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Fukuoka Is Japan's Most Overlooked Street Food Paradise

This is part of Uncovering Japan, a collection of stories that spotlight the lesser known gems that belong on your Japan itinerary, offering everything from a wellspring of local craft and a vibrant street-food culture to traditional wellness. Read more here. One chilly spring evening on a sidewalk in Fukuoka, Japan's sixth-largest city, I find myself huddled into a 10-seat outdoor restaurant, a clear plastic tarp separating me from the elements while shoulder-to-shoulder with patrons eagerly downing draft beers and greasy, pan-fried dishes. The namesake chef of this food stall, or 'yatai' as they're known in Japan, quickly yet methodically cooks through an expansive menu of Fukuoka's unique specialties. For my order, Kawachan rolls a dashi broth-based omelette around a mound of spicy mentaiko, a pollock roe cured in chili pepper—so regionally celebrated that you can find mentaiko-flavored Pringles in local stores. He arranges the slices of egg in a flower shape with a massive dollop of mayo at the center for dipping. The dish is sweet, salty, decidedly umami. It's creatively plated and, honestly, a bit thrilling to be eating on a sidewalk in 50-degree weather. But that's Fukuoka for you. Every night around 6:00 p.m., chefs wheel up and put together these yatai stalls along the city's downtown streets. A bustling nightlife scene emerges as patrons crowd into the tiny sidewalk restaurants to enjoy food and drinks prepared right there outdoors. By dawn, the yatai disappear, giving way to the daytime shuffle of pedestrians. Spending a night hopping between yatai, grabbing a bite or two at each, has become the most famous symbol of Fukuoka's vibrant food culture, which sees street food sit comfortably alongside high-end sushi joints and Michelin-starred gastronomy. 'Yatai aren't some new trend—they've been part of everyday life here for over 80 years. They're one of the things that really make Fukuoka stand out.' Nick Szasz, publisher of the local publication Fukuoka Now Each night, patrons crowd into Fukuoka's tiny sidewalk restaurants to enjoy food and drink prepared right there outdoors. Andrew Faulk Yatai dish up Fukuoka specialties like tonkotsu and fried ramen, or okonomiyaki, a savory pancake with a protein and tasty toppings. Nikolay Tsuguliev The success of the yatai has coincided with Fukuoka's rise as Japan's fastest-growing city, particularly among young people. This is a heavily commercial and modernized city powered by an influx of tech startups and young people seeking affordable urban living. The city's temperate climate, along with its laidback, almost U.S. West Coast-like attitude, and its friendly, hospitality-driven culture, make it the obvious place for yatai to thrive. However, because Fukuoka is located in the southwestern corner of mainland Japan, on the island of Kyushu, relatively far from the wildly popular 'Golden Route' of Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka, it is often overlooked by first-time visitors to Japan. The megacity of Osaka, in particular, is frequently hailed as Japan's street food capital, but as I pop each umami bite of mentaiko omelette into my mouth and listen to the friendly banter next to me, I am convinced that Fukuoka actually deserves that title. 'Nowhere else in Japan has this much street food,' said Nick Szasz, the publisher of the local publication Fukuoka Now, who, along with his wife Emiko, leads tours throughout the region. 'Yatai aren't some new trend—they've been part of everyday life here for over 80 years. They're one of the things that really make Fukuoka stand out.' At every old-school yatai in Fukuoka, you'll reliably find patrons slurping on ramen. Getty Images 'It's a great way to make new friends,' remarked Hiroshi Nagasawa, a born-and-raised Fukuoka resident who leads nightly yatai-hopping tours for travelers from all over the world. During my first nights of yatai hopping, I aimed to try the classic Fukuoka specialties, including, of course, the aforementioned spicy mentaiko, along with tonkotsu ramen, fried ramen, and a local take on gyoza.