[2023 edition] The perfect season! Fukuoka Oyster Hut Special Feature

The greatest charm about oyster huts is that you can fill yourself to your heart’s content on oysters caught locally in the area at a reasonable price.
You can sit around the grills to grill them yourself, so another appeal of oyster huts is that you can have fun with family and friends without worrying about bothering anyone around you. The views offered by the oyster huts, which offer fresh caught oysters, are also often quite beautiful, because many of them are located right on the shoreline. Many of the oyster huts have taken measures against the cold, so another reason for their popularity is that you can enjoy yourself comfortably without worrying about the weather.
Most of them sell oysters by the kilogram, so you can order and add to your order according to how many people you are with.
They offer gloves, oyster knives, and jackets to keep you clean, so another advantage is that you don’t need to bring anything.

Ideally, you want to eat your fresh, hot, and plump oysters when they’re at their most delicious!
Here we will explain how to tell the moment when you should eat the grilled oysters, even if you’re visiting an oyster hut for the first time.
Generally, the timing to eat them is when the shell opens after being placed on the grill, but each oyster hut has their own unique approach. So be sure to ask the staff about how to grill them to taste.

[Here’s the most important point!]
It’s time to eat when the surface of the semitransparent meat turns white.
When semitransparent, the oysters feature a raw flavor, but when the heat has turned them white, it brings out the true flavor and plumpness.

[Watch out for this!]
Some oysters don’t open when you grill them, or only open about a millimeter. Check with the staff if one of the oysters doesn’t open.
Also, note that if you leave an oyster that is ready to eat in a hot part of the grill, you may burn it.

We also recommend you make sure to enjoy the menu of side dishes that varies between each oyster hut. In particular, the oyster huts operated by fishermen and other people in the fishing industry offer menus of side dishes to enjoy alongside the oysters on the same grill, such as other shellfish, dried fish, and squid.
Some shops also offer dishes using oysters, such as oyster rice, or other rice dishes such as grilled rice balls, so make sure you check before you visit.

Itoshima is one famous place for oysters and oyster huts in Fukuoka, but there are many other oyster brands and oyster huts in other locations as well. Oyster cultivation has long prospered in Fukuoka due to being surrounded by abundant oceans, such as the Genkai-nada Sea, with low water temperatures. This means there is an ample supply of quality plankton, the food of the oysters, so the oysters of brands such as Itoshima grow up to be quite delicious. There are oyster huts located at the ports where oysters are brought in, so you should definitely compare the different brands of oysters raised in the different parts of Fukuoka.

First we will introduce the oyster huts of Itoshima.
In Itoshima, one of the top class production areas in Japan, you can taste Itoshima Oysters, a brand of oysters raised in the waters facing the Genkai-nada Sea. These oysters feature a perfect blend of saltiness and creaminess. Every winter, 20 oyster huts open in the six port districts in Itoshima City (Fukuyoshi Port, Fukae Port, Kamuri Port, Kishi Port, Funakoshi Port, and Nogita Port), and bustle with numerous oyster fans. Each offers oysters that treat you with rich flavor and a mellow, milky sweetness, whether heated or raw.

Karatomari Ebisu Oysters, raised in Hakata Bay with the blessings of the Genkai-nada Sea, are known for their rich flavor and texture and large scallops. The meat offers a dense and frim texture. So enjoy these delicious oysters raised in uncompromising safety and security under the management of the local fishery.

The Buzenkai Hitotsubu Oysters, or one-bite oysters of the Buzen sea, get their name because they are shipped with their shell after being painstakingly polished one at a time. They offer a rich flavor filled with the minerals of the Buzen sea. The meat is large compared to the size of the shell, and is less likely to shrink after heating. Enjoy the firm texture typical of large sized oysters.

Do you want to stop by for a quick oyster snack on your way home from work!　
If that describes you, then we recommend the Kaki Goya in Bayside, a time limited oyster hut opening in Bayside Place Hakata. Here, you can enjoy grilling oysters accompanied by a generous food menu and all-you-can-drink. There is also a free shuttle bus (on Saturdays, Sundays, and Holidays only) connecting Hakata, Tenjin, and Bayside Place Hakata.