Goma saba Lunch @ Hakata Uosuke , JRJP Building, Hakata

 

When it comes to the right representative in showing off what Fukuoka has to offer, it is often the case that the goma saba is hailed as one of its main bastions of the food culture here. Of course there is ramen, gyoza and motsunabe. However, you cannot deny that mackerel slathered in sesame is not something that is not delicious. So when it is on the menu, there is a big chance that I will get it. 

The menu says it all!

One such instance is the seafood izakaya Hakata Ousuke that located at the basement level of the JRJP Building, being tucked in the Sanpyaku Ho Yokocho (三百歩横丁) area, or rather the 300 Step Street.  In it lies an amazing roster of drinking and dining options, and this is where our new friend is showing off their wares. I was in the area during a weekday lunch and I was in need some serious sustenance. Being  in the mood for some fresh seafood when I remembered passing by this neat establishment from time to time. 

Anticipation was building. 

And when I saw what they were dealing out during their lunch period, I was set. I mean a 1300 yen price tag is quite hard to ignore. It may not be within my usual lunch budget, but fresh fish for lunch at this price is an absolute steal. An absolute steal it was. The tray that was housing my lunch came with the anticipated fresh mackerel, some rice, a bowl of miso soup, and sides consisting of fried sardines and a potato salad. But a decent price is not what a great meal is made of. 

What an amazing sight

Luckily everything else was in place. The sesame sauce was the rich and nutty concoction that I enjoy. I am not sure how this was done, but I always enjoy the sauce that is used for goma saba, or any sesame infused seafood dish for that matter. The nutty profile of the sauce mix pretty well with the oily bits of the fish, giving it a nice aroma. The slices of fresh fish were also pretty incredible. The sweetness of each slice was quite pronounced, showing off its freshness. It was fishy but not smelly, if you get my drift. 

Look how fresh that slice is. 

A mountain of greens that was made out of spring onions and shoots that was at the bottom and the top of the fish also provided a sense of freshness. It also gave a slight spiciness which help cut through the flavour pretty well. it should be noted that freshy grated wasabi was also included in this lunch, which I appreciate. And once combined with the hot and steamy rice, it was a one way trip to satisfaction. Having said that, the other elements of this meal were pretty good too. 

Magic I tell you!

The potato salad was nice and was somewhat comforting. The fried sardines however, were some serious contenders. the crunchy and golden outer crust really mix well with the soft and slightly oily interior of the fluffy fish. how is something this simple be so good? Was some black magic used here? Those are questions in life I will never know. But all I know is that if this can be ordered as a separate item, I will do that. 

Front of the house. 

After a quick walloping, I left pretty satisfied. It has been a while since I had some fresh seafood for lunch, let alone this famed Fukuoka specialty. And based on this experience, I would not be surprise that this will be the first of many lunch trips to this place. Well being a seafood specialty spot, I am sure that their other lunch deals would be as incredible, The tuna set looked very tempting. Well, I guess I found my next target for my next visit. So if you would like to try what I had earlier on or other great seafood dishes from this fine izakaya, the address is as follows:

 〒812-0012 Fukuoka, Hakata Ward, Hakataekichuogai, JRPR Building, 8−1 B1F