Dinner & Drinks @ Poco a Poco, Nishijin, Fukuoka

 

Sometimes, it can be tricky to find a spot everyone can agree upon. And also there are times you feel like you need more variety in your days as well. So if you have that problem right now, I have the perfect place for you! 

Cozy

Poco a Poco is a recently opened standing gastrobar located slightly further away from the usual city hotspots in Hakata and Tenjin. It is so recent, that even Google maps do not have any particular on it. I initially spotted this place while on the way to dance class one Friday, and if not for that chance encounter I may not be writing this. That being said, it will probably expand its reputation relatively soon, seeing what does on here is pretty fun and tasty. 

At the ready

There is a lot to try here, and the concept of this place works like a tapas bar. Firstly, you need to buy a set of tokens before ordering. A set of 10 tokens is valued at 1000 yen, so 100 yen per token. And from that you can redeem drinks or food by the counter. My first drink for that visit was the classic gin and tonic, that stood for 500 yen. Most drinks were at that price range too. In terms of food, a plate will range from 150 to 600 yen depending on what was on that day. 

A good start!

One of my favourites that I had was a serving of cheesy baked pasta which was only for 200 yen. It was sweet, salty, cheesy, and very flavourful. Chunks of beef were slit in between the pasta sheets and that gave an interesting texture. It was sort of an off-shot to lasagna. Italians may complain, but I certainly did not. 

The faux-lasagna was better. Still, a good drinking snack

 A friend that followed ordered the pasta salad instead. A bit similar but different. However, it was pretty nice and we all enjoyed sharing bits and bobs of what we have ordered. It was not particularly outstanding, but pasta and potato salads are common side entrées to the classic Japanese drinking experience. That stood for 300 yen. A bit more pricey than the one I had, but it had decent ingredients in it. I did taste rocket in it, which is arugula for you American readers. 

A real hard hitter

For the next dish, I got myself a meatloaf slice which was absolutely incredible. Topped with juniper berries, it was an explosion on the top, but mellow and comforting in the middle. It was surprisingly fatty, as I suspect that each slide was covered in lard. However, the meaty parts were just loaded with spices and flavour. It was able to cut out the heaviness of that fatty layer easily and everything just complimented each other. It was so good that I forgotten to write down the price for this thing. I believe that it stood at about 400 yen, but don't quote me on that. 

Finishing blow. And a sweet one at that. 

And for dessert, I had a berry pie slice which stood at 400 yen. This was just amazing. Berries all over, with a custarty filling in the middle and then a buttery and flaky crust. Everything was great and the ingredients complimented each other. It was a bit odd to take this down with a beer, which was also 500 yen. But, we got to mix things up once in a while.

I will be back for more!

This is such a fun place to be and was a great way to try various foods and drinks with friends. Please note that this is a standing bar, so no chairs are present. With that caveat aside, if you like lots of variety with your dining experience, then you need to visit this place. And we also sit for way too much on our regular days. So if you fancy a go, then the address is as follows:

4 Chome-8-6 Nishijin, Sawara Ward, Fukuoka, 814-0002