hakata-ann
This is an izakaya located about a 3-minute walk from Nishijin Station. It is situated in the Nishijin Orange Street area. There are many other izakayas and ramen shops in the vicinity, but I believe this one is quite popular. It is usually crowded, but this time it was surprisingly quiet, probably because it was right after the New Year. They have counter seats, table seats, and even private rooms at the back where a small family with young children was seated. We started with a highball toast. The appetizer was squid marinated in vinegar miso. We also had the classic dish from Hakata izakayas, sesame mackerel. The mackerel sashimi was fresh and had a nice texture, topped with a rich sesame sauce. The fresh raw sea bream was also delicious and tender. The sashimi here is always good. We also ordered a mixed vegetable salad, which turned out to be quite hearty with items like potato salad, kimchi, tuna, and salami. It was perfect for drinking. I switched to sweet potato shochu, and we also ordered grilled motsu (offal), but since the place we intended to go to was closed, we ended up here. We also had the motsu cooked on an iron plate, which had a rich flavor that went well with alcohol. As our appetite grew, we decided to have some fried chicken. The chicken Karaage was the saltiest I've ever had, but it was good. We couldn't resist ordering the grilled miso-marinated sea bream, which had thick and juicy meat. Overall, it was a satisfying meal. This place knows how to grab the stomach of a drinker with their sashimi and recommended dishes. They have a variety of sashimi, one-plate dishes, rice dishes, and desserts on their menu.
[Restaurant Name] Bukiccho Nishijin Branch
[Address] 1-11-20 Nishijin, Sawara-ku, Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture
[Business Hours] 11:30-14:00 (lunch only on Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri), 18:00-2:00 (Please confirm)
[Closed] Please confirm
* 3 minutes walk from Nishijin Subway Station.
Check out the blog post with lots of images of the menu and more. (Link to the blog post)