Dinner @ Hakata Robata Fishman, Imaizumi, Fukuoka

 

I know Japan is a country that loves its seafood. But the naming of this place really takes the cake! It does sound like superhero in the making though. Will there be super powers? I am not too sure, but great food is definitely to be had. 

Men at work behind the counter

Fishman is a gastropub style izakaya that serves well, lots of seafood and other delicious dishes that are slightly different that your conventional izakaya. It seems to coast along the lines of a casual yet fancy restaurant, and the place you usually have a light snack while getting drunk with colleagues after work. But it is this vibe that makes things pretty interesting here. 

Pretty good for a compulsory starter

The food also seems to be going along the same themes too. But before we begin, there is always the otoshii that starts off the meal. It was sesame beancurd which was really tasty. it was creamy and fluffy, and had a lot of that nutty flavour that it is famous for. There is a hint of sweetness as well. It was similar to a steamed custard but with some added sophistication. Really enjoyable, although it stood for 550 yen. 

Golden and piping hot!

The first proper main course was a shrimp gratin which was explosive in flavour. It came bubbling hot, so  caution was definitely used here. The cheese was creamy and stretchy, while the shrimp seems to have been cooked in a pumpkin veloute. The velvety creamy texture of that sauce combined with the cheese gave it a decadent feel. This felt more like a high end French dish than what you get from a place like this. Pretty sophisticated. Also super enjoyable. This stood for 1100 yen. 

Glorious

The next one was also another impressive entree, which was crab rice. To make things more impressive to the eyes, it was served in its own shell. This seafood masterpiece was also another delicious morsel to reckon with. Loaded with crab slivers, ginko nuts, and edamame as a topping and flavoured rice at the bottom, this created a very interesting profile in terms of texture. The crab topping reminded me of Cantonese style sauce which I really like. It gave the rice at the bottom additional moisture and some chewiness. This also felt very indulgent, but not as heavy as the shrimp dish earlier. And it was for a hefty 1155 yen. 

Not a dessert

From the decadent to the bizarre, the next dish was a wagyu potato cake. And it did look the part too! Probably the most extravagant dish made of potatoes I ever had, coming in the form of a slice of cake. The slice was chunky and silky at the same time. With pieces of beef scattered throughout the slicen, it gave another dimension of texture. This seems to be an occuring trend here. And with the creamy tomato sauce as a form of icing, it gave the acidic touch that helped cut some of the intense savouriness of the potatoes and the beef. This came in at a modest 690 yen. 

Simple but impressive

To round it all of, the final piece of this gastro-puzzle is the river eel onigiri. Simple yet delicious, this stood at a mere 418 yen. The eel was fresh and flaky with sweet and salty flavours just seeping out. Probably that is due to all the teriyaki sauce that it was slathered in. 

Fruity!

It should be noted that as an aperitif, the establishment was kind enough to provide a shot of yuzu juice, that was freshly squeezed on the house. It was pretty refreshing, and I would love to have one in a bottle on a summer evening. 

Front of the house.
This guy really loves Hakata!

Overall, this was a pretty interesting dining experience and I might come again soon. The food is quite impressive in terms of visuals and flavour. It may be on the slightly pricey side, but the overall experience made it worth it. A top recommendation if you have friends or family to impress. If you would like to visit the Fishman, then the address is as follows:

 1 Chome-4-23 Imaizumi, Chuo Ward, Fukuoka, 810-0021