, extra rice, and two pieces of pork tempura. I handed the food tickets to the staff and after another 10 minutes, the first chicken thigh tempura arrived. I waited a total of 1 hour! I then had 6 extra servings of salted squid and I was completely satisfied. It was delicious!

Personal opinion. It's been a while, but I wanted to stop by. Despite the pandemic, the restaurant was bustling before noon. The squid salted guts were served in a small dish with a refill system, which was a bit disappointing, but the taste was consistently delicious. I will visit again.

Today, at the request of my daughter, we went to Tempura Hiraosan. We arrived at 11:05, aiming for the opening time of 11:00, but there was already a long line. The counter had individual seats separated by acrylic boards, with ample space between them. There were signs asking to leave gaps in the waiting area, ensuring social distancing. We had to wait outside since we couldn't wait inside the restaurant, but we maintained social distancing among ourselves. It took about an hour to finally get our meal, but it was worth it to enjoy tempura after a long time. They took thorough COVID-19 measures, such as providing individual masks and salted squid, which made us feel comfortable. I had the "Okonomi set meal" for 890 yen, which was crispy and delicious. I even got my daughter's bell peppers, so I was full until the evening. The set included shrimp, white fish, squid, pork, pumpkin, bell peppers, and eggplant. I also like the tempura at Tempura Daruma, so I will try that next time. The photo shows shrimp and pork. It was hard to take pictures. Thank you for the meal~

I came to Hiraoni after a long time. As usual, there is a line. But it's worth the wait here. You can eat freshly fried tempura at a low price and get full. Also, the salted fish guts are delicious. In the past, the salted fish guts were all-you-can-eat, but they are no longer available due to a decrease in squid catch. Also, it may be due to the current situation with COVID-19. It was very delicious! I will come again! Thank you for the meal!

In October 2020, after a long time, I decided to run around this area before lunchtime and realized that a popular restaurant was already crowded by 11:00. I got a bit nervous, but decided to try the dish that caught my attention from other reviews on the ticket machine! Is it already this warm before a set meal? Well, that's good! I made my way to the back right corner while rubbing against others and focused on the taste at the acrylic counter. "This set meal looks good," I thought (790 yen). Rice, miso soup, and a small dish of salted squid arrived. I sprinkled it on the rice and got ready! I almost finished the salted squid before the tempura arrived, but I managed to hold back. This time, I aimed for the "Fatty Sardine" dish - I love sardines because I grew up poor but now have money! I quickly devoured the fatty sardine, shrimp, and white fish. The pace was too fast, wasn't it? Well, that's good! The pork was the highlight with a strong flavor, maybe I didn't even need the tempura sauce! I want to finish with eggplant, pumpkin, bell pepper, and squid! When eating, I don't do it elegantly, I just dive into the tempura sauce! Where's the curry salt? The best part is the pork, so the "customizable set meal" is a must, but... If you order it separately, the price difference with the fatty sardine is only 30 yen, but if you order the set meal, it's a 100 yen difference! What's the reason for this difference? I was curious because of my frugal nature... Wait, what's happening? Are you satisfied with your meal? (Mystery) *I deleted the embarrassing review from 2013, so don't worry about it.