Matcha & Desserts @ & Locals, Mina Tenjin, Tenjin, Fukuoka

 

Sometimes you want to try something different for your afternoon pick me up. Cafes are find but then again, you do not want to just visit Starbucks all the time right? So why not try something local? And this is where & Locals (pronounced "And Locals") comes in.

Look at that menu!

& Locals is a local company (well, the name does say it all) which brings local produce in the forefront via their wares and cafes. One such cafe is the Tsunaragari Hiroba (literally translated as Connection Space) that is based in Mina Tenjin mall.   Here, they serve a selection of matcha based drinks and desserts, fruity items and locally roasted coffees. They do sell trinkets, home improvement items and small furniture that are based off the wood that is sourced form here. 

Triple threat

Their main selling point are their food and beverages though. And you want to try some great Japanese produce at its purest form, then this would be it. Although summer is ending, it was still somewhat hot. As such, some cold beverages would be very much welcomed. For this we got ourselves a glass of iced sencha green tea which stood at 530 yen, Japanese roasted coffee at 420 and as a sweet companion, matcha terrine which was also at 530 yen.

Nice

The sencha was just what was needed to beat the heat. It was light and refreshing, with a bit of that bitter sweet profile you get from green tea. And it goes down very well. However, I do find it a bit mild. But for some people it can be a bit more "gentle" and thus an easier drink. The same can be said about the coffee too. The roasting is a bit lighter, and as a palate cleansing effect in its overall structure. It has a bit of an acidic aftertaste, which is ok. Some people prefer fruity profiles but I personally prefer nuttier ones. Still, it was not too bad. 

Witness the richness!

However, everything changed with the terrine, which was like a block of dense matcha cream. Each bite felt like as though I just flooded my throat with a tablespoon of matcha powder. it was very intense! The taste of bitter matcha was somehow enjoyable, despite being a serious punch in the mouth. The texture was similar to a thick non-bake cheese cake. It was surprisingly creamy, but held its shape very well. And lets not forget the colour. It was so green, it looked as though Bruce Banner just threw up the dinner he had last week. It was intense, but oddly beautiful. Ironically, the gentler drinks help balance out this intense dessert. So everything worked out well after all!

There are home improvement items, cooking ingredients, and much more too. 
Will probably get some during my return. 

There are a few & Locals outlets in Fukuoka city, and the one we went to is the Min Tenjin branch which I think its the most accessible one. I did notice they have another near Ohori park which I think would be very picturesque. In any event, if you are looking for some treats in the city, this is a place I can easily recommend. There are other traditional snacks like monaka which i would like to try as well. Perhaps in the future. So if you would like to try what we had earlier, or probably explore their other goodies, the address is as follows:

〒810-0001 Fukuoka, Chuo Ward, Tenjin, 4 Chome−3−8 Mina Tenjin Floor B1