10 Restaurants in Fukuoka: Hakata Comfort Foods and B-Grade Gourmet

Comfort Food and B-Grade Gourmet in Fukuoka

Discover 10 restaurants featuring local cuisine that you'll want to keep in mind when sightseeing in Fukuoka's Hakata Ward.

B-Grade Gourmet in Fukuoka's Hakata Ward

Motsunabe (Offal Hotpot)
1. Maedaya Sohonten
2. Yamanaka

Mizutaki (Chicken Hotpot)
3. Daidai
4. Yamato

Hakata Udon Noodles
5. Karo no Uron
6. Daichi no Udon

Tonkotsu Ramen
7. Shin Shin (Hakata Deitos Location)
8. Hakata Daruma Sohonten

Yakitori (Grilled Chicken)
9. Nobunaga Honke (Chikushi Exit Location)
10. Yakitori Wine Bar Tori-Budou (Watanabe-dori Location)

The Best Local Food in Hakata, central Fukuoka

Hakata mizutaki, Fukuoka udon, and Hakata motsunabe are commonly mentioned as the three major gourmet foods of Fukuoka.

These three, along with tonkotsu ramen and yakitori, are known as Fukuoka's five main foods. A unique feature of these five foods is that in addition to Fukuoka Prefecture eating establishments, they are also widely enjoyed in ordinary households.

This article introduces Fukuoka's five main foods: Hakata mizutaki, Fukuoka udon, Hakata motsunabe, tonkotsu ramen, and yakitori. We also explain the special characteristics of each one and some restaurants where you can actually taste them.

Motsunabe (Offal Hotpot)

Picture courtesy of Photo AC

Motsu refers to the intestines of cows and pigs. Motsunabe is a hotpot dish that is filled with chives (nira), cabbage, green onions, chili peppers, tofu and other ingredients together with the motsu.

Motsunabe has a long history. Its roots are said to date back to after World War II when people who worked as coal miners ate chives and gizzards that were cooked in aluminum hotpots.

First, we'll mention some popular Hakata restaurants where you can try motsunabe.

Maedaya Sohonten

Picture courtesy of Hot Pepper Gourmet (Japanese)

Hakata Motsunabe Maedaya is a motsunabe specialty restaurant with four locations in Fukuoka Prefecture. Its main location (sohonten) is located in front of Hakataekihigashi's Nakahie Park.

The most popular menu item is the Wagyu motsunabe which comes in three types: miso flavor, soya sauce flavor, and spicy flavor. It's always nice knowing that you can choose a motsunabe flavor to match your mood and personal preference.

The shop also offers a full selection of set course meals such as the Basic Course (weekdays only) which includes motsunabe, a salad, sesame seed saba fish (goma saba), and some side dishes. It costs 4,980 yen after tax (as of November, 2024).

Motsunabe Maedaya Sohonten
Location: Fukuoka, Hakata, Hakataekihigashi 2-9-20
Business Hours: Lunch 11:00-14:30 (lunch on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays only), Dinner 17:00-0:00
Official Homepage: Maedaya Sohonten (Japanese)
Hot Pepper Gourmet: Maedaya Sohonten (Japanese)

Yamanaka

Picture courtesy of Yamanaka

Hakata Motsunabe Yamanaka is a specialty shop known for being the birthplace of miso motsunabe. They have two locations in Fukuoka Prefecture and have also expanded into Tokyo's Ginza and Akasaka areas.

Yamanaka's Hakata location is within walking distance from Hakata Station making this one of the shop's attractive features.

Their motsunabe is available in three types: miso, soya sauce, and shabu-shabu style. In addition, there's also a wide selection of a la carte dishes including tarachinja (cod fish offal), chinese cabbage kimchi, and kakuteki (diced radish kimchi).

Yamanaka
Location: Fukuoka, Hakata, Hakataekihigashi 2-4-6, Hakatabe Building 2F
Business Hours: Lunch 11:30-14:00, Dinner 16:00-22:30
Closed: New Year's holiday
Official Homepage: Yamanaka
Official Instagram: Yamanaka (Japanese)

Mizutaki (Chicken Hotpot)

Picture courtesy of Photo AC

Mizutake is a nabe (hotpot) dish in which various ingredients are added to a soup stock made by simmering chicken with the bones. It's usually eaten with a ponzu sauce.

It's been said that the dish spread to Fukuoka after foreign ships made port calls in Nagasaki, and was then refined to suit the Japanese palate until it evolved into its current style.

Down below we've listed some popular shops in Hakata Ward where you can try mizutake.

Daidai

この投稿をInstagramで見る

水炊き橙(@daidaifukuoka)がシェアした投稿

「
Hakata Mizutaki Daidai is a famous restaurant that was awarded the Michelin Guide's Bib Gourmand award.

The shop is conveniently located just three minutes on foot from Ohori Park Station (Fukuoka City Subway Airport Line). It takes about nine minutes to get from Hakata Station to Ohori Park Station.

The menu includes three types of dishes: mizutake, zosui and somen for the end of the meal, and karaage (fried chicken). The chef, who has a poultry processing license, prepares the entire chicken, so the restaurant specializes in serving only chicken dishes.

In addition to the mizutake which has a rich tasting chicken-flavored soup, the juicy karaage fried chicken is also exquisite.

Daidai
Location: Fukuoka, Chuo, Otemon 1-8-14
Business Hours: 12:00-22:00
Official Instagram: Daidai (Japanese)

Yamato

この投稿をInstagramで見る

【公式】博多水炊き 大和（やまと）(@mizutaki_yamato)がシェアした投稿

Hakata Mizutaki Yamato is a mizutake specialty shop. It's on the seventh floor of the Gates Building which is directly connected to Nakasu-Kawabata Station.

The mizutake soup uses Fukuoka's Hakata jidori chicken. This chicken is slowly simmered for more than eight hours, bringing out the original umami flavor and aroma of the chicken.

According the shop, the best way to eat this dish is as follows. First, taste a spoonful of the soup just as it is. Then try the chicken and vegetables.

For the final dish, diners can choose one of three options: egg zosui, chijiremen noodles, and cheese risotto. If you add rice and parmesan cheese it becomes a western-style kind of dish, allowing you to enjoy a flavor variation that's different from mizutake.

Yamato
Location: Fukuoka, Hakata, Nakasu 3-7-24, Gates Building 7F
Business Hours: 17:00-24:00
Closed: Open every day
Official Homepage: Yamato (Japanese)
Official Instagram: Yamato (Japanese)

Hakata Udon Noodles

Picture courtesy of Photo AC

When you mention udon, Kagawa Prefecture often comes to mind. However, there's a theory that udon actually originated in Hakata. Hakata udon features soft-textured noodles and a clear soup with a light-tasting soy sauce base.

The two shops listed below are popular spots for trying Hakata udon.

Karo no Uron

Picture courtesy of Hot Pepper Gourmet (Japanese)

Karo no Uron is a very long-established shop that opened for business in 1882. It's known for being Fukuoka's oldest udon restaurant.

In English the shop's unique name apparently means "the udon shop on the corner." Then by slighty mispronouncing the Japanese name, it changes from "Kado no Udonya" to "Karo no Uron."

Their popular menu item is Goboten Udon. The soft noodles soaked in broth go perfectly with the crispy texture of the goboten (burdock root tempura).

Karo no Uron
Location: Fukuoka, Hakata, Kamikawabatamachi 2-1
Business Hours: 11:00-19:00
Closed: Tuesdays
Hot Pepper Gourmet: Karo no Uron (Japanese)

Daichi no Udon

Picture courtesy of Hot Pepper Gourmet (Japanese)

Daichi no Udon is an udon shop with locations in Fukuoka Prefecture and Tokyo.

The shop is very particular about cooking the noodles and deep-frying the tempura only after the customer places the order. This ensures that they'll be able to eat the most delicious udon noodles.

Therefore, please note that depending on the time of day you visit, you might have to wait longer than expected.

The shop's most popular item is the Kakiage Bukkake Udon which has an impressive flavor and appearance. This is a large serving―the bowl overflows with kakiage (mixed-ingredient tempura) making this worthy of sharing on SNS.

Daichi no Udon (Hakata Station Chikaten)
Location: Fukuoka, Hakata, Hakata Ekimae 2-1-1, Asahi Building B2F
Business Hours: 10:30-16:00 / 17:00-21:00
Closed: New Year's holiday
Official Homepage: Daichi (Japanese)
Hot Pepper Gourmet: Daichi (Japanese)

Tonkotsu Ramen

Picture courtesy of Photo AC

Fukuoka's tonkotsu ramen features very thin, straight noodles and a milky-white, rich tasting pork bone broth.

The ramen flavoring and ingredients differ depending on the shop. So going around and taste testing is also a great way to enjoy this ramen.

Next, we introduce some popular restaurants where you can sample this ramen.

Shin Shin (Hakata Deitos Location)

Picture courtesy of Hot Pepper Gourmet (Japanese)

Hakata Ramen Shin Shin is a ramen shop chain with six locations in Fukuoka Prefecture.

The Hakata Deitos shop is located along Hakata Noodle Street (Hakata Men Kaido) which has a direct connection to JR Hakata Station. Long lineups are not uncommon outside this popular restaurant.

Tonkotsu ramen often gives people the image of something rich and heavy, but at Shin Shin they serve ramen with a simple and plain soup. It has no unpleasant odor, so even those who don't like tonkotsu ramen's strong aroma will find this easy to eat.

Shin Shin (Hakata Deitos Location)
Location: Fukuoka, Hakata, Hakataeki Chuogai 1-1, Hakata Deitos 2F
Business Hours: Weekdays 11:00-23:00, Saturdays, Sundays, holidays 10:00-23:00
Official Homepage: Shin Shin (Japanese)
Hot Pepper Gourmet: Shin Shin (Japanese)

Hakata Daruma Sohonten

Picture courtesy of Hot Pepper Gourmet (Japanese)

Hakata Daruma is a popular ramen shop chain. They are based in Fukuoka Prefecture but have also expanded to the Kanto Region, Okinawa, and even New York.

The rich and intense pork bone soup that perfectly matches the image of Hakata ramen is loved by many people.

Their popular menu item is the Aburi-Toro Niku Chashu Men. This exqusite dish features chashu pork slices from a rare part of the pig, and a rich-tasting soup that concentrates the umami flavor.

Hakata Daruma Sohonten
Location: Fukuoka, Chuo, Watanabe-dori 1-8-25
Business Hours: 11:30-25:00
Official Homepage: Hakata Daruma Sohonten (Japanese)
Hot Pepper Gourmet: Hakata Daruma Sohonten (Japanese)

Number Five: Yakitori

Picture courtesy of Photo AC

Yakitori, easy to eat and perfect for eating on the go. Fukuoka Prefecture is known for being one of Japan's leading yakitori areas. Butabara kushi (pork belly skewers) and chicken are both popular.

Next, we introduce two shops where you can fully enjoy yakitori.

Nobunaga Honke (Chikushi Exit Location)

Picture courtesy of Hot Pepper Gourmet (Japanese)

Nobunaga Honke (Chikushi Exit Location) is located right next to JR Hakata Station. This izakaya serves up motsunabe, yakitori, deep-fried dishes, and sashimi.

Nobunaga Honke's attractive feature is their reasonable prices. Here, diners can enjoy Fukuoka Prefecture's B-Grade gourmet at low prices. So every day the shop is crowded with many sightseeing visitors and working people on their way home from the office.

Nobunaga Honke (Chikushi Exit Location)
Location: Fukuoka, Hakata, Hakataeki Chuogai 45
Business Hours: 11:00-24:00
Hot Pepper Gourmet: Nobunaga Honke (Japanese)

Yakitori Wine Bar Tori-Budou (Watanabe-dori Location)

Picture courtesy of Hot Pepper Gourmet (Japanese)

Yakitori Wine Bar Tori-Budou (Watanabe-dori Location) is an izakaya sitting right next to Watanabe-dori Subway Station.

During the yakitori general election put on by the Tenjin yakitori general election committee, Tori-Budou was elected number one out of the 21 shops that participated.

Just as the shop's name indicates, visitors here can enjoy various kinds of yakitori paired with wine. The shop interior features a stylish and romantic atmosphere, so we also recommend it as a dating spot.

Yakitori Wine Bar Tori-Budou (Watanabe-dori Location)
Location: Fukuoka, Chuo, Watanabedori 2-9-9 1F
Business Hours: 17:00-24:00
Official Homepage: Tori-Budou
Hot Pepper Gourmet: Tori-Budou (Japanese)

Enjoy Hakata By Trying Their Famous B-Grade Gourmet!

Hakata offers a wide variety of gourmet foods. But at the top of the list are the five main specialties of Hakata mizutaki, Fukuoka udon, Hakata motsunabe, tonkotsu ramen, and yakitori.

So during your next sightseeing trip in Fukuoka City, how about going from shop to shop and sampling some of these culinary delights?

Main image courtesy of Hot Pepper Gourmet
Written by Cakutama editorial team