All Reviews of Hakata Gion Tetsunabe

When traveling to Fukuoka, most people only know about the iron-skillet gyoza in Hakata Gion, but the “Tetsunabe” restaurant in Kokura is actually quite famous as well. The two have deep ties, and even the red curtain at the entrance and the style of the iron-skillet gyoza look very similar.

This time, I made a special trip to try their signature gyoza cooked in a cast-iron skillet. They came out piping hot and were served right in the skillet. They were really delicious, and the restaurant’s special soy sauce and yuzu kosho completely cut through the greasiness of the pan-fried gyoza. The luckiest part was that there happened to be a festival while I was eating. I saw the parade passing by from the window and couldn’t resist running outside to take a few photos. Ordering is done on a tablet, and there’s a Chinese-language option, which is very convenient. If you’re worried that the Hakata location will be too crowded, consider coming to Kokura for a more relaxed meal. Highly recommended.

When visiting Hakata in Fukuoka, you can't miss this famous local favorite—Hakata Gion Tetsunabe's pan-fried gyoza! When the sizzling hot iron pan arrives at the table, the golden, crispy gyoza immediately make your mouth water! The wrappers are fried until crisp and fragrant, while the filling is flavorful and juicy. Every bite makes you want another one.

Although the restaurant is crowded and you need to wait patiently, and the smell of cooking oil and smoke is a little strong, plus photography isn't allowed inside, so you can't capture what the food looks like, none of that changes how much I like this place. All I can say is, it's worth the wait!

When in Hakata, you have to try the famous local iron-skillet gyoza! This time, I visited Hakata Gion Tetsunabe. As soon as they arrived at the table, I saw the neatly arranged gyoza. They looked small and delicate, making me want to dig in right away.

My favorite part was the gyoza wrappers. The bottoms were fried golden brown and crispy, making a “crunch” with every bite. The crisp texture was quite distinctive. The wrappers weren't too thick, and the filling was satisfyingly substantial. Together with the crispy wrappers, each bite had a nice variety of textures.