Everyone loves kushikatsu (deep-fried skewers), adults and children alike.
They’re reasonably priced, so you can enjoy them casually.
They’re also bite-sized and easy to eat, and it’s fun to choose from all the different varieties.
There’s a restaurant in Kurashiki that has been making these skewers for more than 20 years.
It’s called “Kushiage Bakaichidai Kushitei.”
Kushitei is more than just a kushikatsu restaurant.
They’re very particular about their ingredients.
They use plenty of seasonal vegetables and fresh fish caught in Kurashiki, elsewhere in Okayama Prefecture, and nearby areas.
They’re particular even about the sauces and salt served with the skewers.
In addition to kushikatsu, they also offer a wide selection of a la carte dishes made with local seasonal ingredients.
Among the more unusual offerings are dishes made with nama-fu and yuba delivered from Kyoto, the owner’s hometown.
The horse sashimi shipped directly from Kyushu is also worth trying.
Here’s an introduction to Kushiage Bakaichidai Kushitei, a restaurant full of appeal.
The information presented here was accurate when this article was published in March 2022. Please note that it may differ from current information.
Kushitei is a kushikatsu specialty restaurant founded in 1999. Enjoy dishes made with local and seasonal ingredients
Kushitei opened in March 1999.
It has been operating in the same location for more than 20 years.
As its self-proclaimed name “Kushikatsu Bakaichidai” suggests, kushikatsu is the main item on the menu.
That hasn’t changed since the restaurant opened.
It also offers popular a la carte dishes, mainly featuring fresh fish caught locally.
There are also unique dishes such as Kyoto nama-fu and yuba, from the owner’s hometown, and horse sashimi from Kumamoto.
Kushitei has spent more than 20 years specializing in kushikatsu, but there’s much more to it than that.
▼ Inside the U-shaped counter, staff member and “frying chief” Kamoi fries the skewers.
The photos shown here were taken in October 2019.
Partitions are now installed at the counter and tables as a precaution against infectious diseases.
The U-shaped counter is one of the secrets to the restaurant’s popularity, making it fun to interact with the staff.
From regulars to first-time visitors, everyone can chat easily with the staff in this bright, welcoming restaurant.
The number of seats can be increased a little by rearranging the tables or using extra chairs.
Kushitei is popular with a wide range of customers, from solo diners and couples to groups and families with children.
▼ The staff’s business cards are also unique, designed to look like driver’s licenses.
You won’t forget them once you’ve seen them.
A wide variety of freshly fried kushikatsu with crispy batter
▼ Here’s the menu at the time of our visit.
Most of the ingredients are seasonal produce from Okayama Prefecture and nearby areas.
Any kushikatsu you can’t finish can be taken home.
▼ If you’re having trouble deciding, ordering a set course is another option.
There are three courses—15, 10, or 5 skewers—and the restaurant selects and serves its recommended items.
If there are any ingredients you dislike or can’t eat, they’ll leave them out, so please let them know in advance!
Prices include consumption tax. Prices as of March 2022
The kushikatsu menu changes with the seasons to feature seasonal ingredients
At Kushitei, the kushikatsu menu changes with the seasons.
You might not expect to experience the four seasons through kushikatsu.
That’s why you’ll want to visit Kushitei in every season and try kushikatsu made with seasonal ingredients.
Our visit took place in autumn, so the menu featured autumn ingredients.
The autumn menu included seasonal ingredients such as:
- Shako mantis shrimp from Yorishima
- Lotus root from Kurashiki
- Asparagus from Yakage
- Mushrooms from Okayama
- King oyster mushrooms from Kagawa
- Ginkgo nuts
- Red sweet potatoes
There are plenty of other seasonal ingredients, too.
In addition to the regular menu, there are also “daily kushikatsu specials” among the a la carte dishes, so be sure to check them out.
The menu may vary from year to year, even in the same season.
The ten most popular kushikatsu
One of the great things about kushikatsu is the wide variety.
Choosing what to try from the many options is part of the fun.
But with so many choices, it can be hard to decide.
So we asked Kamoi, the staff member who fries the kushikatsu, to tell us the ten most popular items.
Here are the ten most popular kushikatsu items, in no particular order!
- Pork belly
- Beef
- Beef and cheese
- Asparagus
- Baby corn
- Lotus root with spicy cod roe
- Lotus root with crab miso
- Scallop and bacon
- Shrimp and shiitake mushroom
- Chicken wing
Use this list as a guide when choosing kushikatsu at Kushitei.
Please note that some items may not be available depending on the season.
Recommended kushikatsu
Here are six kushikatsu items we tried during our visit (autumn menu).
All the kushikatsu had a fine breadcrumb coating and were fried until crisp.
They made a light, crisp sound when you bit into them.
The batter itself was fragrant, and they were delicious even without any sauce.
The onion is “Fujita Onion,” grown in Kurashiki.
Fujita Onion is a branded onion developed in the Fujita district of Okayama City, next to Kurashiki.
New onions are also featured on the spring menu!
The onion kushikatsu was soft and tender, making a striking contrast with the crisp batter.
It also had the gentle sweetness characteristic of onions.
The burdock root kushikatsu is cut into asparagus-like sticks and fried without using a skewer.
When you bite into it, you first get the crisp texture of the batter, followed by the burdock’s tender, yielding bite.
The burdock itself had been seasoned with a sweet-and-savory kinpira-style flavor, and I found it delicious even on its own.
The burdock’s distinctive flavor goes very well with the sweet-and-savory seasoning.
The burdock is grown in Tsurajima, Kurashiki!
Tsurajima is famous as a burdock-growing area.
The chicken wings are also eaten by holding the bone, without using a skewer.
The skin was crispy, fragrant, and slightly sweet.
The meat was juicy and full of rich chicken flavor.
The salt and pepper were also just right.
Chicken wings are probably a popular choice with people of all ages, from children to adults.
Yorishima mantis shrimp was on the “daily deep-fried skewers” list among the à la carte dishes.
As the name suggests, Yorishima mantis shrimp is mantis shrimp caught in the Yorishima district of Asakuchi City, just west of Kurashiki City!
Okayama Prefecture is an area where mantis shrimp is commonly eaten.
Yorishima mantis shrimp is a seasonal deep-fried skewer with a strong local character.
That makes it a great recommendation for tourists and business travelers.
When you bite into a Yorishima mantis shrimp skewer, you first get the crisp crunch of the coating, followed by the springy texture of the mantis shrimp.
As soon as your teeth sink into the mantis shrimp, its savory flavor and delicate sweetness spread through your mouth.
Yorishima mantis shrimp skewers may be best with a little salt, or simply eaten as they are.
On the day of our visit, they also had Yorishima mantis shrimp in vinegar and boiled.
Two quail eggs are threaded onto a skewer and deep-fried.
They look cute, and I thought they really suited the deep-fried skewer style.
The crisp coating is followed by the springy texture of the egg white.
Then comes the soft, crumbly texture of the yolk.
After that, the flavor of the yolk spreads through your mouth.
I thought it was interesting how clearly you could tell at a glance that it was lotus root.
The lotus root used for the deep-fried skewers is grown in Tsurajima, Kurashiki!
Along with burdock, Tsurajima is also a lotus root-growing area.
The moment you bite into a lotus root skewer, the crisp coating is joined by the lotus root’s satisfyingly crunchy texture, which holds its own.
Gradually, the lotus root’s delicate sweetness spreads.
And you can enjoy its crisp texture right through to the last bite.
I had imagined the lotus root skewer would be soft and fluffy inside, so it pleasantly surprised me.
They also have deep-fried skewers with mentaiko or crab miso stuffed into the holes in the lotus root. These are popular too, and highly recommended!
Lotus root skewers are a local specialty that I’d love for visitors to the area, whether for sightseeing or business, to try.
Special care goes into the sauces, salt, and ponzu for the deep-fried skewers!
When you think of deep-fried skewers, don’t you picture eating them with sauce?
Of course, Kushitei has sauce for its deep-fried skewers.
And they have not only sauce, but also salt and ponzu.
▼ The sauce, salt, and ponzu are served on individual plates for each person.
So there’s no “no double-dipping” rule like at the deep-fried skewer (kushikatsu) restaurants in Minami, Osaka.
The sauce is homemade.
It’s a secret sauce that has been replenished and used continuously since the restaurant opened.
Kushitei’s homemade sauce is made with Worcestershire sauce as its base, blended with various ingredients, and simmered down.
One distinctive feature is that the sauce contains pieces of peanuts.
The sweetness and acidity, along with the texture and flavor of the peanuts, are so addictive that I kept dipping into the sauce on its own.
A lot of customers get hooked on this sauce. We even have regulars who come just for the sauce.
▼ The salt is also full of Kushitei’s originality.
At Kushitei, they mix sake into the salt and toast it again in the restaurant.
This gives it a hint of sweetness alongside the saltiness.
▼ The ponzu is a light, refreshing way to enjoy the deep-fried skewers.
At Kushitei, they blend several kinds of ponzu.
The result is a ponzu with Kushitei’s own distinctive flavor.
They also serve gari as a palate cleanser.
Plenty of tempting daily specials beyond the deep-fried skewers: “You can’t die without trying these!”
Kushitei is a deep-fried skewer restaurant, but that’s not all it has to offer.
It also has a wide selection of daily à la carte specials that change depending on what comes in that day.
▼ They’re called “You can’t die without trying these!!”
It’s a very unique name.
The daily specials on the day of our visit
The menu includes sashimi, salads, and classic izakaya dishes.
There are also charcoal-grilled dishes, horse sashimi, yuba, and nama-fu.
Look out for the daily deep-fried skewer specials, which aren’t on the regular skewer menu.
Daily seafood dishes made with the local catch are also a specialty
Every day, Kushitei receives seafood caught locally at ports such as Yorishima Port and Shimotsui Port.
Fresh seafood dishes are another Kushitei specialty.
The menu changes daily. We serve dishes based on what comes in that day.
Sashimi: “Filefish with liver”
▼ From the seafood menu on the day of our visit, we tried the sashimi “filefish with liver.”
I’ve eaten filefish many times in dishes such as simmered filefish, but this was my first time trying it as sashimi.
When you eat it, the firm, crunchy texture is accompanied by a subtle sweetness and savory flavor that gradually emerge with each chew.
This was also my first time eating liver raw.
The liver was so soft it seemed to melt on my tongue.
Its rich sweetness is addictive.
Kyoto-direct “nama-fu” in a three-piece set: sesame, mugwort, and foxtail millet
The owner of Kushiage Bakaichidai Kushitei is from Kyoto.
▼That’s why you can enjoy nama-fu (wheat gluten cake), a Kyoto specialty, at Kushitei.
What’s more, the nama-fu is sent directly from Kyoto, the owner’s hometown!
There are three kinds of nama-fu.
Thick and chewy “kumiaage yuba sashimi,” sent directly from Kyoto
Like nama-fu, Kushitei also serves yuba, another Kyoto specialty.
Like the nama-fu, the yuba is also sent directly from Kyoto!
“Kumiaage yuba sashimi” is a popular menu item.
Yuba dishes may not be very common around Kurashiki.
The kumiaage yuba sashimi has a very smooth, melt-in-your-mouth texture.
You can enjoy yuba’s distinctive, delicate sweetness.
Horse sashimi sent directly from Kyushu: red-and-white platter
Horse sashimi is one of Kushitei’s popular dishes.
It is sent directly from Kumamoto, Kyushu, famous for horse sashimi!
Kushitei serves its horse sashimi as a red-and-white platter, which also includes the rare cut called tategami, known for its sweet flavor.
Tategami is, as the name suggests, meat from a horse’s mane.
Please note that the price of horse sashimi is subject to market price.
Finish with the unusual meringue-like “special egg rice (TKG)”
A unique dish is a popular choice to finish a meal at Kushitei.
It’s the “special egg rice (TKG).”
It’s essentially rice topped with raw egg, but Kushitei gives it its own twist.
The egg is mixed with a special whisk, and the egg white is whipped into a meringue-like foam.
This creates a distinctive egg rice unlike anything you’ve tasted before.
Once you try it, you may find yourself hooked.
Sours and highballs are recommended drinks
Kushitei offers a wide selection of classic drinks.
▼Kushitei puts particular emphasis on highballs and sours.
▼Posters recommending highballs and sours were also displayed inside the restaurant.
Prices include consumption tax. As of March 2022
“Kaku canned highball” with lime and extra-fizzy soda
▼The drink ordered during our visit was the “Kaku canned highball.”
It’s distinctive in that it’s served in a metal cup.
▼Adding lime is another Kushitei specialty.
Kushitei’s highballs are known for their extra-fizzy soda!
The combination of lime’s refreshing tartness and the extra-fizzy soda is irresistible.
Kushitei is popular for its wide range of dishes, from seafood, horse sashimi, yuba, and nama-fu to, of course, kushikatsu.
We interviewed Toshio Kamoi, a staff member who has been frying kushikatsu for many years, ever since Kushitei first opened.
Kushiage Bakaichidai Kushitei details
| Name | Kushiage Bakaichidai Kushitei |
|---|---|
| Address | 2-5-10 Achi, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture, White Plaza, 2nd Floor |
| Contact | 086-426-9483 |
| Parking | None |
| Hours | 5:00 p.m.–11:00 p.m. |
| Closed | Monday |
| Payment methods |
|
| Reservations | Accepted By phone Same-day reservations accepted |
| Seating | 22 seats total ・Counter: 10 stools ・Three tables seating four ※ The number of seats can be increased by rearranging the tables and adding spare chairs |
| Smoking | Smoking permitted |
| Restroom | Western-style toilet |
| Families with children | Strollers allowed Children’s tableware available |
| Accessibility | There are no steps inside the restaurant, and wheelchair access is possible; however, there is no elevator to the second floor, only stairs |
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Kushitei’s specialty, of course, is kushikatsu!