When you ask people from overseas about Japanese food, “tempura” is always mentioned along with sushi and sukiyaki.
Tempura is a Japanese dish consisting of fish, shellfish, vegetables, etc., coated with a batter of egg and water mixed with flour, and deep fried in vegetable oil.
Tempura can be found in a wide variety of restaurants, from upscale establishments to reasonably priced chain restaurants, but I would like to recommend Fukuoka’s tempura.
In Fukuoka, there are three famous chain restaurants called the “Tempura Gosanke,” and each restaurant has its own unique characteristics and is reasonably priced.
In addition, Fukuoka’s tempura restaurants themselves have several characteristics that are different from those in other areas of the city, so it is worthwhile to enjoy the differences between them.
In this article, I will explain about Fukuoka’s three tempura chains, including their history, points of attraction, and recommendations on how to enjoy the features of each restaurant, as well as my own experiences.
I hope you will find this article a good opportunity to get to know Fukuoka’s Tempura Gosanke chain restaurants.
What are Fukuoka’s three tempura chains to begin with?
Fukuoka’s “Gosanke” chain of tempura restaurants are Takao, Hirao, and Daruma, also known as the “Three Musketeers of Popular Tempura.
Takao, which has expanded into Tokyo, Hirao, which draws huge lines, and Daruma, which created the table-top salted squid, are all tempura specialty restaurants with their own unique characteristics.
Takao opened in 1962 and expanded to the Kanto region, spreading the popularity of Hakata tempura throughout Japan.
Hirao is a popular restaurant with approximately 1,000 customers a day and 1,200 on weekends, and has been instrumental in elevating tempura to the status of soul food for Fukuoka people.
Daruma is the original creator of the popular Hakata tempura set meal style in Fukuoka in Yoshizuka, and the originator of the free service of salted squid and pickled vegetables.
How are Fukuoka tempura restaurants different from those in other prefectures?
Tempura restaurants in Fukuoka are characterized by a U-shaped counter with a fryer in the center so that customers can see the cooking area in action.
Another major feature of this service is the complimentary shiokara (salted fish) and tsukemono (pickles) on the tabletop, which originated from the shiokara (salted fish) that Daruma started with a piece of squid.
The sauce is usually a sweet tempura sauce with grated daikon radish, and Takao also offers free mentaiko (cod roe).
Fukuoka’s tempura restaurants also have a unique cooking method called “wok frying,” in which the batter is kept constantly hot and crispy.
Hirao’s shiokara (salted fish) is made mainly from squid and yuzu (citron), with no watashi (internal organs) mixed in, and is known for being refreshing and easy to eat.
Incidentally, orders are placed in advance by purchasing a meal ticket, and once seated at a table, freshly fried tempura is brought out one by one.
Heh. Even within the same tempura restaurant, there are quite a few differences. It’s like an attraction to be able to watch the cooking process.
Three Attractions of Fukuoka’s Three Tempura Chain Restaurants
I have summarized some of the attractions of Fukuoka’s three tempura chains.
Hakata Tempura Takao
Takao uses canola oil for raw food, making its tempura crisp and light, and its all-you-can-eat homemade “kombu mentaiko” (kombu cod roe) is very appealing.
The restaurant has its own factory in Kushiro for making mentaiko, and purchases seafood from Hokkaido, such as hon shishamo (dried cod), which is then deep-fried in a thin batter.
Kombu Mentaiko, made by combining mature Hokkaido pollack cod roe with sweet kombu (kelp), is the perfect accompaniment to freshly fried tempura.
You can also enjoy mentaiko products along with pork, shrimp, seafood, and vegetable tempura at this restaurant, which is owned by “HIROSHO” of spicy cod roe.
Tempura Restaurant Hirao
Hirao is popular for its crispy tempura, which is “fried crisply in hot vegetable oil,” and its all-you-can-eat yuzu-scented “squid salted fish.
There is a button to add oil at the fryer, and it is poured through a pipe from a tank in the back of the restaurant to serve freshly fried tempura at its best.
The shiokara has no smell because squid entrails are not used, and the yuzu gives it a fresh flavor.
Served one by one at the U-shaped counter, the chefs watch the customers’ progress as they eat. The combination of hot tempura such as kiss, mackerel, squid, and vegetables with shiokara is so exquisite that the shiokara alone is enough to make one’s beer go down the drain.
Tempura Daruma Yoshizuka Honten
Tempura Daruma is popular for its tempura, which is fried in a traditional wok instead of a fryer, maintaining a constant temperature of 180°C, which has the advantage that the temperature does not drop even when many ingredients are added, and for its history as the originator of the free salted fish and pickles service.
Tempura deep-fried in a wok is a perfect match for the elegant tempura sauce with bonito broth, and the tempura set meal has been served since 1963, the originator of the style in which freshly fried tempura is served one by one over the counter.
The beginning of the complimentary service of salted squid pieces, which created the combination of tempura and pickles, and created the characteristic of Fukuoka tempura.
Indeed. These chain restaurants have so many side dishes, or delicious foods other than tempura, that it’s hard not to eat too much before the tempura arrives…
My Recommendations for Fukuoka’s Tempura Gosanke Chain Restaurants
In this article, I will introduce my top three Fukuoka tempura chain restaurants and their recommended menus.
My recommendation for Fukuoka’s three tempura chains
My recommendation for Fukuoka’s three tempura chains
Hakata Tempura Takao
✅ Recommended Points
- Hakata Tempura Takao is a tempura specialty restaurant by Hirosho, a mentaiko (seasoned cod roe) manufacturer, and has outlets nationwide.
- Using canola oil for raw food, the tempura is characterized by its crispy and light texture.
- Seating reservations are not accepted, and reservations are taken on a first-come, first-served basis, with takeout service available at some locations.
- After purchasing a meal ticket from the ticket machine, you can choose the amount of rice you would like to eat.
✅ Recommended menu
- Takao Set Meal
- The popular Takao set meal is 980 yen (pork, shrimp, 2 kinds of seafood, 3 kinds of vegetables).
- There is also a “Special Set Meal” featuring seasonal delicacies and a “Jo-Takao Set Meal” featuring premium ingredients.
- There is also a full menu of individual dishes, which can be refilled with additional ingredients.
- The best feature of the restaurant is the free all-you-can-eat service, which includes domestically produced kombu cod roe, homemade asazuke pickles, and black oolong tea.
Tempura Restaurant Hirao
✅ Recommended Points
- Founded in 1977, Tempura Restaurant Hirao is a tempura specialty restaurant with eight outlets in Fukuoka Prefecture.
- The restaurant uses the “agedashi” method of serving tempura, in which each dish is served one at a time as it is deep-fried, and is served at a U-shaped counter while the chef watches the customer’s progress.
- The restaurant is popular for its reasonable price, which allows customers to eat a full meal for less than 1,000 yen.
- Purchase a meal ticket from the automatic ticket vending machine and you will be shown to your seat. You can choose the amount of rice you would like to order.
✅ Recommended menu
- Okonomi Set Meal
- The most popular menu item is the “Okonomi Set Meal” for 890 yen (shrimp, squid, pork, white meat, and 3 vegetables).
- The basic menu since its establishment, “Tempura Set Meal” 790 yen (mackerel, yellowtail, white meat, squid, and 3 vegetables), “Ajiwai Set Meal” 790 yen (shrimp, chicken thigh, white meat, squid, and 3 vegetables), “Shrimp Set Meal” 960 yen, popular among shrimp lovers, and “Vegetable Set Meal” 690 yen for health-conscious customers are also available.
Tempura Daruma Yoshizuka Honten
✅ Recommended Points
- Tempura Daruma Yoshizuka Honten is a historical tempura specialty restaurant established in 1963 (Showa 38).
- There is only one store in Yoshizuka, Hakata-ku, Fukuoka City, and it is located a 5-minute walk from JR Yoshizuka Station.
- It is the originator of the Fukuoka tempura style and was the first to introduce “all-you-can-eat squid salted and spicy Takana”.
- The system is to purchase a meal ticket from the ticket machine, pick up a numbered ticket at the entrance, and wait your turn.
- Family-friendly tables are also available.
✅ Recommended menu
- Daruma Shrimp Set Meal
- The most popular menu item is the “Daruma Shrimp Set Meal” (starring an extra large shrimp measuring over 22 cm in length).
- The “Fish Set Meal” (bluefish, kiss, squid, amadai, 3 kinds of vegetables) for 980 yen and the “Mixed Set Meal” (shrimp, kiss, pork, scallops, 3 kinds of vegetables) for 940 yen are also popular among regular customers.
- Additional tempura can be ordered for as little as 130 yen, and the restaurant is proud of its special bonito broth tempura sauce.
- Tsushima seaweed salt is also available.
The one I’ve been to is Hiraoto Daruma, but it’s hard to say which one is better because each has its own merits!
Column: Why is Hirao’s counter U-shaped?
Tempura restaurants in Fukuoka, especially Hirao, use a U-shaped counter with a fryer in the center, allowing the chefs to serve one dish at a time while watching the customers’ progress.
This arrangement allows the chef to see the customers in all directions, enabling him to serve freshly fried tempura at the optimum time.
Hirao’s main restaurant has a three-compartment U-shaped counter. This design allows for both efficient operation and consideration for the customers’ eating pace, exactly the kind of service that is characteristic of Fukuoka tempura restaurants.
Heh. When I visited your restaurant before, I wondered, “Why this arrangement?” I was curious about it, so I looked it up and was convinced!
How to enjoy Fukuoka’s three tempura chains
To enjoy Fukuoka’s three tempura chains to its fullest, try these tips:
✅ How to enjoy Hakata Tempura Takao
At Hakata Tempura Takao, you will have the luxury of enjoying both tempura and kelp cod roe.
After entering the restaurant, purchase a meal ticket from the ticket machine, and when you are seated, the kombu mentaiko and asazuke (pickled cod roe) appear before you.
The all-you-can-eat mentaiko is a service unique to the restaurant by Hirosho, a manufacturer of spicy cod roe, and the all-you-can-eat mentaiko is its greatest attraction.
Tempura is served freshly deep-fried one by one in several portions, and seasonal ingredients are also available for you to choose from.
Salt, yuzu kosho (citrus pepper), and shichimi (seven spice flavors) are available at the counter, so you can enjoy flavors other than tempura sauce.
Light tempura made with fresh seafood from Hokkaido and complimentary black oolong tea are also offered, showing the restaurant’s attentiveness to women.
✅ How to enjoy Tempura Restaurant Hirao
The greatest pleasure at Tempura Restaurant Hirao is to enjoy freshly fried tempura and its specialty, salted squid.
Although the restaurant is popular with a long line of customers, the turnover time is fast, so the waiting time is surprisingly short.
After entering the restaurant, purchase a meal ticket from the ticket machine and add 50 yen for a large serving of rice.
Once seated, tempura sauce with plenty of grated daikon, rice, and miso soup are immediately served, followed by freshly fried tempura, one at a time.
The salted fish with the aroma of yuzu (Japanese citron) has a flavor similar to that of sashimi squid, without the smell because of the absence of the watashi (watery part of the fish).
It can be used in a variety of dishes such as chazuke (rice with green tea) and stir-fried vegetables. The combination of tempura and shiokara allows you to fully enjoy the flavors of Fukuoka.
✅ How to enjoy Tempura Daruma Yoshizuka Honten
The best way to enjoy Tempura Daruma Yoshizuka Honten is to experience the original “all-you-can-eat shiokara and spicy takana” style.
Before entering the restaurant, take a numbered ticket at the entrance, purchase a meal ticket from the ticket machine, and wait for your seat.
Once seated, squid salted with salt and spicy takana are placed on the table, and these can be eaten at your leisure.
The tempura sauce, a special recipe known only to the current owner and the previous generation, has a magical flavor that makes the tempura batter feel weightless, and the combination of the tempura with grated radish and freshly fried tempura is superb.
For salt lovers, Tsushima seaweed salt is also available.
With its commitment to serving freshly fried tempura one item at a time for less than 1,000 yen, and as a tempura bar where you can also enjoy beer and sake, this is a place where you can fully enjoy Fukuoka’s popular tempura culture.
The side dishes placed at each restaurant are different, so find your own way to arrange them to suit your taste at the restaurant.
Let’s go to Fukuoka to enjoy the real taste!
The best way to enjoy Fukuoka tempura is to go there and enjoy the atmosphere, so I would like to recommend some items that would be great to take with you on your trip.
In this article, I will introduce some of my recommended travel items that can be purchased on Amazon.
I hope you will find them useful when considering travel items.
If you are interested, check out the following products on Amazon!
Philips DLP5713CP Power Bank with Type-C & Lightning Cable
4Monster Outdoor Backpack Folding Backpack
