Coffee & Desserts @ Bankamu, Hakata Bus Terminal, Fukuoka

 

Kissatens or classic Japanese coffee houses, always trigger something inside me. They never go out of style and yet provides a nice piece of nostalgia from a bygone age. And there are few that does it better than Bankamu. As you might have guessed, Bankamu is one such classic coffee spot that excels in what it does. And when it excels I do mean it. 

Atmosphere!

With retro trinkets and generous coffee combos for you to enjoy, it is a serious time capsule that brings you to a time where time forgot. Ok not exactly, but you would feel as though you just entered the Showa era.  Speaking of said combos, you are given a selection of sweet treats to accompany your caffeinated drink of choice. From pies, chocolate mousses and pancakes, each combo stands at a mere 950 yen. Especially when we are in the center of Hakata, this is such a steal. I got myself a chocolate dome while my friend Scott got himself a banana pancake combo. 

Our gruesome twosome

The desserts were indeed something and was what we needed after lunch on a Sunday afternoon. Well, there is always room for desserts. Having said that, desserts are only worthwhile when they are good despite having room for them. So how was it? I was pretty impressed actually. 

Look at the insides!

Lets start with the chocolate dome, which was already an impressive specimen on its own. The outer shell of the dome had a nice and rich texture. It has the right amount of sweetness and still a hint of dark bitterness which I like. The core is made of a slightly sweeter mouse filling which help balance the bitterness of the outer shell. And the very bottom of the dessert is a base that was crunchy and had a candy like quality, providing more textural and flavour variety. If you are a fan of chocolate, this will sort you out nicely. So good. 

A classic

The pancakes were pretty good too. You can get a plain double stack or one coated with chocolate and bananas. And the latter was what Scott had. It was pretty good. Simple but effective. And unlike the pancakes we are used to, they a closer to a sponge cake that is quite airy and had a delicate quality to them. They may not be thoroughly impressive but if you are looking for some nice comfort, this does the trick. 

 

Hello darkness my old friend

Lastly, a coffee spot is not complete without well, coffee. And each set comes with a choice of hot or cold, made with their in house blend. Strong and pleasant, it provided a nice backdrop to counter the sweetness of the desserts we had just now. There was also a clean mouthfeel to them, making it a nice palate cleanser. It was not acidic too which I like. As you probably know by now, I am not a serious fan of fruity coffees. So this was a plus point. 

Front of the house. 

However, despite the amazing things I talked about, it should be noted that this place allows indoor smoking. So if you are one of those people who are a bit sensitive to that, it may be a good idea to go elsewhere. Honestly, it was because of this we decided to leave the premises a bit earlier. if circumstances were a bit different, we would probably order another cup and sit a bit longer. Still, it was a nice afternoon in the end.  So if this has caught your attention, why not give it a go? The coffee is good, desserts aplenty and it is quite reasonable. Just mind the smoke. The address is as follows:

2-1 Hakataekichuogai, Hakata Ward, Fukuoka, 812-0012