Eating with the Locals in Hakata

“Nakachan,” one of Hakata’s many lively street stalls. (Located at Mitsukoshimae on the Watanabe-dōri in Fukuoka-shi.) The owner, Nakagawa Yōichi, is in the center.

Tomonō Atsushi, instructor at the Karashi Mentaiko Dōjō (Fukuoka Kankō Kaikan Hakata, Hakata-ku, Fukuoka-shi).

The “motsunabe” is brought to the table overflowing with fresh vegetables that gradually sink into the soup as the stew cooks in front of you.

Fried cabbage and pork.

An omelet filled with “karashi mentaiko.”

The owner says that there are over 100 items on the menu, many of them the result of customers’ requests.

Rāmen noodles: One of the indispensable classics of Japanese street stall menus.