Seafood bowl @ Itoshima Shokudo, Fukuoka PARCO, Tenjin, Fukuoka
If you have lived in Fukuoka long enough, you would probably have heard about Itoshima Shokudo. It is a seafood diner that is based in Itoshima and has been pretty well known. Famous for its aesthetic design and also fresh seafood bowls, there have been many viral posts online that highlight this legendary establishment. So, it came as no surprise that when they have decided to open a sister outlet in Tenjin, the fanfare was intense. Well, it did make things more convenient for everyone. Especially when Itoshima is very far away.
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| Line clear! |
There were a few times I was meaning to try the Tenjin outlet but almost always the line was just too long, and I did not have the patience to wait in line. So it was to my surprise that during a rainy weekday evening, that there was almost nobody in the shop. This was my chance! Finally after all this time! Getting the kaisendon, which is Japanese for seafood bowl, was the obvious choice. It is their main money maker and to be fair, the photos of it were incredibly appetizing. Despite the hefty 2500 yen price tag, I was willing to give it a shot.
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| Oh wow |
When people where praising about the aesthetics of the food here, it was not without merit. The bowl I had was full of seafood and it was a feast to the eyes. With a fresh shrimp, real crab floss, flounder, salmon octopus, and various more, I am starting to think the heavy price tag seems somewhat justified. The freshness was absolute incredible too. Everything has a shiny gloss to it, and each bite felt like a trip to the ocean.
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| Gems of the ocean. |
My favourite part was a piece of scallop that has been garnished with seasoned fish eggs. The sweet and supple scallop, being paired with the salty and punchy fish eggs, popping as you go along was absolutely incredible. Adding a small dollop of wasabi also added a hint of spiciness and an extra dimension to that experience. Just pretty wild.
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| Look how it shines... |
However, that is not to mean the other elements were second grade. Everything here was pretty good. The fish slices were thick and generous. And of course, obscenely fresh. Each slice was almost melts in your mouth, with the fat of each fish slowly permeate your palate as you go along. A special mention needs to be made to the tuna and salmon. Although all the ingredients here were pretty good, those 2 really stood out.
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| This one is actually very very nice. |
Having said that, if you are the person who cannot take raw seafood, well, in its raw flavours, your are in luck. The diner is famous in making its own sauces to be used as condiments for their seafood bowl. I strongly recommend the gomadare, which is the sesame sauce. Sesame sauce is a Fukuoka novelty item, and this establishment was able to perfect this liquid heaven to a tee. Slathering it on some of the seafood was such an obvious choice. Although it paired well with everything, it worked particularly well with the flounder and salmon. On that same note, the soup that came with the seafood bowl was also pretty decent too, and it worked together rather nicely.
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| Another angle of the front. |
So what is my final impression of this? Well, pretty good! My only complaint is that this experience was probably much better as I did not have a line to fight against. If somehow I had to wait for 30 over minutes like most days, I might give a second thought. This is because there are also other seafood places that are of equal stature and of better prices (click here). In any event, if we are solely looking at the food and if you have some spare change, then Itoshima Shokudo may be worth the visit. So if you fancy a visit to the branch in Tenjin, its located at the basement floor of the Parco shopping mall. The specific address is as follows:
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