[Fukuoka] Top 10 Izakaya for Enjoying Local Cuisine Discover Oishii Japan -SAVOR JAPAN -Japanese Restaurant Guide-

Update-date: Jun 16 2020

Author: SAVOR JAPAN

[Fukuoka] Top 10 Izakaya for Enjoying Local Cuisine

The Kyushu region is known for its food, but Fukuoka is particularly renowned for being a treasure trove of delicious dishes. It is home to a myriad of local foods such as dishes that include fresh seafood, motsunabe (hot pot stew of offal and vegetables), and chicken mizutaki (boiled chicken served with dipping sauce). Here are 10 izakaya (Japanese pubs) where you can enjoy local food together with alcoholic drinks.

See full listings of Izakaya restaurants found in and around Fukuoka.

1. Kashiwa-ya Genjiro (Hakata)

Kashiwa-ya Genjiro is a Japanese restaurant where you can savor lots of dishes that are cooked using local chicken from Fukuoka. Inside this restaurant that is filled with a casual vibe are counters and tables, so you can come alone or in a group. Their signature dish is the [Oyako-don] (800 - 1,200 JPY (plus tax)), a chicken and egg rice bowl dish that mainly uses chicken thighs and breasts to create an exquisite balance of tenderness and chewiness. You can choose between two kinds of soup stock - the Ganso-aji (original flavor) and the Koi-tsuyu (condensed sauce) - so you get to have your preferred richness in terms of taste. The [Hakata Mizutaki] (1,800 JPY (plus tax)) that you can order even when dining solo is also popular at this restaurant.

Kashiwa-ya Genjiro

Open: 11:00 am - 11:00 pm (L.O. 10:00 pm)
Closed: None
Average price: [Dinner] 1,200 JPY / [Lunch] 900 JPY
Access: Directly-connected to JR [Hakata Station]! On the 9th floor of JR HAKATA CITY AMU PLAZA HAKATA
Address: 1-1 Hakataeki Chuogai, Hakata-ku, Fukuoka city, Fukuoka (Map)
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2. Hakata Mizutaki Hamadaya (Hakata)

Hakata Mizutaki Hamadaya is a well-known restaurant where customers can eat mizutaki at an affordable price. Here, you can relax while dining inside its modern Japanese interior. The chickens used here are 90-day-old Akadori chickens that are free from any unpleasant odors and full of delicious flavors. The soup that is extracted from this kind of chicken's bones has a refreshing, robust taste. This restaurant’s most popular offering is the [Mizutaki Course] (3,800 JPY (plus tax)). The shabu-shabu (sliced meat parboiled with vegetables) made with pork loin, which is only available in their course meals, has an exquisite flavor and just the right amount of oiliness. The meal also comes with an appetizer, fried dish, and a choice between ojiya (rice gruel seasoned with miso or soy sauce) and noodles to finish everything off, so it definitely is great value for your money!

Hakata Mizutaki Hamadaya

Open: 11:00 am - 10:00 pm (L.O. 9:00 pm)
Closed: None
Average price: [Dinner] 2,300 JPY / [Lunch] 1,300 JPY
Access: 1 minute walk from JR [Hakata Station], on the 10th floor of AMU PLAZA HAKATA
Address: 10F, City Dining Kooten, 1-1 Hakataeki Chuogai, Hakata-ku, Fukuoka city, Fukuoka (Map)
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3. Hakata Ajidokoro Iroha (Nakasu-Kawabata)

3. Hakata Ajidokoro Iroha (Nakasu-Kawagata)

Hakata Ajidokoro Iroha is a well-established restaurant that's famous for its mizutaki whose soup recipe has been handed down for four generations and is only known among family members. The cloudy chicken soup is painstakingly made by removing the scum on top constantly for 5-6 hours every day. When you order the [Mizutaki of Local Chicken (with Minced Chicken)] (4,700 JPY) that comes with the soup, it is recommended to eat the remaining minced chicken with the restaurant's special ponzu sauce. The tasty soup is so delicious and rich in taste that you will want to drink it to the last drop!

Hakata Ajidokoro Iroha

Open: [Tuesday-Saturday, Holidays, Day before Holidays] 6:00 pm - (L.O. 10:00 pm) [Sunday] 6:00 pm - (L.O. 9:00 pm)
Closed: Monday
Average price: [Dinner] 6,500 JPY
Access: 3 minutes walk from Nakasu Kawabata Station on Fukuoka municiple Subway Airport Line.
Address: Iroha Bldg., 14-27, Kamikawabatamachi, Hakata-ku, Fukuoka, Fukuoka (Map)
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4. Hakata Motsunabe Shoraku (Hakata)

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Shoraku is a restaurant specializing in motsunabe that is located at JR Hakata City AMU PLAZA HAKATA, which is directly connected to Hakata Station. Their signature dish is the [Motsunabe Soy Sauce Flavor] (1,300 JPY (plus tax)) that uses fresh domestic offal and soy sauce and vegetables grown in Kyushu. The chewy texture of the offal and the way that it intertwines with the sweet soy sauce-based soup is truly superb. You can enjoy a bowl of motsunabe at this restaurant even if you’re alone thanks to its counter seats, so there is no need to think twice about dining here by yourself. Aside from motsunabe, there are various other a la carte dishes in store for you here, including the [Su Motsu] (610 JPY (plus tax)) where offal is marinated in vinegar and soy sauce, so you can have your fill of many other local Fukuoka dishes aside from motsunabe.

Hakata Motsunabe Shoraku

Open: Lunch 11:00 am - 3:00 pm (L.O. 3:00 pm) / Dinner 4:00 pm - 11:00 pm (L.O. 10:30 pm) We open until 12:00 am on Friday, Saturday, and Day before National Holidays (L.O. 11:30 pm).
Closed: None
Average price: [Dinner] 2,000 JPY / [Lunch] 1,000 JPY
Access: Directly-connected to JR [Hakata Station]! On the 10th floor of JR HAKATA CITY AMU PLAZA HAKATA
Address: 1-1 Hakataeki Chuogai, Hakata-ku, Fukuoka city, Fukuoka (Map)
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5. Motsukou (Gofukumachi)

Motsukou is a long-established motsunabe restaurant that has been in business for over 40 years. This restaurant continues to gain popularity thanks to its original [Motsunabe] (1,000 JPY per person) whose ingredients, which have been boiled in chicken bone soup, are dipped in a homemade mixture of vinegar and soy sauce before being eaten. It may be lightly seasoned, but it does not have any unappetizing odors, so even people who don’t like offal are raving about getting hooked to this dish. The [Champon Noodles] (250 JPY per serving) that is eaten at the end of the meal is also very popular at this restaurant. You have to mix the noodles with the reduced soup and then add lots of ground sesame seeds before you take a bite. This way of eating is guaranteed to make you fall in love with the aroma of sesame seeds and the chewy noodles!

Motsukou

Open: [Weekdays, Saturday, Day before Holidays] 5:00 pm - (L.O. 11:30 pm) [Holidays] 5:00 pm- (L.O. 10:30 pm)
Closed: Sunday
Average price: [Dinner] 4,000 JPY
Access: 2 minutes walk from Gofukumachi Station on Fukuoka munisiple Subway Hakozaki Line.
Address: 7-14, Tsunabamachi, Hakata-ku, Fukuoka, Fukuoka (Map)
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6. TOC-TOC (Hakata)

TOC-TOC is an izakaya where you can enjoy dishes made using seasonal ingredients grown in Fukuoka, as well as alcoholic beverages. This expansive restaurant with a welcoming atmosphere is a place where everybody can dine, from groups and families to solo diners on counter seats. Here, the bestsellers are the [Shimp Cream Croquet] (870 JPY (plus tax)) that is made with cream that has been simmered for 4 hours, and the [Assorted Fish] (1,200 JPY per serving (plus tax)). When it comes to alcohol, this restaurant offers a wide array of original Japanese sake and shochu (both types of Japanese alcohol) from all over Kyushu.

TOC-TOC

Open: [Weekdays] Lunch 11:00 am - 3:00 pm (L.O. 3:00 pm) / Dinner 5:00 pm - 11:00 pm (L.O. 10:30 pm)
Closed: None
Average price: [Dinner] 3,500 JPY / [Lunch] 1,000 JPY
Access: 1 minute walk from JR [Hakata Station], on the 10th floor of KOOTEN in AMU PLAZA
Address: 1-1 Hakataeki Chuogai, Hakata-ku, Fukuoka city, Fukuoka (Map)
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7. Chikae Fukuoka Branch (Akasaka)

Founded in 1961, Chikae is a Japanese restaurant that is characterized by its massive building that spans three floors and a newly built wing. It houses 30 private tatami rooms and counter seats that go around a huge fish tank, so you can choose which area to sit in depending on the occasion. This restaurant’s signature dish is the [Mentaiko Variety Plate] (1,800 JPY (plus tax)): an assortment of mentaiko that just so happens to be a popular souvenir! There are also various a la carte dishes on the menu that would make the perfect accompaniment to alcoholic drinks, including grilled saury stuffed with spicy mentaiko and squid with mentaiko on the side. Aside from the above, you can also order meals such as the [Seasonal Kaiseki] (from 5,000 JPY (plus tax)), a course meal that comes with around 10 dishes. This makes Chikae a great place for those who want to savor kaiseki (traditional Japanese course cuisine) in a casual manner.

Chikae Fukuoka Branch

Open: [Weekdays] 5:00 pm - 10:00 pm (L.O. 9:00 pm) *Lunch is only served on weekdays to those with prior booking. Counter opens at 5:00 pm. [Saturday, Sunday, National Holiday] 11:30 am - 10:00 pm (L.O. 9:00 pm) *Lunch 11:30 am - 2:00 pm
Closed: None
Average price: [Dinner] 10,000 JPY / [Lunch] 4,000 JPY
Access: 4-minute walk from Exit 4 of [Akasaka Station]. Turn left at the Public Employment Security Office Intersection.
Address: 2-2-17, Daimyo, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka city, Fukuoka

8. Hakata Shobo-an (Hakata)

Shobo-an is a restaurant where you can relish dishes made with mentaiko, which is a staple of Fukuoka cuisine, and traditional home-cooked dishes that are unique to Hakata. It takes pride in its original mentaiko that is marinated in chili pepper sauce and broth extracted from grilled ago (flying fish). This restaurant is famous for its [Hakata Mentai-mabushi Set] (4,000 JPY for 1 person), which is a rice bowl dish with a generous serving of tai (sea bream) sashimi and mentaiko on top of the rice. It is eaten by pouring dashi (broth) on top. This dish is a variation of the tai chazuke (rice and sea bream eaten together with broth), one of the unique dishes of Fukuoka. The mentaiko that packs a punch and the sweet sea bream go really well together. It is a great value set that also comes with appetizers, mentaiko croquette, and dessert.

Hakata Shobo-an

Open: Lunch 11:00 am - 4:00 pm (L.O. 3:30 pm), Dinner 5:00 pm - 10:00 pm (L.O. 9:00 pm)
Closed: None
Average price: [Dinner] 4,000 JPY / [Lunch] 2,000 JPY
Address: 1-1, Hakataeki Chuogai, Hakata-ku, Fukuoka-shi, Fukuoka Map
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9. Monzetsu Yakitori Bar Hachimaru. (Kokura)

6. Monzetsu Yakitori Bar Hachimaru. (Kokura)

This is an izakaya where you can enjoy yakitori (grilled chicken skewers) and other a la carte Japanese and Western dishes. Customers love its stylish and relaxing interior that was designed with the right amount of lighting in mind. Their signature dish is [THE Kokura Karaage] (480 JPY) with deep-fried pieces of chicken that have been marinated in soy sauce and garlic. If you eat this with your first beer, your appetite will surely get fired up! They also serve the [BIG Pork Belly Skewer] (280 JPY), which is a classic Fukuoka dish, and yakitori that comes at a very reasonable price of as low as 80 JPY per stick. Furthermore, this restaurant has a long list of alcoholic beverages, so your belly and your wallet are guaranteed to be satisfied.

Monzetsu Yakitori Bar Hachimaru.

Open: [Monday - Thursday, Sunday, Holidays]Hours: 17:00-01:00[Friday, Saturday, Days before holidays]Hours: 17:00-03:00
Closed: None
Average price: [Dinner] 2,500 JPY
Access: South side of Colet.
Address: 1-1-10-103 Kome-machi, Kokura Kita-ku, Kitakyushu, Fukuoka

10. Hakata Wakasugi (Nakasu-Kawabata)

Hakata Wakasugi is a restaurant where you can taste Hakata's local dishes, including motsunabe and mizutaki. Ranked No.1 for 375 weeks by an online shopping site in terms of ordered dishes, it takes pride in its motsunabe and mizutaki that have exceeded 2 million meals served so far. The [Hakata Mizutaki] (2,600 JPY) has an exquisite soup that's free from any unsavory odors and comes with a special ponzu (citrus-seasoned soy sauce) mixture that draws out the delicious flavors of the chicken. The [Hakata Beef Motsunabe (Soy Sauce Flavor)] (1,350 JPY) is another superb and easy-to-eat dish. The sake lees, which is the secret ingredient of this dish, brings out its subtle flavors.

Hakata Wakasugi

Open: [Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Sunday] 5:00 pm - 11:00 pm (L.O. 10:00 pm)
[Friday, Saturday, National Holidays, Day before National Holidays] 5:00 pm - 12:00 am (L.O. 11:00 pm)
Closed: Tuesday
Average price: 3,500 JPY
Address: 4-1-10, Nakasu, Hakata-ku, Fukuoka-shi, Fukuoka Map
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Fukuoka is a place where you can savor plenty of filling dishes that use fresh ingredients. The dishes here are all compatible with alcoholic drinks, so make sure to try a variety of them!

Disclaimer: All information is accurate at time of publication.