Gyoza Dinner @ Nito, Higashi Hie, Fukuoka

 

Sometimes it's the ones that are closest to us that we take for granted. And there is no better example than this place. I have been living in this side of the city for almost 3 years, and I only stepped foot once to try their lunch ramen. It was not bad but I never put much thought into it and moved on. Little did I know how good this place until I had dinner with a friend on a Thursday evening. This place is Nito. 

I pass by this store front almost every day and yet I hardly come here. Its time.

Located just mere minutes away from Higashi Hie station, this place always seems to be packed with people at night, and I pass by this place almost every time I return from work. The atmosphere is always lively and interesting. The menu was also pretty promising, loaded with Japanese-style Chinese dishes, with dumplings as their main attraction. So it is about time I get to enjoy some of the action. 

The first take. 

Since we were working the next day alcohol was not on the ticket this time. The menu had such interesting items like a ponzu sour, tomato cocktails and many types of shochu that got my gears rolling. However, I got myself a non-alcoholic ponzu sour, while Yuumi, my companion for the day got the classic oolong tea. With that comes the otoshii of chilled tofu with a sesame sauce. The compulsory starter was not bad actually, as far as compulsory orders so. As for my drink, I like the zesty kick it has. It would definitely be better with a shot of something strong but I decided to pass for this evening. The tofu dish stood for 250 yen per person while my fruity elixir was for 420 yen. 

Oh such beauty!

Being a restaurant that specialises in gyoza, ordering some dumplings was just the natural choice. As such we got ourselves a plate of grilled gyoza which is for 10 pieces and a serving of boiled gyoza which is for 4 pieces. The grilled gyoza stood for  580 yen and the boiled version was for 480 yen. Both were actually pretty incredible. The grilled dumplings had a decent crunch at the edges but still have its skin supple and smooth. The filling was well spiced and you can taste the freshness of the meaty filling almost right away. You can dip them in some of their condiments, but it is so good, they are pretty much enjoyable on their own.

Chinese ravioli? Looks like it. 

The boiled versions are also quite satisfying. The skin is a bit thicker that the grilled ones, similar to a ravioli. But the bite you get was pretty spot on. The filling is somewhat similar, which is to be expected. This was less oily due to the different method of cooking. But it is still pretty enjoyable. For this one, some of their spiced oil really elevated the dish.

A force to be reckoned!

Another of their top sellers were their siew mai dumplings. This is very different compared to Cantonese dim sum but they were pretty incredible and can really knock your socks off. First of all, they were quite huge and were pretty hefty. The filling was slathered with loads of black pepper and was seasoned perfectly. The juice from the meaty filling also gave it an interesting textural experience which I really enjoy. Having said that, eating this was a bit tricky. But if you like your food to fight back, this is your ticket. One dumpling stands at a hefty 200 yen each. 

This was incredible. The boiled version, not so much. 

Next were skewers of chicken skin which is a mainstay of Fukuoka street food. We got ourselves the ponzu version and the "Chinese" style one which is 170 yen a stick. The ponzu version was extremely sinful. It is then coated with a sweet and sour sauce which melds perfectly with the chicken skin. Unfortunately they were boiled and then served cold which was not something I liked as it felt a bit slimy. The Chinese style ones however, stole the show. it was crunchy, loaded with flavour and had a teriyaki-like marinade which made it a killer thing to eat. 

The finisher ramen, which in Japanese is, shime ramen.

To finish it all off, we both shared a bowl of tan tan men which stands at 1080 yen. We were pretty full at this point, but we felt having a finisher ramen is in order. This noodle dish is pretty good and deserves a post on its own in fact. The soup was nutty and creamy due to the sesame that was used. it also had a decent kick because of the chilli peppers that it was laced with. And with meaty chunks sitting at the bottom, giving it more textural profile, and you get something pretty special. 

Seeing that I live in the same street as this shop, rest assured I am coming again!

With a final bill of 4580 yen, this was a bit of a hefty price tag. However, the quality of the food made it all worth it. Save for the boiled chicken skin skewers, everything else was very enjoyable and satisfying. This was also a hard lesson for me, as sometimes, the best things in life are already within reach. This place is literally 4 minutes from my doorstep. Rest assured this will not be the last time I will be dining here. So if you would like to get some gorgeous dumplings, or try some of the alcoholic beverages that I miss this time, why not give Nito a go? The address is as follows:

〒812-0007 Fukuoka, Hakata Ward, Higashihie, 1 Chome−5−5 The Rise