Delights of Kyushu (6): Dinner at Yatai Mami-chan (屋台まみちゃん), Fukuoka

You cannot leave Fukuoka without having eaten at one of the numerous 屋台 yatai (roadside food stalls) which are distributed throughout the city centre, and have collectively shaped the city's street food culture. There are an estimated 200 of them, and they mostly open in the evenings from about 6 pm till late. Standards vary so choosing the right one can be a bit of a gamble. Fortunately as I was doing my research, online reviews mostly seemed to point towards this one stall run by a lady Mami-chan, near the Tenjin train station. 

As these yatai do not have a specific address, we were initially concerned that locating Mami-chan's tent might be a bit of challenge. The streets around Tenjin station (a major interchange) are indeed filled with many yatai, but thankfully we didn't have to try too hard; the distinctive red-and-white noren caught our eyes from a distance just as we had left the station.

Mami-chan's yatai was indeed very full when we got there (compared to her competitors along the street, some of which were even empty or half-full), but very soon, having been alerted to our presence by an existing customer in the tent, Mami-chan herself emerged to receive us and to make space by the counter where we could squeeze in. From the outset, she came across as an extremely friendly and outgoing person.

This would probably be the most informal of my Japanese foodie experiences. Even the suffix chan (instead of the more formal san) after Mami's name was intended to reinforce that impression. Each yatai seems to be a world of its own, transporting customers back to the days when unpretentious street food in somewhat gritty environments was the norm under more modest economic circumstances.

We sat literally shoulder-to-shoulder with our fellow diners - this is not for claustrophobics, surely - around the counter where Mami-chan and her husband did everything from preparing ingredients to cooking them and washing the dishes thereafter as they accumulated. It was quite refreshing to note, especially in a paternalistic society like Japan, that the bubbly Mami-chan was clearly the star of the show here, with her more reticent husband playing the role of assistant.

The tent was very small but remarkably well-equipped. Part of the fun of eating at a yatai is being able to observe the cooks and interact with them. The couple's multi-tasking appeared effortless and coordinated, and they could even engage in lively banter with their Japanese customers as they went about preparing all their different orders simultaneously. There was no way I could make out what was being said at that speed and with a very distinctive accent (possibly a dialect of some sort), but the overall atmosphere was extremely convivial and we felt immediately at ease despite the lack of personal space.

Squeezing so closely together actually provided some welcome warmth amidst the chilly draft constantly blowing in through the vents of the semi-covered tent, and also due to the latter the cramped space was surprisingly well-ventilated (though obviously one can't avoid smelling like a barbecue pit at the end of a meal in a yatai, sitting so closely to the action). There were no major issues with food hygiene as far as I could see; I usually avoid eating at roadside stalls in Asia because of this concern, but I do have faith in Japanese standards of cleanliness, as an exception.

Mami-chan's grasp of English is quite basic but the menu comes with multiple translations so there shouldn't be any problem ordering food. We started off with a full glass of plum wine out of a Tetra-Pak (couldn't make out the brand) as recommended by Mami-chan. Almost everyone around us was having it as well. This was very pleasant - sweet, full of lovely plum aromas and great for keeping warm in this chilly weather (but not overly strong in terms of alcohol content).

Chicken wings, chicken skewers and pork knuckles.

We weren't expecting this, but even before we had finalised our orders Mami-chan's husband presented us with complimentary chicken wings hot off the grill. These were very well-seasoned and tasty, and the meat was very tender and juicy. Perfect comfort food to start the dinner proper! We even got a second round of these delicious wings before our first dish arrived!

Our shishamo!

These surprisingly large 柳葉魚 shishamo (smelt) had a really pleasant chargrilled flavour and moist texture, with lots of tasty roe in their bellies as expected. You are supposed to eat them whole by the way, bones and all, just like sardines. A typical Japanese starter that goes well with sake, if you're in the mood for the latter.

Another feature of yatai - the おでん oden tray especially during the winter. This is a stew of several ingredients such as boiled egg, daikon radish, コンニャク konnyaku (konjac), and fishcake in a light dashi broth. Basically the Japanese version of the Singaporean yong tau foo. I reckon this stew would warm the body up very nicely, though we were looking to try slightly more unusual/interesting items.

The roasted 豚足 tonsoku (pig's trotters, or feet) are another signature yatai dish. Very similar in look to roasted pork knuckles and often confused with the latter, this is in fact derived from the lowest part of the leg, and not the larger upper shank. We are not really a fan of German pork knuckles to begin with because we find them too huge, heavy and greasy for our taste. Also, braised pig's trotters exist in Chinese cuisine too but I find those extremely slimy (due to large amounts of skin), chewy and unpalatable. However, these pig's trotters on the grill looked a lot more appealing so we decided to go ahead with one portion to share, just to see how different it is in the Japanese context.

So here we had roasted 豚足 tonsoku (pig's trotters) with spring onions and a touch of 柚子胡椒 yuzu-kosho (a special Kyushu condiment made from chili peppers, yuzu peel and salt). Unlike their German knuckle counterpart, the trotters here are cut into small bite-sized pieces for ease of consumption, instead of being served as one whole intimidating chunk. The trotters are also a lot less greasy compared to the upper shank end, and I really liked the crunchy gelatinous texture of the tendons and ligaments of which they are mainly comprised. The skin was nicely browned and crisp, while the bits of meat were tender and moist. I should add that this dish is very high in protein and collagen too! The yuzu-kosho condiment (one of my favourites) lightened things up further with its characteristic spiciness and fresh aroma. This was indeed the first time I had gone through this part of the pig and actually enjoyed it - remarkably well-balanced in both texture and taste.

Huge slab of grilled pork.

Great chemistry between the couple.

That was our gyoza in the wok - can't wait!

Next up, 餃子 gyoza (pan-fried pork dumplings), which Mami-chan makes to order on the spot. Not the most shapely-looking but absolutely juicy and delicious. The pork filling was really generous while the skin was very thin and crisp.

Making our the different parts of our omu rice simultaneously.

Cooking, entertaining and receiving at all once.

Omu rice (the Japanese spelling of 'omelette rice') - rice fried with tomato ketchup and chicken, wrapped in a thin sheet of omelette. This substantial portion was both comforting and filling. Very tasty but fortunately not too heavy, due to the tanginess of the ketchup. I had no idea why Mami-chan decided to scribble that on the spot after she served it to us - probably one of the few English words she knows haha! What a lovely sense of humour!

Grilled onigiri, a popular filler for the Japanese
but basically just plain mounds of rice.

How could we leave this yatai without having had some authentic Hakata-style tonkotsu (pork bone broth) ramen? This was truly abundant and flavourful, with firm noodles, thick slices of tender roast pork, a rich milky broth resulting naturally from hours of boiling the pork bones, and other accompaniments to enhance the taste and aromas of this noodle dish. I thought this was much better (and certainly cheaper!) than the ramen served at the supposedly famous Ichiran chain. We had visited a branch of the latter near our hotel a few days ago and found it extremely underwhelming; that broth was surprisingly bland, and the roast pork and other accompaniments were meagre in portion. Forget the novelty of purchasing your tickets from a machine and eating your noodles in a cramped cubicle-like space with no human interaction; you might as well come to Mami-chan!

Mami-chan even found the time, amidst all her cooking and washing, to volunteer to take a picture for both of us! She was such a fun, warm and friendly person.

Chicken skewers on the grill.

Multi-tasking!

We were already starting to fill up after all those carbohydrates but couldn't resist two last side dishes. This was ヨツミ yotsumi (chicken thigh) on skewers, very similar to the Singaporean satay albeit a much bigger and chunkier portion with no sauce, in order to allow the natural flavour of the meat to come through. These chicken skewers had been perfectly seasoned and grilled, and they were extremely succulent and tasty. Had they not come after the rice and noodles, we would definitely have gone for seconds (or thirds!).

Mami-chan was really animated. I wish my Japanese were better to understand what she was saying at breakneck speed!

Preparing our last dish of grilled eggplants: I found the cooking method rather unusual. A large leaf of cabbage was put over the eggplants, presumably to lock in their natural juices, and ensure even roasting throughout.

The skin comes off readily when the eggplant is cooked.

And there you have it, chopped into thick strips and dressed very simply with bonito flakes, sesame and spring onion. I really love how the Japanese cook their eggplants, very different from the greasy Chinese casseroled version with salted fish. The accompaniments here imparted deeper flavours and aromas to each bite without masking the eggplants' naturally delicate sweetness and juicy/creamy texture. This was a wonderfully light, fresh, and tasty way to end the dinner.

Complimentary sweet after the meal, distributed by Mami-chan out of a box to everyone around the counter - the famous 面白い恋人 omoshiroi-koibito (lit. 'interesting lovers') wafer from Osaka with a cream filling. Nice.

A group of men (presumably locals/regulars) appeared quite amused that I had been taking pictures throughout the meal, and gamely offered to pose for a photo towards the end. Such is the welcoming and friendly nature of a yatai, even if your fellow diners are complete strangers or speak a different language. Food really does bring people together!

Mami-chan loves taking pictures of and with her customers before they leave, to be shared on her online photo album (look for your photo if you have been here previously!). No need for fussy data protection or privacy laws here. Satisfied customers are her best endorsement, and we were only too happy to oblige!

Notably, her yatai is probably also the only one to have its own website - not as polished-looking as some swanky restaurant page for sure, but already much more advanced than her competitors. Great for business, as well as for promoting yatai culture.

The street just outside Tenjin Station, filled with yatai.

Mami-chan is extremely foreigner-friendly but her yatai is no tourist trap either; the food is genuinely good, and anyway on this evening we had been the only foreigners together with another Western couple who came in midway through our meal. The rest of the diners were mostly local regulars such as salarymen, who to me are the best proof of any Japanese establishment's authenticity and quality.

As expected of these informal eateries, prices are also extremely reasonable - if I were living here I could see myself coming everyday like I go to my regular coffeeshop or hawker centre back in Singapore. The bill for all this food came up to a mere 3,400 yen, and Mami-chan even offered to 'round it down' to 3,000 yen (dirt cheap for 2 people by any standards!) asking us to visit her yatai's website and to tell all our friends about her... which is exactly what I'm doing with this post! Highly recommended for folks on a shoestring budget (just come even if not!) who want to experience Fukuoka's indigenous food culture in a welcoming and lively atmosphere.