Kitakyushu is the town where country meets sea, so it’s no surprise you’ll find restaurants like Tempura Sakae serving up amazing fried fish!
Along the coast of Kitakyushu is a little-known place where fishermen gather to buy bait, fishing equipment, and refuel with a good old feed of fried seafood!
Don’t get me wrong, I’m definitely not a fisherman, but I stumbled across this little village on my journey to Enmeiji Rinkai Park along the coast.
A Fisherman’s Paradise
At this point of my journey, I was absolutely starving as I hadn’t had a proper breakfast (just coffee). When I arrived, I noticed a big billboard with a fish and my first instinct was there must be seafood restaurants in the area.
The bad news was, the big fish advert was for bait and tackle, but the good news was there was a tempura (battered and fried food) restaurant by the name of “Tempura Sakae” (天ぷらさかえ) standing alone as the only restaurant in the vicinity.
A Piece Of Advice Before Going In
Fearing the lack of an English menu, I decided to do some prior research on my phone before heading in.
Unsurprisingly, I found a full Japanese menu without a drop of English in sight, so naturally, I began to stress.
On the plus side, the ordering system works via a ticket vending machine, so you don’t actually need to speak with the staff.
If you don’t speak Japanese, I suggest one of two ways to prepare before going in to order:
1 – Download the Google Lens app and take a photo or hover your camera over the items on the ticket vending machine. The app will translate the text on your screen into your preferred language.
2 – This is what I did. Before going in, I forwarded a photo of the ticket machine from Google reviews to my brother who is proficient in Japanese. He gave me a quick translation of the menu and I was well on my way!
Miso Soup And Rice To Get Started
Once you figure out what your order is in Japanese, you can insert cash into the machine and click on your preferred item.
I opted for the assorted tempura set meal which consisted of miso soup, rice, assorted tempura, and dipping broth.
As you will notice in the picture, the tempura comes out several minutes afterward, as it is made fresh on the spot.
The allocated plate with the metal rack at the front is used to drain the oil of the tempura as it goes from the fryer straight to your plate!
Fresh Assorted Tempura
One by one, the chef will come around with the frying pot and neatly place each piece of tempura on the plate.
Starting with the vegetables, you’ll get a few pieces of scrumptious tempura onion, asparagus, sweet potato, lotus root, and eggplant.
Then it’s time for the good stuff. The chef will top up the pile with about four delicious and crunchy tempura prawns, piping hot and ready to eat.
Something to keep in mind (which I sadly didn’t notice til I left) is that there’s a water dispenser with cups next to the ticket machine, so be sure to grab yourself a drink as needed.
A Set With The Works!
In all honesty, I’ve never had a tempura meal set up this way, as I’m used to having it with noodle soup.
I must say, I quite like the idea of eating crunchy battered prawns on top of a bed of rice.
For one, the tempura doesn’t get soggy as it would in a soup, and the dipping broth added a nice savory flavor to the plain rice too!
All-in-all, Tempura Sakae is a must-visit if you seek a different kind of tempura dining experience (and a crunchier one at that!).
Just be sure to brush up on your Japanese reading abilities or download the right translation apps before popping in!
Of course, if you are planning to visit Japan, you’ll need a way to get around the country as efficiently and affordably as possible. Japan Rail provides an abundance of travel passes to suit your travel needs. So whether you are traveling individually or as a group, the JR Pass is every traveler’s go-to for getting around and making the most of your time in Japan!
