Juan Kagoshima Food Review

Juan Kagoshima: Berkshire Pork Shabu-shabu

posted in: Kyushu Japan | 0

Last updated on March 23rd, 2024

We tried Kurobuta Black Pork at Juan Kagoshima Station West Entrance Branch, one of the most recognizable restaurants in Kagoshima. It was one of the best shabu-shabu I’ve ever tasted in my life.

Kagoshima is home to the best Kurobuta Black Pork in Japan. Don’t miss the change to eat this mouthwatering food when visiting Kagoshima.

Juan Arata (寿庵) is a popular eatery in Kagoshima. The restaurant is famous for the shabu-shabu, served with the Kagoshima’s signature Kurobuta Black Pork. Their must-try dish is the Kurobuta Shabu-shabu served with six different types of original herb salts.

This Kagoshima food post is regarding my dining experience in Juan Central Station West Entrance Branch (Ju An Arata Branch). Let’s check it out.

Juan Central Station West Entrance Branch

Juan Central Station West Entrance Branch

Juan Kagoshima is a traditional Japanese establishment with lovely decor in a laid-back atmosphere. The restaurant has Western-style chairs and tables and also offers private dining rooms with tatami seating.

The main branch is located in Arata and it has a branch at Kagoshima-chuo station.

Dining in Juan Central Station West Entrance Branch

We chose to dine in Juan Central Station West Entrance Branch and it is easily found. After check-in, we walked to Juan to enjoy our dinner. From our hotel, Toyoko Inn Kagoshima Chuo eki Nishi guchi, it is about a 3-minute walk.

How To Get to Juan Kagoshima:

Juan Central Station West Entrance Branch is located about a 2-minute walk from the west entrance of JR Kagoshima-Chuo Station. So it’s very convenient. Parking lots are also available for driving customers.

Don’t forget to book in advance to secure your seat at this popular eatery!

Juan Central Station West Entrance Branch (寿庵 中央駅西口店)
Address: 1 Chome-3-1 Take, Kagoshima, 890-0045, Japan.
Business Hours: Weekday from 11:00 to 15:00, re-open at 17:00 to 21:30, Weekend from 11:00 to 21:30 (LO: 21:00)
Parking: Available (20 slots/free)
Website (Reservation): https://juan-chuouekinishiguchiten.gorp.jp/

What To Eat in Juan Kagoshima

Juan Kagoshima Menu

Juan Kagoshima offers various local dishes and is popular among locals. The restaurant exclusively uses authentic kurobuta meat (Berkshire black pork) that was raised in Watanabe Berkshire Ranch. The kurobuta meat is known for its delicate texture and rich flavor.

Eat the Berkshire pork with shabu-shabu or tonkatsu (pork cutlet) to taste its well-balanced firmness, tenderness, and sweetness. All the food are in reasonable price. The shabu-shabu set is around ¥3,000- ¥4,200 while pork cutlet sets cost less than ¥3,000.

Berkshire Pork Shabu-Shabu

Juan Kagoshima - Berkshire Pork Shabu-shabu

We decided to go with the shabu-shabu set meal. It was served with high-quality black pork slices featuring seasonal variations of Kagoshima seasonal ingredients such as vegetables, mushrooms, tofu, and many more.

The food was beautifully presented and looks delicious!

Special herb salts for Shabu-shabu

 The set is also served with six different types of original herb salts and dipping sauce.

There’s an English shabu-shabu guide that sets out the proper way to do shabu shabu. The friendly servers also tried their very best to explain every dish to us in limited English.

Kagoshima Berkshire Pork

The tender Berkshire pork is delicious, especially paired with the gentle flavors of the special dipping sauce.

Enjoy Berkshire Pork Shabu-Shabu

After dipping the Berkshire pork in boiling water for few minutes, eat it with the special dipping sauce or the special herb salts. I particularly love to dip with Sakurajima komikan (orane) salts, the pork slices become so tasty.

soba noodles from Juan Shabu-shabu set

End your meal with some soba (buckwheat noodles) in the dipping sauce. The soba flavored with the Berkshire pork, absolutely delicious.

Overall: Juan Kagoshima Food Review

All in all, our dining experience in Juan Central Station West Entrance Branch is truly amazing and we were not disappointed. All the foods were excellent and it was truly a visual and gastronomic delight.

Highly recommended if you are looking for what to eat in Kagoshima!

Traveling to Kagoshima? Here is our travel strories to Kagoshima Prefecture:

Visiting Kyushu and looking for some inspiration for what to do in Kyushu then be sure to read our Kyushu travel blog here: How To Plan Your Kyushu Itinerary: Ultimate Guide

Motsunabe Rakutenchi Food Review

Motsunabe Rakutenchi Hakata: Fukuoka’s Specialty Restaurant

posted in: Kyushu Japan | 0

Last updated on March 23rd, 2024

Read about my dining experience in Motsunabe Rakutenchi, one of the best and oldest Motsunabe restaurants in Fukuoka. Enjoy the tasty food in a lively environment.

Motsunabe (もつ鍋) is a regional traditional hot pot dish of Fukuoka and has become one of the most popular dishes in the area. It is a must-try if you are in Fukuoka, and especially in the winter season.

Fukuoka does have one of the best and oldest motsunabe restaurants in town that specialises in motsunabe – Motsunabe Rakutenchi (楽天地). The restaurant is popular and renowned for providing quality motsu with a luxurious helping of Chinese chives and traditional secret soy sauce. It has been operational for more than 40 years and is still beloved by locals. Many tourists also visited Rakutenchi to taste Fukuoka’s specialty dish Motsunabe. Perfect place to check one of Fukuoka’s specialties.

This Fukuoka food post is regarding my dining experience in Motsunabe Rakutenchi at the Hakata ST-EAST BR branch. Check it out.

Food Trip to Motsunabe Rakutenchi

Motsunabe Rakutenchi

During one of Kyushu’s trips, we went to Motsunabe Rakutenchi to try this tasty motsunabe. We went to the Motsunabe Rakutenchi Hakata ST-EAST BR which is located a 3-minute walk from the Hakata-guchi exit of JR Hakata Station.

Inside Motsunabe Rakutenchi

The restaurant is lively with retro-flavored Izakaya Japanese style. It has an outdoor and inside dining area for patrons to enjoy their food and drinks. There is also a queue outside of the restaurant for those without reservations. We highly recommend for reservation as it can take some time to wait for the table.

With reservation, we were seated after confirmation of the details.

Motsunabe Rakutenchi Menu

The Motsunabe Rakutenchi menu is easy to read with Japanese and English translations. It also introduces the concept of Motsunabe as well as easy-to-understand price points for all of their courses.

Motsu Yaki

Besides the hot pot option, Motsunabe Rakutenchi also offers motsu-yaki (grilled offal) which is a new Hakata’s speciality. Try it if you are interested on its taste.

What We Ordered

Side Dish from Manzoku Course Set meal

It’s not our first time eating motsunabe, still, we were excited to try out this hotpot dish at Motsunabe Rakutenchi.

We both opted for the Motsunabe Manzoku Course set meal which is the most popular recommendation. The set consists of motsunabe the offal hotpot, 1 choice of appetizer (from vinegared offals, Kimchi, or mentaiko), tofu, and unlimited eat of champon noodles. Perfect pair with the cooling beer!

Fresh ingredient from Motsunabe Rakutenchi

Without a long wait, our food was served. The pot of Motsunabe Rakutenchi contains a heap of top-quality fresh ingredients like cabbage, and chives in traditional, topped with garlic and red pepper. It was boiled right at your table.

Cook at high heat for about 5 or 7 minutes until tender.

The hotpot Motsunabe Rakutenchi

Can’t wait for the first sip, its special soy sauce-based soup tastes sweet and delicious. The flavor of the soup is brought out by removing excess fats from beef offal. The broth is rich, with a subtle saltiness and sweetness in it. It tastes even better with the vegetable umami. Can’t get enough of this tasty Motsunabe!

Motsu Beef Offal

Here’s a closer look at those delicious pieces of offal. They’re soft and look fatty. When bite on it, it is quite chewy and not fatty at all. Absolutely delicious!

Champon Noodles from Rakutenchi

At the end of your meal, add the champon noodles to the leftover soup in the pot to create a tasty way to end the meal. The noodles have absorbed the flavor of the soup very well and are tasty.

We can’t stop eating and are so full!

Overview: Motsunabe Rakutenchi Food Review

All in all, we highly recommend the Motsunabe Rakutenchi. The food is tasty and the enviroment is lively.

Motsunabe Rakutenchi’s main shop is located at Tenjin and it has many branches in Fukuoka. We choose dine in the Motsunabe Rakutenchi Hakata ST-EAST BR located beside the Yodobashi Hakata and highly recommend this place. The atmosphere is busy and lively. Reservations can be made online and highly recommended to avoid waiting in line. Make sure you look for the correct branch.

Motsunabe Rakutenchi Hakata ST-EAST BR (元祖 もつ鍋 もつ焼き 楽天地 ヨドバシ 博多駅 店 1階)
Address: 〒812-0012 Fukuoka, Hakata Ward, Hakataekichuogai.
Operating Hours: Daily from 12:00 to next day midnight 3:00 (Last Order 2:30)
Getting there: 2 minutes walk from JR Hakata Station (beside Yodobashi Camera Multimedia Hakata)
Expected to Pay: Lunch for ¥1,800 and Dinner for ¥3,000

Check on Motsunabe Rakutenchi Hakata restaurant here (Official website)

Lastly, this Fukuoka must eat food blog is part of Kyushu travel post in Fukuoka. Free feel to read also our Fukuoka travel blog and food review.

Continue read on our travel guide to Kumamoto, Yufuin, Miyazaki and others places in Kyushu.

Nagasaki Food Guide

Nagasaki Food Guide: What To Eat in Nagasaki

posted in: Kyushu Japan | 0

Last updated on March 23rd, 2024

Use this Nagasaki food guide to savor the city’s tastiest treats through our top picks of where and what to eat in Nagasaki.

Nagasaki’s food is one of the most interesting in Japan. Being a historical port city, Nagasaki’s food has been greatly impacted by the foreign food culture. It’s a mouthwatering blend of Japanese, Chinese, Portuguese, and Dutch influences, and greatly extended to the local food culture. Some of the must-eat food in Nagasaki is Champon, sara udon, castella, and toruko rice.

When we visited Nagasaki, we tasted some of the iconic food and would like to share this Nagasaki Food Guide with you. Here are the top 3 must-eat foods in Nagasaki foods and where to find them. Eat like a local and delight your taste buds with these Nagasaki best food!

Chawanmushi at Yossou

Yossou Chawanmushi

For a true Japanese dining experience, head to Yossou Nagasaki for its local Japanese food.

Yossou (吉宗) is one of the best and oldest traditional restaurants in Nagasaki with a long history dating back to 1866. They serve a variety of local dishes, including tri-color sushi, tempura, bento, sashimi, and braised pork dishes. The must-eat food is chawanmushi (Japanese steamed egg custard).

Yossou Nagasaki

The signature chawanmushi from Yossou comes with many fresh ingredients – white fish, chicken, shiitake mushrooms, bamboo shoots, ginkgo, kamaboko (fish paste), wheat powder, and anago (grilled conger eel). The sizing is big and packed with the ingredients. The texture was very silky smooth and it just slid down your throat. Absolutely delicious!

Check out my food post on Yossou in Nagasaki for more pictures and information.

Yossou, Nagasaki (吉宗)
Address; 8-9 Hamamachi, Nagasaki 850-0853, Nagasaki Prefecture
Opening Hours: Wednesday to Sunday from 11:00 to 14:30 and 17:00 to 20:00. Closed on Monday and Tuesday
Getting there: 3 minutes walk from Kankadori Station

Champon and Sara Udon

Nagasaki Food Guide - Champon Noodle

The Nagasaki food scene has to include Champon (Chinese-inspired noodles) and Sara udon (crispy noodles).

Champon is a Japanese-Chinese ramen noodle dish which widely popular in Kyushu. This renowned noodle dish is inverted by Shikairo restaurant in Nagasaki. During the Meiji period, a Chinese chef from Shikairo made these noodle dishes for hungry students studying in Nagasaki.

Champon noodles are made with meat, seafood, vegetables, lard-fried pork, and springy udon noodles. All the ingredients are stir-fried together in a thick soup with chicken and pig bones for a cheap, tasty, and filling meal.

Champon can also be served over a bed of deep-fried noodles to make the local dish Sara udon.

Shikairo Chinese Restaurant

The long-established Shikairo Chinese Restaurant (四海樓) is the best place to try this authentic champon. The restaurant is hardly to be missed in China Town. It is an impressive five-story building with a large and lively dining room with harbor views on the third to the fifth floors. The first floor serves as a souvenir shop and the second floor as a champon museum for guests to visit.

Shikairo Chinese Restaurant serves a variety of classic Chinese dishes. A particular must-try is champon noodles. The noodles are unique in taste and addictive.

Shikairou Chinese Restaurant (四海樓)
Address: 4-5 Matsugaemachi, Nagasaki, 850-0921, Japan
Opening Hours: Daily from 11:30 to 15:00 and re-open from 17:00 to 20:00 (closed on Wednesdays)
Getting there: Located next to the Oura Cathedral tram stop

Nagasaki Castella

Nagasaki Castella

Don’t miss out on the famous Nagasaki Castella, a sponge cake made with sugar, flour, eggs, and starch syrup.

Nagasaki Castella originated from the Portuguese and was bought to Nagasaki by Portuguese merchants in the 16th century. The cake has been made to local taste with a secret recipe that has been passed down for over 400 years. Today’s Nagasaki castella cake is one of the unique foods and is often bought as a souvenir food item when visiting Nagasaki.

You can easily find many Castella stores throughout Nagasaki. But the three popular castella stores in Nagasaki, Fukusaya (福砂屋), Shooken (松翁軒), and Bunmeido (文明堂). All with long history back and are popular among locals.

We bought the Nagasaki Castella from Fukusaya at JR Nagasaki Station to try out. There have many castella brand available and convenient for travelers. The texture is refined, soft, and not so sweet. A very good confectionery with tea and coffee for the afternoon break.

Overall: Nagasaki Food Guide

All in all, we had fun exploring some of the unique food in Nagasaki. We love the rich history but I would expect more Japanese food flavor. Still, the food quality is pretty good. If you are visiting Nagasaki, why not giving try Nagasaki’s best food? Share with me your Nagasaki food review.

Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful time exploring Nagasaki!

Related Nagasaki Travel Blog:

Visiting Kyushu and looking for some inspiration for what to do in Kyushu then be sure to read our Kyushu travel blog here: How To Plan Your Kyushu Itinerary: Ultimate Guide

Yossou Food Review

Yossou Nagasaki: Best place for Chawanmushi

posted in: Kyushu Japan | 0

Last updated on March 27th, 2024

It’s worth a try to go to a place like Yossou Nagasaki for a true Japanese dining experience. This place specializes in chawanmushi for over 150 years. Highly recommended by the locals.

Dating back to 1866, Yossou (吉宗) is one of the best and oldest traditional restaurants in Nagasaki with a long history. It is famous and popular with locals and tourists alike for its local food. The highlight of their food is the chawanmushi (Japanese steamed egg custard), alongside other iconic dishes such as tri-color sushi, tempura, and sashimi. It was known as one of Japan’s first restaurants to sell Chawanmushi.

Check out our dining experience in Yossou, one of the great places for Nagasaki’s best food.

How To Get to Yossou

Yossou Nagasaki

Yossou is located just off the main shopping arcade of Hamanomachidori. The nearest tram stop is Kankadori Station. Once get off from the tram, enter the Kankodori Shopping Arcade and continue walking straight for a few minutes. Yossou will be on the right.

You can easily spot its historical exterior, with a row of big lanterns and food display so you won’t miss it!

Yossou Takeaway shop

Note that there is also one Yossou shop at Kankodori Shopping Arcade but this is only for takeout option.

Yossou, Nagasaki (吉宗)
Address; 8-9 Hamamachi, Nagasaki 850-0853, Nagasaki Prefecture
Opening Hours: Wednesday to Sunday from 11:00 to 14:30 and 17:00 to 20:00. Closed on Monday and Tuesday
Website: yossou.co.jp

Our food Visit to Yossou Nagasaki

Inside Yossou - Traditional Japanase Building

We came to Yossou for lunch during our visit to Nagasaki. It was around 13:30 and we were seated immediately without waiting. You might need to wait for a while if coming during peak lunch hours.

Once entered, we had to remove our footwear before proceeding to the upstair dining area. A staff would give you a wooden block to get your footwear back when you leave after the meal.

Yossou is quite huge with two cozy floors in a traditional Japanese building.

Tatami Seating at Yossou

The first floor has Western seating and counter seating for solo travelers. You will not need to take off your shoes if seated here.

While the second floor is bigger. You can either enjoy your meal at a Western-style seating or experience the traditional local culture by dining on the tatami floor on the second floor.

Western-style Seating at Yossou

We were seated at the section with a dining table and chairs on the second floor.

What to Order

How to order at Yossou

Ordering was smooth and easy with an electronic device attached to your table.

Just switch to English and it will list out all the menu and pictures. The Chawanmushi and tri-color sushi rice bowl are the must-eat for Yossou.

Yossou Chawanmushi set meal

We decided to go with the Chawanmushi set meal, which contained several dishes the restaurant is famous for, including their steamed egg custard, tri-color sushi rice bowl, as well as a few other small vegetable side dishes.

Yossou Ohitorimae

While another set is Ohitorimae which comes with only Chawanmushi and a tri-color sushi rice bowl.

Tri-color Sushi Rice Bowl

Tri-color Sushi Rice Bowl

The tri-color sushi rice bowl was also very delicious. It consists of shredded dried shrimp floss (pink), egg shreds (yellow), and minced pork or vegetables (brown), all on a bed of steamed rice.

Yossou Tri-color Sushi Rice Bowl

The portion was generous and the quality of the ingredients was so fresh. This was an interesting dish and very Japanese. It is good and comforting but not so much to our taste. Probably very Japanese. Still, a great dining experience!

Smoothest Chawanmushi

Yossou Chawanmushi

Our set comes with the Chawanmushi (茶碗蒸し), which is the highlight of the meal. The canwanmushi is really good, probably the best I’ve ever had. The texture was very silky smooth and it just slid down your throat. The size is also very big and is twice larger than any other places we had.

Yossou are very generous with the other ingredients, which include fish, chicken, mushroom, bamboo, ginko, and eel. It was by far one of the most “packed” Chawanmushi I had when it came to the ingredients.

Absolutely delicious!

Overall: Yossou Food Review

What to eat at Yossou Nagasaki

All in all, Yossou is a great place to try authentic Japanese cuisine. It is not exactly the usual food we get to eat in other parts of Japan. But it’s worth a try when visiting Nagasaki. Excellent place to eat local cuisine in Nagasaki.

Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful time exploring Nagasaki!

Related Nagasaki Travel Blog:

Visiting Kyushu and looking for some inspiration for what to do in Kyushu then be sure to read our Kyushu travel blog here: How To Plan Your Kyushu Itinerary: Ultimate Guide