Oyakoju @ Not Sweet, Reisenmachi, Hakata, Fukuoka

 

It is not often that you find a place that specialises only in lemons. But when they have so much confidence in their wares, it is actually worthy reckoning. So how dues the classic chicken and egg dish gets involved in all of this? This is where Not Sweet comes in. 

Fancy!

With a unique name specialising in lemon dishes and drinks sourced from Itoshima, Not Sweet is a fancy and fairly new establishment located not far from Kushida shrine. I was in the area doing some errands but as the summer sun was getting too intense and that lunchtime was approaching, it just made sense for me to get some shelter and something to eat. 

Lunch at the ready

As you might have guessed, a cafe that uses fruits would have a vast array or drinks and desserts. However, there are a few meal options that did catch my attention. One of which is the oyakoju, which is the chicken and egg rice dish which is similar to an oyakodon. The only difference is that for an oyakoju, it is served in a lacquered box while oyakodon comes in a bowl. It is also seen as a bit more upper crust and as such does fetch a slightly higher price and the meat and eggs are sourced from high quality places. And since we are in a lemon specialist after all I got myself a honey lemonade.

Like a setting sun. What a visual!

Standing at 1540 yen for the chicken and egg dish and a whopping 770 yen for my drink, it is a bit steep for something that sounds so simple. But once I started my chow down, I can safely say the slight premium is justified. The chicken is incredibly fresh and was tender to the touch. The egg bits were velvety and smooth with a hint of saltiness and sweetness. The sauce that comes slathered on it was also pleasant and not sickly sweet, compared to many places I had in the past. The raw egg yolk also worked like a sauce, binding everything in and provide the moisture which makes this meal even more decadent. 

With a bit of that incredible lemon-koshou paste

However, since this is a lemon themed cafe, you have to include some lemon to your meal. And this comes in the form of lemon-koshou and another condiment called lemon pepper. What is that you ask? Lemon koshou is basically the lemon version of a yuzu koshou pepper paste. With its sweet, spicy and tart profile, it provided an extra kick that makes this entire meal light up. The zesty profile of the lemon really provided that nice fruity and sour edge to the thing that yuzu cannot provide. It is definitely more tart and more sharp in terms of its flavour, but this is a plus point in my opinion. What an amazing condiment. 

This was actually pretty good to. Would live it on lamb or beef though.

The lemon pepper on the other hand, is closer to something you might get in the kitchen of an American diner. It resembles a lot for the seasoning of a lemon pepper wet. It provides a more smoky experience compared to the lemon-koshou since it is a paste. Although the lemon pepper powder was quite tasty, i prefer the lemon-koshou for this lunch. Having said that, I think it will work great on a steak or as a barbecue rub. 

As this is a lemon based cafe, of course I need to get the lemonade. Specifically, its the honey lemonade that was on tap for me for this lunch. Standing at 770 yen, it was a bit steep for a lemonade. But it was pretty good nonetheless. The flavour was very fresh and strong but does not cloy your mouth like some acidic fruits tend to do. It has a nice mouthfeel to it and help clean up my palate after that amazing chicken meal. Probably because honey is used, thus adding a more complex flavour than just simple sugar. And since it is the summer after all, any cold drink is a godsend at this rate. 

Front of the house. 

Overall this was still a nice lunch and a reprieve from the blazing heat that is the Japanese summer sun. The oyakoju help fuel me up for the day ahead and the lemonade did hit the spot. Honestly, I was very keen on the desserts on the menu but I reeled it back.  I was really interested towards the cakes. But I was already planning to meet friends for cake later on so I really do not want to break my sugar quota for the day. It is on the slightly fancier side but if I want an interesting place to bring friends and family, I at least now have a new place that will really impress them. Fancy a go, the address is as follows:

〒812-0039 Fukuoka, Hakata Ward, Reisenmachi, 2−24 Floor 1