CULTURE & TRAVEL -Fukuoka Japan - Evah Dining Macrobiotic Cafe
Evah Dining Macrobiotic Café: Fukuoka, Japan
Experienced by Vegan Cyborg
The family and I travel to Japan every two years to visit relatives and friends for a few weeks in Fukuoka, known for its beaches, temples, and underground and multilevel shopping malls like Canal City. More importantly, the eventful city is ripe with healthy restaurants focused on macrobiotic (vegan) fare like Evah Dining Macrobiotic Café.
Quaint and classy, the main vegan cafe is located in the Hakata Riverain Mall. The macrobiotic dining establishment is pretty contemporary in comparison to traditional Japanese eateries. Open every day, the organic menu changes daily. On the first visit, we arrived on a Friday evening and chose a random 5-course set for two complete with:
• Chilled tomatoes dipped in a pear and basil purée.
• A soft whole grain roll.
• Zucchini soup.
• Miso soup and mushroom ginger brown rice
• Herb Tofu dumplings topped with Bok Choy and radishes smothered
in a light tomato sauce.
• Palate sensitive melon sorbet.
English is rare here, and both the menu and website are communicated in Japanese. So expect to be "lost in translation" unless you speak the native tongue like my spouse. Our waiter, in particular, spoke a small amount of English, but not enough to fully explain the program.
Evah charges $30 a person for the 5-set course. There are a few $20 sets with fewer courses. Keep in mind the Evah franchise also consists of an array of takeout locations serving a variety of bento boxes for about $8 to $10. These are well-prepared, healthy meals, and not the typical fast foods. The location we explored was on floor B2 of the Iwataya Honten Department Store. The other site is at Hakata station. We picked up four meals and chowed down for lunch, dinner, and breakfast during our first two days in Fukuoka. Itadakimasu!
Con- Small portions, pricey
Pros – Pure, delicious, date night environment
