Food Tour Scramble: Taiwan Festival Fukuoka 2026

 

Being quite close to Taiwan, it is no surprise that its influence has created a significant impact within Fukuoka's social fabric. And in ushering in the Lunar New Year, which is very soon, the city is hosting the Taiwan Matsuri (Matsuri being "festival" in Japanese).  

Even with the tents, the lanterns do look impressive

Marking its 10th anniversary, the festival introduces visitors to Taiwan’s food and culture where the  Lunar New Year is its inspirational backdrop.  Like most big festivities in the city, it takes place at the West Square of Fukuoka City Hall, right in the center of Tenjin. If the scene looks familiar, its because it is, as the Tenjin Christmas Market is held here every year. But of course the atmosphere is very different. 

Lining up for my first assault

Lanterns were strung up high, giving it a very festive feel, and the illuminations are amazing too. It was a bit of a shame that the tents that were placed to provide a warm place to eat does affect the aesthetics of the place a bit, but it is a small price to pay as it was 9 degrees during my visit that weekend. So in order to combat the cold, some serious eating is in order. And you can find all your usual suspects here. From noodles, boba tea, and fried treats, it has it all. So for my first munch, I opted for the classic hand held flavour beast of a stuffed pepper pie. 

More than meets the eye. 

Standing at a modest 700 yen, this was an absolute treat and was a pretty decent size. The outer crust was flaky and slightly butter in terms of flavour. The inside was pork that was cooked to the point of breaking apart and the pepper was coming in the bucketloads. However, I actually welcomed it as it provided me with some heat to combat the weather. The sauce is that classic sweet yet salty profile that you get from Taiwanese food, which I really enjoy.  

Decadence!

However, one meat pie is not enough for an evening. As such, another staple has entered the fray in the form of  a braised pork bun or "gua pao" if you would like to refer to its original name. Also standing at 700 yen, this was also very flavourful but under different circumstances. The slabs of braised pork was cooked long, low and slow in a soy base infusion and then spiked with some nuts and coriander. Holding everything together was a mantou bun which was steamy and hot. That was a feature, not a bug as it was warming my gloveless hands throughout the ordeal. It was marketed as a "burger" which I think its not wrong since there was some bread holding the filling made of meat and veggies (sans cheese). But the satisfaction was another level. The steamed bun was able to absorb all that juicy and salty goodness from the pork while keeping everything in place. The coriander added some freshness while the nuts provided a crunchy edge. The textural experience was seriously worth reckoning. 

Massive!

But if you are still not satisfied, then it is time to bring in the big guns. Specifically in the form of the classic fried chicken. Standing at a whopping 1200 yen, it was bigger than my head! The outer crust is definitely closer to a karaage compared to an American style chicken. But this also means the crunch factor is seriously amplified. I am certain, or at least very confident, that some corn starch or rice flour was involved. Spices were scattered onto the golden piece of glory, which was nice but it is not as strong flavoured as what I had in previous experiences. Maybe it is to placate the local palate. But its still good. Just so you know I came here with a friend so I wasn't in my lonesome eating all the food here. I am not some gluttonous beast you know, I do have my limits. 

Another shot of the premises

It should be noted that this event is going on as it started on 30 January and will end on 23 February. And if you are in the Tenjin area, coming here is a non-starter and rather the bigger concern is what you feel like eating. There are still so many treats like soy pudding, oyster noodles and fried dumplings that I really want to try but my gullet has reached its capacity. So if you would like to try the foods that I had or eat the other tasty treats on my behalf, you will not be disappointed! 

Illuminations on point. Till next time!