This is a review of the Fukuya store, the original creator of Hakata mentaiko, located in the first terminal of Haneda Airport. I visited to purchase their limited edition lucky bag, available for 5 days from January 10th to 14th. This year's lucky bag was promoted as a "grand finale of the Heisei era" and priced at 2300 yen. Normally, I prefer buying items I like at full price rather than getting a mystery lucky bag, but Fukuya holds a special place as the original, so I decided to give it a try. The store was filled with promotions for the upcoming movie "Mentai Piriri," a film adaptation of a local TV drama about regional cuisine, which I'm looking forward to. There were only 4 lucky bags left, and I managed to get one. Inside, I found mentaiko, Nagahama ramen for two, Kinzan Tokinatto, Satsuma age, pork wieners, Yame tea, dried sweet potatoes, peanut rice crackers, and more. While there were fewer mentaiko items than expected, it was interesting to discover various specialties from Kyushu. I haven't tried everything yet, but the mentaiko was classic and delicious. The Satsuma age from Kagoshima and pork wieners from Kumamoto stood out as particularly tasty. Overall, it was an enjoyable lucky bag experience, with a fortune inside predicting "good luck."

Fukuya's mentaiko has a nice texture and is delicious. When my family is large, we would purchase the home-sized version online. But when it's just a few of us, it tends to get forgotten in the freezer. So recently, I've been visiting a restaurant that offers all-you-can-eat mentaiko for lunch. I found this place on the way to the terminal after getting off the Keikyu train. I also bought some takana karakamon, which I really enjoy for its spicy flavor.

Last time I bought the spicy "Dokkara", but this time I purchased the extremely spicy "Spicy Emperor Hot Emperor (2,160 yen including tax)". It is said to be about twice as spicy as "Dokkara", with 7 different spices added to the mentaiko. Additionally, it comes with a sauce called "Spicy Emperor Sauce", which is made by mixing the Spicy Emperor with mentaiko. This sauce is even spicier than the Spicy Emperor itself. Another dish I tried was the "Three-layered Mentaiko with Kazunoko, Squid, and Jellyfish (756 yen including tax)", which had a moderate level of spiciness and a hint of yuzu fragrance. I have been enjoying using the leftover Spicy Emperor Sauce on this dish for a spicy flavor change.

I always noticed this place when I exit the ticket gate to board JAL from Keikyu. As a fan of spicy food, I purchased the "120g spicy mentaiko (no coloring, super spicy)" for 1,080 yen. It says, "For those who are not satisfied with normal spiciness." The spiciness level is rated as "Spiciness/ ●●●●● (5 out of 5)." Personally, I can eat it as it is, but it goes well with rice. It's light enough to have a bowl of rice with just one piece. There is also something called "Too Spicy Mentaiko" called "Hot Emperor." It comes with an original spicy sauce called "Hot Emperor Sauce," which also piques my interest.

At the end of May, I purchased a can of mentaiko at a shop in Haneda Airport. It was my first time trying canned mentaiko, as I had previously only tried mentaiko in tubes or in tuna cans. The can contained 85g of mentaiko and cost 756 yen. The concept of canned mentaiko had been around for about 30 years, but the challenge was to prevent the mentaiko from becoming too firm. This was solved by a company in Shizuoka, which successfully maintained the right texture using mentaiko brine. I finally tried the canned mentaiko in August, and while it had a good texture, I found it difficult to eat with plain rice. It might be better to buy fresh mentaiko for the same price. Nonetheless, I admire the company for constantly innovating and trying new things. Their dedication to new challenges is commendable, and I look forward to their future endeavors.

I had a light dinner at Haneda Airport and bought some spicy cod roe as a souvenir on my way back. It was close to 8 pm, so it seemed like the store was about to close. I could see a vacuum cleaner inside the store. I ordered the usual 3000 yen natural color, normal spiciness spicy cod roe, and also bought some spicy squid in cod roe flavor. I always buy my spicy cod roe from Fukuya. Sometimes, I also buy it when they have a store at the nearby department store. So this time, I asked them to combine the points I earned from buying at the department store. Fukuya's spicy cod roe not only has the right level of spiciness but also has a rich flavor, making it very delicious. The spicy squid in cod roe flavor is spicy and has a great squid taste. As someone who always uses the second terminal, I wish they would open a store there too.

When it comes to souvenirs from Fukuoka, mentaiko (spicy cod roe) is a popular choice. There are many stores selling mentaiko, but "Fukuya" is the original. When returning to Tokyo, this is often requested, but during hot weather, it's not easy to buy at Fukuoka Airport. In such cases, this shop on the 1st floor of Haneda Airport Terminal 1, next to the escalator going down to the Keikyu gate, is very convenient. The selection is the same as at Fukuoka Airport. While there are no services like tea or tasting, the products are just as good. I recommend the 360g pack of regular mentaiko without coloring. If you're not good with spicy food, it's best to try the mild version first. Even the mild is quite spicy. The natural color is beautiful enough for gifts. Depending on the size of the mentaiko, the 360g pack contains about 5-6 pieces. It's over 3000 yen, so not cheap, but it's a surefire Fukuoka souvenir. It's incredibly delicious when eaten on freshly cooked white rice, you won't be able to stop eating it. One pack disappears quickly.

I tried cooking 1 cup of rice in a 16cm Le Creuset using the automatic rice cooking function of HOWAROCPLUS. Last time, when I tried cooking 2 cups of rice under the same conditions, it overflowed violently, so I had to either reduce the amount of rice or use a larger pot. This time, I tried cooking 1 cup of rice, and it cooked well, but it got a little burnt. It's beyond the level of the rice being crispy and delicious, it's actually burnt and hard... Even though I added a little more water this time. Automatic rice cooking is difficult. Before buying a dedicated pot, there are things you can try: - Use a larger pot - Try increasing the amount of water I also received a souvenir, which is the "Mentaiko Tuna Can Can" from Fukuya. I want to have a variety of options for white rice. Mentaiko Tuna Can Can is a spicy tuna can that responds to the requests of spicy food lovers with its stimulating spiciness.

I went to Haneda Airport to buy mentaiko from Fukuoka. You can choose the level of spiciness and whether it is colored or not. I chose regular spiciness with no coloring. The regular spiciness was just right, not too spicy. I ate it with white rice, and the seafood flavor was strong. It had a nice texture as well.