Gyoza Tasting @ Craft Gyoza Festival Fukuoka 2024

 

Golden Week has passed, but the memories remained. And being the first one that is really out from the pandemic era, food festivals have kicked into full swing. The initial beer festival I went for at the earlier parts of the holiday season was great (click here to know more). However, despite beer being an essential ingredient in having a good time, it is not the only one. Because in the end, we all get hungry eventually. And that is where gyoza comes in. 

Welcome!

Craft Gyoza Festival doesn't need a very complicated explanation. As the name suggests, it is a festival with lots of gyoza. And there were alot, as in 28 different types gyoza from 16 different food stands representing various restaurants and hawkers around the country. Yes 28!!!!! They also operate using the same method as the beer festival. Namely, you would need to get coupons which stood at 700 yen to get whatever you fancy, which is mainly gyoza. 

So many choices!

It should be noted as well that each serving stands at 700 yen. Fortunately enough Maizuru Park, the place where this is held,  is a place that has lots of wide and open spaces, so you do not feel stuffy when waiting for your dumplings. However, do note there there are a lot of people lining up for their dumplings so some planning and patience is needed. 

This made me very happy

The first thing that caught my interests was a stand selling har gao shrimp dumplings. I would not classify them as gyoza per se, but they do fit the mould. And it has been a long while since I had dim su, so this was a no brainer. The dumplings were very well executed. The outer skin was soft and supple, while the inside was bouncy and had a lot of flavour. The pleats were well folded and even, this making this easy to eat as well. I do not eat dimsum as dinner often, but when I do, I really enjoy the, Having said that 700 yen for 4 pieces sounds a bit of pricey. The again, it was shrimp which is generally expensive and overall, this was very enjoyable. 

Golden crunch!

The next one was a bit of a wild one, which is beef katsu gyoza. A serving consisted of 4 pieces. And you guessed it, it was for 700 yen. This was pretty unusual, with a breaded crust on the outside and a beefy and nutty interior. It was pretty good actually. The inside tasted like meatballs, which is then again, something to be expected. There was a strong wave of chives and garlic aroma that I liked. The crust reminded me of a good croquette. Not really beef katsu, but I respect the execution. 

Award for best cost performance. 

Last but certainly not least the the classic one bite gyoza. Despite being a staple in Fukuoka food culture, this was also given a bit of a special treatment, where each dumpling is round instead of the usual crescent moon shape. Standing at 7 pieces for a 700 yen coupon, this has the most bang for your buck in terms of volume. And it was pretty good too. The interior consists of that classic porky filling with lots of flavour, while the outside is a thin crusty skin which helps keep everything intact. 

A photo of the line as I wait for my beefy dumplings.
It should be noted some lines are way longer.

Despite being a bit hefty on the wallet, this was incredibly fun. There were cheese grilled ones, soup ones, and so many in between. It was hard to count the varieties there, especially when it comes to the ones I did not sample.  Hopefully, another one will be held soon in the future, as I would like to try the other stalls that I did not get to chow on. So if you somehow are able to find yourself in such a food festival, you would be doing yourself a disservice if you do not get at least one plate of gyoza. And if you do you, you would not regret it. 

A sign of all the food items in front of one of the exits of Maizuru park. Until next time!