Kawataro - Yobuko — Restaurant in Karatsu

I got the Squid set, which was surprisingly really good (I was a little nervous about the “still moving” part) the squid was so fresh and had that really nice crunch to it because of how fresh it was. The other items in the set were really good too, but I will say the tempura came out way later than I expected, but that could be just because I was surprised how fast the other things came out. You place your order through the iPads on the table, English speakers just keep in mind there is not a English setting, but it’s relatively easy to base it on the picture or if you have google translate on your phone you can also use the camera setting to translate.

I did give service 5 stars because all of the people who I talked to did their very best to let me know certain things even if they don’t speak much English(what not to eat on the squid). But I was a little confused when another worker came when I was still working on my last few pieces of squid (taking my time to really enjoy the quality of it) and rushed me to take them off the serving dish, because of this I ended up forgetting to grab a little bit more wasabi for those pieces (wasabi came on the same dish as the squid along with the lemon slice, not on the personal set tray). So I was a little sad to be rushed since the wasabi with the squid is amazing, she did try to say something to me after I grabbed my last pieces but I don’t really speak any Japanese except for the most basic of basic terms so I just had to smile and nod. But other than that little bump everyone there was really nice and did their best to communicate with me.

I sat at a table, I was offered to sit tatami but I had already walked around a lot that day so I didn’t really want to sit on my knees after sweating all day(bright, sunny and humid that whole day after having my travels for the last week being rainy so I was kinda worn out). I went around 1pm/2pm on a Wednesday so it seemed a bit empty since I was able to walk in and get a table right away but I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s super busy during peak times on the weekends. I did go by myself but there isn’t any bar seating so my table was really big for just one person (definitely meant for 4 people) but I’m not sure if the tatami would have been the same thing.

All in all, I really enjoyed my meal and visit here and would definitely recommend...

Renown for its live squid (ika ikizukuri) experience, and it lives up to the reputation. The squid was incredibly fresh, with its translucent flesh and subtle sweetness. After enjoying the sashimi, the remaining parts were prepared as tempura, which I found even more delightful—crispy on the outside and tender inside, offering a different texture that complemented the raw version.  

Additionally, the squid shumai (siewmai) was a pleasant surprise—flavorful and well-crafted. While the live squid is the main attraction, the tempura and shumai shouldn’t be overlooked. Overall, a memorable dining experience that showcases the versatility and...

As my friend told me this was one of the best place for ika ikizukuri (freshly dead squid sashimi), so I came here. But my friend didn’t tell me I should book seats in advance. Hence, I waited for the queue for 1hr. This place served squid sashimi with head and tentacles piece. After a while, the staff came to ask how would we want the tentacle to be prepared, tempura, yaki, and... (the other I didn’t catch). Other foods were also ok, despite a...