A Hakata Specialty!? Mentai-jū
Ganso Hakata Mentaiju
Just steps from ACROS Fukuoka,
Ganso Hakata Mentaiju
is where I went. I hadn’t even heard of a dish called mentai-jū until today, but
rice topped with spicy cod roe couldn’t possibly be bad,
so my expectations were high. The exterior had a modern feel.
It seemed to be full, so I waited a little before being shown to a seat upstairs. Inside, it was dimly lit and felt almost like a bar, complete with a glass wine cellar, indirect lighting, and even a small pool (?)
I’ve never been to a place like this, even in Tokyo!
Is spicy cod roe considered stylish food here in its home city of Hakata, or is this place just unusual? If you’re curious about the interior,
And this is beside the point, but
does wine actually go with spicy cod roe???
What I ordered was
mentai-jū
and
mentai nikomi tsukemen
as a set. At 2500 yen, it was a little pricey. When it actually arrived, though, it felt like enough food for about two people (lol).
The signature mentai-jū was warm rice topped with nori, a whole piece of spicy cod roe, and a sweet sauce. Sorry the photo isn’t properly in focus. (My excuse is that the restaurant was so dark I couldn’t get enough shutter speed.) As for the taste, it was exactly as delicious as I’d hoped. I finished it in no time.
As for the mentai nikomi tsukemen, the dipping sauce didn’t just taste like cod roe—it also had
plenty of vegetable umami
to the point that it was practically like a vegetable soup! After finishing the noodles, you can dilute it with broth and drink it. I did. Thanks for the meal. Eating cod roe dishes in such a stylish setting was fantastic. Meanwhile, at the next table, some brutally sharp girls’ talk was unfolding at full volume, and I really felt just how scary women can be… Apparently the mentai nikomi tsukemen also has a branch in Tokyo, so I’d like to go eat it again.
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