Lunch & Dessert @ Her-Best, Kasuga, Fukuoka

 

Due to some random chain of events, I somehow ended up in this super suburban part of the city with my friend Brendan on one cold Sunday afternoon. After an eventful afternoon involving broken radions, a crying woman, a cockroach jumping onto me and a smelly jacket or two, we decided we both deserve a treat. And after looking for a decent place for lunch nearby we were able to find this serious hidden gem called Her-Best, or ハーベスト (pronounced "Haabesuto"). 

So inviting!

This was a quaint cottage that was managed by an elderly couple and it seems that they are famed for the cheese baked meals and also homemade parfait. And with a 4.9 out of 5 ranking in Google Maps, this was seriously intriguing. Japanese people tend to be stingy with their rankings and comments. So having it this high is something that caught our attention. 

Off to a good start

We got ourselves a lunch set with a parfait, where my friend got a cheese-baked rice doria while I got a pasta gratin. But before the parfait and carby main came into play, we got ourselves a pretty interesting salad. Doused with their own homemade dressing and burdock chips instead of croutons, this was a pretty interesting salad. And it was very nice indeed. Who would have thought raw leaves would have tasted so good. And not too long after, our hot and bubbling cheezy mains were served.  

Bliss

In honestly, they are both somewhat similar, just that the carb base is a bit different. Still, it was good. The melted cheese and chicken chunks were what we really needed after that insane ordeal this morning. And they were very generous with the cheese. With the white sauce at the bottom coating everything like some form of sludge, every bit was covered with such a simple but tasty cream and cheese combo. My doctor would not like it but I have always scored pretty high for my annuals so I guess I might have done something good!

Double the trouble!

And then the coup de grace arrived in the form of the parfaits. Brendan got the chocolate banana while I got the mocha. Both were spectacular, as everything is actually homemade. Like everything, from the ice cream to the sauces, the parfaits were just majestic pieces of art. The uncle that runs the place seriously has a knack for desserts. But all of this is not for show. 

A beautiful close up of my very caffeinated treat. 

My mocha one had so much coffee in it, it was as though I was taking down a velvety caramel frappe but in ice cream form. Brendan got a sweet deal too as his one was a combination of banana ice cream, dark chocolate ice cream and white chocolate ice cream. It is evident that the old uncle that runs this place really likes his sweet treats. 

Look at the inside!

And after that pretty hefty lunch we left pretty satisfied. Although it came in at 2700 yen a person, we felt it was a good deal considering the high level of quality. And the level of deliciousness was really hard to match. The best part was how friendly the owners were. Warm and inviting, they really make us feel welcomed and had a homely atmosphere. In fact, the establishment did feel like a traditional English cottage. Warm, cozy, and a bit quaint, but just nice and wholesome in general. 

A view from the outside. Such a cute house. 

Of course it is quite unlikely that people will come all the way to this side of Fukuoka considering this is the middle of a residential estate. However, if you somehow end up in Kasuga, this is a top bill recommendation. So if this has caught your attention, then the address is as follows:

4 Chome-21 Suguminami, Kasuga, Fukuoka 816-0863