Daruma

While tempura is one of the few Japanese foods that foreigners have actually experienced in their home countries, the reality in Japan is that it’s generally only available in private homes or expensive restaurants. That is, until Daruma came along. This utterly unpretentious tempura tempuracounter and restaurant on Kokutai-doro in Daimyo is a blessing for anyone who enjoys a filling yet inexpensive meal of deep-fried delicacies. For the last 27 years, Nonaka and his wife have been on their feet preparing and serving tempura teishoku (set meals) from 11 am to 10 pm with hardly a break. Nonaka is old-school, dipping each delicious morsel in homemade batter without cornstarch or other additives that make tempura prettier but also heavier. He uses a fresh pot of vegetable oil every day and controls its temperature with only his eyes and three decades of experience as a guide. The tempura teishoku is 750 yen and includes five tempura items (three seasonal fish, one squid, and one vegetable) with dashi for dipping, rice, miso soup, and all the Japanese pickles you can handle. Still hungry? Supplement your order with ・la carte items such as prawns (300 yen), scallops (250 yen), or sea eel (250 yen), Nonaka’s pride. Nonaka may look like a pretty serious chap, but he’s very friendly and welcoming to foreigners, so head on over to try his beautifully battered cuisine.

1-2-15 Daimyo, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka

092-714-3015