A Winter Escape to Fukuoka and Kyushu: Food, Design, and Unexpected Delights

I visited Fukuoka and the wider Kyushu region in winter, and the trip turned out to be one of the most charming and memorable cold-season getaways I’ve had. While many people associate Japan’s winter with snow-covered landscapes up north, Kyushu offers something different — a gentler climate, incredible food, thoughtful architecture, and small surprises that leave a lasting impression. Here are some highlights from the journey. Yanagawa: Canals and Unagi A boat ride through the canals of Yanagawa is like drifting back in time. We glided slowly along narrow waterways lined with traditional houses and overhanging willow trees. The boatman sang Japanese songs as he steered — a small but magical touch that enhances the experience.

Yanagawa is famous for eel, and we had ours at Wakamatsuya, a historic restaurant known for its seiro-mushi (steamed eel over rice). At around 4,000 yen, it was worth every yen. The eel was tender and fragrant, the sauce perfectly balanced — sweet but not overwhelming — and the rice had absorbed all that rich flavor.

Dazaifu A short trip from Fukuoka brought us to Dazaifu. The Starbucks Dazaifu Tenmangu Omotesando, designed by world-renowned architect Kengo Kuma, is unlike any Starbucks I’ve seen. Interlocking wooden beams crisscross the interior, creating a dynamic yet warm space that blends contemporary design with traditional Japanese craftsmanship. Even if you’re not craving coffee, it’s worth stepping inside just to admire the architecture.

The Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine is crowded for a reason. It is scenic and well kept. We were wowed by the garden on top of the shrine's roof.

Kumamoto was another place we visited. The Kumamoto castle is widely considered one of Japan’s three "premier" castles (alongside Himeji Castle and Matsumoto Castle).

In Kumamoto, one of the most unforgettable meals of the trip was at Katsuretsu Tei Shinshigai. Their tonkotsu (pork cutlet) was exceptional — crispy on the outside, juicy and tender inside, and bursting with flavor. Every bite had that satisfying crunch followed by succulent richness. It was easily one of the best meals of the entire journey.

Back in Fukuoka, food is a serious business. We joined the long queue at Shin Shin Ramen at 7pm, and despite waiting more than half an hour, no one seemed impatient — a testament to its popularity. The Hakata-style tonkotsu ramen was deeply satisfying: rich, milky pork broth with thin, springy noodles that soaked up every drop. In winter, it felt like the perfect antidote to the cold.

For dessert, Aux Bacchanales became our go-to indulgence. The cakes and pastries were so good that we returned twice. One of its greatest advantages? It doesn’t close early, which makes it a perfect late-evening stop when many other places have already shut their doors.

But Fukuoka impressed me in unexpected ways too. At One Fukuoka Building, I encountered one of the most surprisingly delightful innovations: a real-time display outside the restroom showing which toilet cubicles were vacant on each floor. It sounds simple, but the clarity, efficiency, and thoughtful design were thoroughly impressive. Japan’s attention to everyday detail never ceases to amaze me.

Bangkok EM District

During a recent trip to Bangkok, we visited the EM District and spent the entire afternoon there. The area is made up of several interconnected malls, and although we didn’t buy anything in particular, we were truly impressed by the overall experience — especially Emsphere. Below are some photos from our visit.

Coffee at A KEEN cafe in Emsphere. It is nice but pastries are pricey.

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Malacca - Something Bakery

I recently went on a short trip to Malacca and discovered a lovely café slightly off the beaten track called Something Bakery. The entrance is tucked away at the side of the building, and there’s free parking available, which is a nice bonus. Their coffee is excellent, and the crêpe cake is just as good — definitely worth a visit.

Johor Bahru Cafe Hopping

After COVID, my wife and I have been frequent visitors to Johor Bahru, mainly to enjoy the local food and take advantage of the favourable exchange rate.

Below are a few of our personal recommendations.

Principle Cafe at Jalan Trus (next to Amari Hotel)

This is our go-to spot whenever we stay in the area. The food is fantastic—especially the truffle and mushroom risotto, which we highly recommend. Their cakes and coffee are also very enjoyable. The café has a cosy ambiance, though it can be crowded at times.

Tokyo Secrets - Mid Valley SouthKey

Part of a chain, this outlet is our favourite for cheese tarts—they’re the best we’ve tried. The Mille Crêpe cake is also quite good. One thing we appreciate is that it’s usually not crowded. While they do serve lunch, we wouldn’t recommend the main menu items.

We bumped into Hossan Leong here. 

Manzanita - Komtar JBCC (Ground Floor)

This café has a bakery that offers decent takeaway bread. Better than Lavender Bakery, in our opinion. The food and coffee are enjoyable, and the matcha latte is reasonably good.

Nimmies Pastry Cafe - Taman Melodies

This well-known café lives up to its reputation. While the prices are on the higher side, the pastries are creative and delicious. Definitely worth a visit for pastry lovers.

Taipei Pineapple Cakes also known as 鳳梨酥

I recently made a trip to Taipei for a short holiday. Since I have been there a couple of times already, it was mostly a do nothing trip. 

We made a day trip to Taichung, visited a museum, but mostly it was just wandering around for food and coffee.

Since we were staying in the Ximending area, we spent a fair bit of time exploring the shops, and buying gifts for people back home. There were many shops selling pastries in Ximending, and in many parts of Taipei. This business must be very lucrative.

One of the most popular pastry is Pineapple cakes or 鳳梨酥. There were many brands to choose from. I understand from my research that the most well known brands are Sunnyhills, ChiaTe and LiChi.

Of these 3, ChiaTe is the easiest to get. We bought ours from a shop in Ximending and it is not cheap. NT$360 for a box of 5 or 6. It has an egg yolk inside. Quite tasty. We also saw it being sold in some of the 7-11 shops.

We bought our Sunnyhill pineapple cakes from Taipei101. NT$1,250 for 25 pieces. Comes with a bag.

Besides these 2 brands, there are many other pineapple cakes being sold in the Ximending area. Some can be as cheap as NT$100 for a box of 10. There are also many others that cost as much, or even more expensive than Sunnyhills and ChiaTe. These expensive ones will tell you that theirs are handmade, while using the best pineapples in Taiwan, with no preservatives.

Of all those we tried, we still like Sunnyhills best. 

Singapore to Malacca

Made a trip from Singapore to Malacca in May with the missus. First Malacca trip since Covid. We took the 707 bus from Queen Street, and the journey was pretty fast. There were hardly any other busses at Tuas checkpoint, .... something never seen pre-covid. 

Queen Street

Our first lunch stop was at Wazen Japanese food. Food is decent.

Wazen

Next we went hunting for our favourite cake joint, Nadeje.

Nadeje is no longer at Mahkota Parade. It has moved a few hundred meters away to Parade Mahkota. 

It took us 15 minutes to walk to the new place from Mahkota Parade. The new shop is in the middle of nowhere. I guess it is not a bad location if you drive. Walking in 35 degrees heat is another matter though, especially since there is no straight path from the old location to the new one.

The pastries are just as nice. Quality is maintained, though I doubt we will frequent it as often now since it is no longer as convenient.

We took Grab to Portugese settlement for dinner and selected Stall 1. First thing about the place is that there are lots of touts, who starts swarming around you the minute you stepped out of the car. 

Secondly, since it is night time when we reached the place, we cannot exactly see the sea. There are residential houses around the place. 

The food is generally ok except for the scallop. Nothing to shout about, just decent. The flesh of the fish is smooth. Cooking style is similar to how you would do it with Stingray in Singapore, except this is not a Stingray. Next time, if we ever decide to come again, we will try the oyster, which is sold by another store.

One dish that we were very disappointed with, is the scallop. The scallop is really really thin. Maybe 3mm thin. I have never eaten such small scallops. Did the chef slice off three quarters of the meat and just serve us a small portion attached to the shell?

Really thin scallop

Seoul - good food

There are many blogs, youtube videos and websites recommending various street food and restaurants in Seoul. Before our trip, we made a conscious effort to check them out as part of our research. We also actively seek recommendations from friends and relatives who are frequent visitors of the city.

After collecting and half-digesting rims of data, we have sort of a general plan of attack. As always the case, despite having lots of time, we did not complete even half the must-eat-list. Plans change. Sometimes the journey time is simply too long, we got lost, we dwell too long at certain place of interest, too hungry to continue hunting for the restaurants.

Despite all the above reasons, we were pleasantly surprised by some of the unknown eating places. There were also a fair number of duds along the way. Below are some of our favorites in no particular order.

Bonjuk 本粥 본죽

72 Toegye-ro, Hoehyeondong 1(il)-ga, Jung-gu, Seoul, South Korea

We chance upon this restaurant one morning while hunting for breakfast. It was not a place recommended by anyone we knew or mentioned in any of the blogs we read. It was empty when we were there, and we have totally no inkling that it will taste so good. I especially love their small plate of beef stripes that comes with the porridge. The reason why we even give this place a chance was because the actor-model at the front of the shop looks familiar and, the place looks clean.

This location is deep inside an office building between Shinsegae Department Store and Woori bank. It has a Starbucks outside.

Our favourite is the Mushroom and Seafood porridge. It was so good that we visited this place two times. As an added bonus, the portion is of decent size.

A Chinese blogger, evalilycoco, also recommended this eating house. Same restaurant but in another location. It is apparently part of a chain.

Congee House

31, Myeongdong 8ga-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul 04537

This is another very good porridge place and it is in Myeongdong, 3rd floor of The Stay Hotel. Close on Thursday.

Issac Toast

My favourite snack in Korea. Ate it 4 times. They have many outlets in Seoul, and 2 in Myeongdong itself. I usually make my purchase at night when there is no queue. This place is also highly recommended in many blogs.

Hong Kong Banjeom 0410

14, Myeongdong 10-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul 04536, South Korea

This place was recommended by a friend who visits Seoul every year. They serve good black bean sauce noodle or jajangmyeon (炸酱面).  Despite minimal service and limited menu options, this place is packed. Reason is because it serves good food at a very decent price.

Since the food can get a bit messy, they provide aprons so that you don't dirty your clothes. Just grab an apron from the counter.

Apron