Genki Tei げん氣亭

Yummy Kalbi!

Last winter, we finally went to one of the many yakitori (chicken on skewers) places nearby. This one always smells so good from a block away that we start drooling. The smell is their best advertising. Genki Tei opens at 5:30pm. We literally went at 5:45 and they had most tables full of people sitting waiting for orders or eating and enjoying beers already, plus about 20 to go orders already packed and waiting for pick up. The staff said it might be as long as an hour wait for the take out to be ready. They took our number to call when it was done. Their recommendation was the kalbi (yummy Korean style beef ribs - with the bones intact). After a walk around the neighborhood, we picked up a couple orders to bring home and eat with our rice, lettuce, and canned chu-hi (a cocktail made with distilled liquor usually made from barley or rice). Yes, my guilty pleasure is canned chu-hi or sours. But I can only drink like half a can. The cost for a big order was 930 yen (if our memory is correct), and we got two orders. I couldn't eat all of mine, so I had leftovers for the next day, but with a bigger appetite one serving is good. The flavor was great, although not as sweet as typical Korean kalbi. I wished we had some gochujang but maybe I'm just spoiled by experiencing yakiniku in Korea. One interesting point is the name, Genki Tei, is written in hiragana mixed with old/traditional kanji. My guess is the meaning is something like 'energetic pit stop.' From Nishitetsu Kurume Station, take the bus number 3 about fifteen minutes to the Kokubu bus stop and Genki Tei is around the corner next to a little veggie stand (which is only open during the daytime). There's a Cosmos Drugstore across the street from the bus stop. Alternatively, about a 15 minute walk from JR Minami Kurume Station.