We can neither confirm nor deny that the devil made us eat them, but regardless, we would binge them again in a heartbeat.

There’s been some internet slang in Japan for the last few years that refers to addictively delicious food as akuma, which translates to “devil” or “demon.” We quite like the mental image of a little shoulder devil egging us on to down some kind of delectable dish because it’s just that darn good–even if we sacrifice our stomachs in the process.

The latest kind of akuma food that we indulged in was during a stop at Shizuoka City’s S-Pulse Dream Plaza mega shopping center, pictured below.

While walking around, we spied a French fry takeout specialty restaurant called Cherry Beans Potato with a relatively constant stream of customers. Slightly strange name aside, the thought of a restaurant that specializes in deep-frying slices of golden potatoes–truly one of the ultimate comforts in life, if you ask us–was enough to make us stop and get in line.

The eatery offers two sizes of fries–a regular size for 700 yen (US$4.90) and a small size for 550 yen.

It also sells an unconventional kind of bucket holder for fries (more like something you’d see for popcorn). If you have one, you’ll get discounts on fry refills throughout the year.

As certified potato lovers, we were more than confident in our ability to finish a regular size order, so we opted for that one. The paper bag the fries came in was cute and printed with the restaurant’s logo.

Inside were plenty of freshly fried potato slices. There was a unique fragrance wafting from the bag as well–not the usual heavenly smell of fries, but some kind of spice mix that we couldn’t quite place. Whatever it was, it made us hungrier the more we smelled it.

Time to take a taste. Munch munch!

That little bite was so good that we immediately grabbed a handful more. One fry was simply not enough–we needed more, more, more!

Seriously, it was as if we were compelled to keep shoveling more and more of them into our mouths as if in a trance. Perhaps this frighteningly addictive flavor was the work of the devil after all–or at least, he must have been the one that had devised the “magic powder” (in the restaurant’s words) which was so generously sprinkled over them. If we had to equate the taste to something else, it was similar to Calbee’s Sapporo Potato BBQ chips–but a richer, more evolved version of the flavor.

▼ Our fingers were the perfect proof of just how much magic powder there was.

The good news for us is that diners can take the addictive fries home in the form of pre-packaged takeout bags for 400 yen each.

▼ Mt. Fuji is prominently featured on the bag.

They have the exact same flavor as the freshly cooked fries and would make an excellent souvenir for anyone outside of Shizuoka. That is, assuming you manage to not crack open the bag yourself before you hand it over.

On a final note, S-Pulse Dream Plaza also has a sit-down restaurant called Cherry Beans Burger on the third floor.

This place is perfect for diners who want a more well-rounded dining experience. We can confirm that the burgers were also devilishly good.

The bottom line? While Shizuoka Prefecture has plenty of famous foods and local dishes, Cherry Beans Potato fries are by far the most addictive out of any that we’ve tried. We believe it’s only a matter of time before they become a well-known symbol of the prefecture throughout Japan.

Restaurant information
Cherry Beans Potato / チェリービーンズポテト
Address: Shizuoka-ken, Shizuoka-shi, Shimizu-ku, Irifune-cho 13-15, S-Pulse Dream Plaza 1st floor, Seaside Street
静岡県静岡市清⽔区⼊船町13-15 エスパルスドリームプラザ1階 シーサイドストリート
Open: 9:30 a.m.-8 p.m.
Website

All images © SoraNews24
● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!
[ Read in Japanese ]