With the help of Fuji TV and the Japanese government, we did a special series, “Foodprints Japan,” for our Foodprints TV program.

We’ve done six shows so far. Perhaps due to the success of the show, the Japan Travel Bureau (JTB) has asked me to conduct culinary tours of Japan. So, in cooperation with JTB, we’ve organized such tours, the latest of which was Fukuoka.

Upon landing in Fukuoka in the afternoon, we learned that flights back to Manila had been cancelled because of a storm. We promptly headed to Nakasu Food Street. The stalls here would be set up at around 6 p.m. and we had planned to check the mini gyozas made by a chef who had been doing it for over 50 years. But since there was a typhoon, he didn’t set up shop.

Never mind, I had plan B. We went to the fifth floor of a nearby building where Ramen Stadium was housed. Here, I directed the group to the only stall that serves pork neck ramen.

The thick slice of pork neck was so tender it melted in the mouth. The dish had a broiled aroma and was beyond delicious. The broth was creamy, sticky, rich and tasty, and went very well with the al dente thin noodles.

I warned my group to exercise restraint for we were still having dinner. They did so, with difficulty. Everyone gave the ramen a perfect 10 rating.

Chicken Hot Pot

Still full from the pork neck ramen, we headed to Hanamidori, which specializes in chicken hot pot. After an array of appetizers, a pot of boiling chicken broth was placed over the fire in the middle of the table and left to simmer. We were then given a cup each, and handed piping hot, rich chicken broth from the boiling pot. It was simple yet extremely rich and delicious.

Then we were given a piece of chicken from the pot. Lightly seasoned and delicious, ground chicken had been made and formed into balls and dropped into the boiling broth. Gizzard and liver were added, together with some more boneless chicken meat.

A variety of vegetables such as cabbage, carrots, mushrooms and string beans also made the broth interesting. As the broth boiled, it got more concentrated, slowly becoming even richer and tastier. By now, we were all appreciating the quality and the simplicity of this experience. The taste was clean, simple but delicious.

We were finally given a bowl of steaming, high-quality sticky Japanese rice. This brought the meal to another level.

What an exciting new experience! We ended with a slice of chilled green melon and juicy purple grapes.

Chilled sake

We walked out of the restaurant amid a cool breeze. After dropping off our bags at the hotel, we headed to a bar and feasted on high-quality chilled sake plus pork belly yakitori, a platter of sashimi and some salt-seasoned broiled hamachi head. The last delicacy cost only P214.

That’s how we did our unwinding. Before retiring for bed, we went to Family Mart to buy “baon” for breakfast—its
famous Egg Sandwich, a must-try when one is in Japan.

In the morning, we headed to Yanagibashi Seafood Market, where we were shown the dreaded, poisonous, but edible fubu or blow fish. It actually didn’t taste that great—it only came to life with some wasabi and chili.

I then took the group to a fish vendor who had a tiny restaurant on the second floor. We ordered the most superior Toro sashimi platter. We had sashimi of all sorts, plus sushi, stewed fish head, grilled hamachi head and, of course, the superior Japanese steamed rice. It was the most delicious toro sashimi meal I had ever experienced.

And then went to a persimmon farm and picked the fruits straight from the trees. Fun! From there, we ended up, ironically, shopping in a huge outlet of American brands. And that was only the second day.

Japan is such an amazing culinary experience. For foodies, it is a must-visit. Happy eating!

My Fukuoka/Hiroshima tour will be on Nov. 5-9. Email: [email protected]