Oden Food Experiences(9)

We had an incredible food tour in Fukuoka. The yatais were superb! Bruce, our guide, was exceptionally accommodating and attentive to our requests. He facilitated an excellent exchange of travel experiences, providing insights and tips that enriched our journey. Bruce also guided us on our train ride back to the hotel and recommended other fantastic restaurants and must-visit spots. The food tour with Bruce is highly recommended. We’ll definitely return to Fukuoka and book another tour with Bruce!

A most delicious evening, without Bruce, would not know what to order, he has insider information. Good job, thank you very much

I reached out to Bruce a month or so ago with a relatively simple concept: With Fukuoka being the Tonkotsu ramen capital of the world, and Gyoza being the classic pairing to that ramen, what would an “Ultimate Gyoza Tour” look like? To my surprise, Bruce got back to me within a day with a potential itinerary that looked so good that I booked my tour then and there. Hands down, this is the best of the dozen-plus food tours that I’ve been on as an adult. We started out close to our hotel, hit three incredible gyoza places (two by foot, another by subway) with varied but incredibly delicious flavor profiles and textures, then made it out to try two of Bruce’s favorite Yatai, capping the night off with a ramen I was assured would blow the socks off anything else I had in the city (and wow, did it ever!) Bruce is as knowledgeable a resident of Fukuoka as you can ask for, and with decades of experience finding the best eats in the city, you are in the best of hands (doubly so if your Japanese isn’t strong enough to track down, much less eat at some of these more local-oriented establishments). We shelled out for a private tour hoping for a “transformative gyoza experience”, and left with that and the knowledge that we’d definitely be seeing Bruce again to show us more of this wildly underrated food city. A++, as highly recommended as this review was meant to convey if not higher!

This is my first trip to Fukuoka and I booked a yatai food tour on the recommendation of a relative. I found Bruce’s yatai hopping tour so much fun! He’s a fountain of knowledge about the yatai movement and is working with the city to revive it. All his food recommendations were excellent, I could not choose a favorite. Most of the owners knew him as well, which is I think a plus because they know they ought to maintain their quality as he brings so many people out to them. We tried a new one as well, and it was also very good. Come with your appetite and enthusiasm! Even an introvert like myself had a fun time interacting with the locals.

This food tour was a wonderful introduction to the yatai (street food stalls) culture in Fukuoka, and Bruce's passion for the city and its culture certainly shines through. For a solo tourist who doesn't know the language, it can be intimidating to try eating at a yatai. With Bruce and his colleagues, i felt completely at ease and welcomed by the stall owners. Bruce was happy to customise the tour if necessary, and the food that i got to try was delicious.