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.
