Finally have the time to blog again! I've been so lazy in general lately so I've just been lying around at home since thesis season officially ended while my Japan photos remained untouched huhu. Can't believe I'm graduating but I also can't wait to share what I did on my latest trip to Fukuoka here so let's get started!
We arrived at Fukuoka at around 3PM and was *immediately* greeted with Hanami (Blooming cherry blossoms) but exiting the airport! I wish I could put into words how amazing it is to see cherry blossoms especially coming from a place like the Philippines. You'll definitely see that this travel series is going riddled with photos of sakura!
So as usual, the best way to get to the city is by train. But coming from the international airport, you have to take the free shuttle to the domestic flight terminal and then take another shuttle going to the nearest train station from there. The whole ride should take about 15 minutes.
Once you're at the station, get yourself a train card! It's so cool that you can now personalize your cards, and that way you won't mix them up with your travel companions and the personalization is included when you buy your card from the machine!
Afterwards, we took the train to Tenjin which was about a 10 minute ride. Everything is honestly relatively near in Fukuoka and I love that about this city. Nothing is a hassle to get to!
It was a bit of a long walk to our AirBnB apartment, mostly because we took the wrong exit from the station. The underground station in Tenjin also has a gigantic mall, and you can basically get to so much of Tenjin and avoid street traffic by just walking in the underground mall. Unfortunately, it is so big that it's easy to get lost, which is how we ended up taking the wrong exit. Haha! Just refer to the map nearest you, and you should be fine.
Quick outfit of the day: Zara Man top, UNIQLO skiny jeans, Palladium boots, Fifty Percent (Taiwan) tote bag.
As you can see, you can easily get away in Fukuoka without a jacket during the daytime so no need to pack any heavy layers. It only actually gets legitimately cold during the early mornings and the evenings but it's honestly nowhere as cold as Seoul during the same time of year. In Seoul, I would always have a total of three layers on, while in Fukuoka, for the most part, I just had a sweater on.
After settling in our apartments, we set out for an early dinner!
Our first dinner at Fukuoka was at Hanamidori which is a very famous hot pot restaurant in Fukuoka.
And since it was so famous, the prices are also high. However, according to guides, you only really need to order the most basic hot pot package so that's what we did lol
Also take note that you can't share a package here. It's always one package for every person but they serve it together.
One thing you'll immediately notice is there is no distinction of areas for smokers and non-smokers. So before our food came, we sort of suffered from the smoke coming from the next room which was from a bunch of Japanese businessmen. Thankfully it didn't last too long.
So the first thing we were served is the appetizer which is a small plate of Mentaiko (Cod Roe) and Preserved Seaweed. I recommend mixing them together so the seaweed can tone down the fishiness of the Mentaiko and they create a really interesting flavor and texture in your mouth!
Next, in a small teacup, a pinch of rock salt is sprinkled at the bottom and is then mixed with some of the broth from the hot pot. Here, you sample the quality and flavor of the soup in the simplest way possible and it is, of course, *so good*
The whole experience is very ceremonial and everything is of great quality which is quite expected if one package costs about 1800PHP. The good thing about Japan is that you will almost always get your money's worth because quality is key in their culture.
Then, a splash of Ponzu sauce is put on a plate and you dip the chicken from the broth there. It is something so simple yet so flavorful. The Ponzu sauce is like a very light version of black vinegar and works so beautifully with the really tender chicken.
The server then takes a bamboo plate with ground meat and manually balls them up on the spot in small swift motions with a tiny wooden spoon and quickly adds them to the broth.
Lastly, you add the vegetables according to preference.
By the way! You eat the meatballs the same way as the chicken which is by dipping them in the Ponzu sauce. They also added some gizzards and internal organs to add a deeper flavor. Once everything is cooked, you can put some Ponzu sauce in a bowl as a base and then pour in the soup and the meat and eat to your heart's desire!
Just when we thought the meal was over, there was still a porridge dish they had to make!
They refilled the bowl is a little more of the broth and then added the cooked rice.
Afterwards, the heat is turned down and scrambled eggs are added to give more texture and flavor.
You then enjoy it with the pickles and pickled seaweed on the side, but I added some Ponzu sauce because I fell in love with Ponzu sauce in this meal lol
Afterwards, we visited Don Quijote (Donki for short) and hoarded all the stuff that's exclusively affordable in Japan. It's just a few steps away from Hanamidori! I focused more on skincare, but honestly, you can hoard anything here. Plus, you can get your stuff tax-free and it's open 24/7! I found myself coming back here constantly throughout the trip mostly because it would be the only shop left open after a full day of sightseeing.
Aaaand that is it for the first leg of my Fukuoka travel diaries!
Stay tuned for more!
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