I wanted to add to the English reviews on Karatsu restaurants. We wanted to try the dishes that most Japanese tourists choose in Karatsu. The big deal here is very, very fresh squid. Large sets of fresh fish are always expensive in Japan and we...wanted a place that was conveniently located and reasonabley priced. Our hotel recommended Kaisyu and we were very happy with the experience. It is a short walk from Karatsu castle on the main road paralleling the ocean. The restaurant is just past the remains of the old moat. We were tired and wanted to sit downstairs at tables, but there are tatami mat tables upstairs. Ordering is easy because they have a photo illustrated menu. We chose the cheapest "teishoku"or set meal that had the whole squid presentation. It think it was around 2300 yen per person. The meal started with a small dish of squid bits with "moromi," fermented grains. Sounds not too interesting, but it was delicious. This was followed by the "main event" in Karatsu tourist cuisine--a plate with a live raw squid covered by crystaline strips of squid. The squid is about ten inches long and the outside is removed and cut into glassy filaments in the kitchen. These are arranged over the inner body and tentacles of the live squid. It is still moving. You don't eat the moving part, just the filaments that cover it. When you have eaten the squid sashimi, they will take the rest of the squid to the kitchen and it will return as squid tempura. This whole thing must sound a little odd, but it is a beautiful presentation. It gives you a feeling of the coolness and freshness of the sea. The squid flavor is very mild and the texture is like a chewy and slightly slippery noodle. If you have had squid sashimi in the U.S., this is bigger and better. The teishoku alos included a beautiful bowl of clear soup and a fish dumpling which they call "syumai" here. It is filled with ground fish and covered with delicate noodle threads. There is no wrapper as we are used to with syumai in California. (My husband passed them by at a hotel breakfast buffet because he though they were coconut macroons!) The meal also included chawan mushi (egg custard with bits of fish and mushroom), pickles, and the squid tempura. We thought the squid tempura was the best we have eaten. We had draft beer with our meal. The service was warm and excellent. If you have just one day in Karatsu, I would recommend looking at pottery in the morning, eating lunch at Kaisyu, and going to the castle.More
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