Telas & Mico Pork Belly Tacos

If you think yatai are just about ramen, beer, and yakitori skewers with a questionable mystery meat factor, let us introduce you to Telas & Mico, a street food stall in Fukuoka that throws that stereotype straight into the nearest deep fryer.

Telas & Mico is the culinary playground of Kensuke Kubota, a chef who once sharpened his knives in London’s fancy sushi scene at places like Zuma and Nobu. That’s right, the guy who used to plate raw fish for royalty is now grilling pork belly in a turquoise food stall. He ditched the white-tablecloth world for the streets of Tenjin, and honestly, we are all better for it.

Chef Kubota didn’t just open a stall. He launched an international flavor party in a four-square-meter box. This yatai serves up the kind of menu that would make a food truck in Brooklyn feel insecure. We’re talking tandoori chicken skewers with smoky spice, pork belly tacos that taste like a tiny, greasy vacation, and lamb kofta that hits you with a sauce so complex you’ll be doing flavor math in your head.

But let’s talk about the real star here: the mentaiko butter bruschetta. It’s spicy cod roe mixed with rich, creamy butter, spread across a slice of crusty bread, and finished with lemon zest like a final mic drop. You’ll think to yourself, why isn’t this sold at convenience stores nationwide? Because Japan probably isn’t ready for that kind of power.

The stall itself is easy to spot. It’s painted in eye-catching blue and cream, a pastel pop of personality amid the usual brown wood and noren. There’s room for about five to six people max, which means if you’re shy, prepare to become best friends with everyone sitting next to you. It’s that kind of vibe. Chef Kubota will probably chat you up between dishes, offer you wine, and possibly give you life advice.

Open Tuesday through Saturday, from 7 PM to midnight, Telas & Mico is where you go when you want your dinner to surprise you, charm you, and then leave you dreaming about fermented fish roe toast. It’s perfect for adventurous eaters, culinary snobs looking to chill out, and anyone who wants to say they ate lamb kofta in a Tokyo drift-colored food stall.

So next time you’re in Fukuoka, skip the usual ramen pilgrimage and make a beeline for the most stylish little yatai in town. Just follow your nose, your curiosity, and maybe bring a napkin for your tears of joy.