Taco-yaki and Shochu
“Like his father before him, day in and day out, Nishiyama-san earn his living by spinning balls of batter-coated chunks of boiled taco (octopus). Unlike his father’s taco-yaki stand, Nishiyama’s Akatan is first and foremost a bar, and a very cool one at that. The interior is very wabi-sabi Japanese with a flat-stone floor, long wood counter and low cloth-covered benches made of bamboo. Normally alcohol induces animal sightings in bars, but here, those are real goldfish swimming around the floor’s perimeter! The name Akatan is a rarely used term for goldfish – so be nice and don’t spill your drink into their open-air moat. Primarily a standing bar, it?s not uncommon for conversations to trickle down the length of the counter. Most of the customers are regulars, but new faces are welcome. With over 120 varieties personally selected by Nishiyama, shochu is the most popular drink. He carries a good selection of sake, Yebisu and Asahi Super Dry is on tap. The aforementioned taco-yaki are larger than average and have thin crispy skin and soft and flavorsome body. Dip them in a traditional tare (sweet sauce) or sprinkle on a dash of rock salt – or nothing at all: they’re that good. Other food items include Japanese pub favorites such as grilled fish, roasted ginan nuts, and nostalgic dishes like mugi-choco. Akatan is ideal as a starting point for an evening out, or a final stop too. In any case, it’s hard to resist those delectable balls of taco!
“
"1-13-12 Daimyo, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka"
092-738-3253
“Open: 17:30 ~ 25:00 (24:00 last tako-yaki order)
Closed: Almost never (irregular)
Prices: No cover charge. Taco-yaki (4 balls) 300 yen, 500 yen for 8 balls, shochu 400 yen~, sake 600 yen~, draft beer 500 yen”
