Exploring Fukuoka’s Best Local Eateries

Photo by Micaela Braithwaite

Jonetsu No Chidori-Ashi (Fukuoka City)

Is it your first time in Fukuoka? Start with the world-famous food stalls in Fukuoka City. They’re ideal if you want to check all the typical regional specialties off your list in one night. If you’re feeling extra brave, visit Jonetsu No Chidori-Ashi, a yatai famous for using local game meat. Wild boar dashi ramen, deer in red wine sauce and oden stewed vegetables are among popular dishes at this rare gem. Sourced through farmers who hunt boar to protect their crops, this is as local as you get.

Flego Food & Farm (Fukutsu City)

Visit Flego Food & Farm in Fukutsu for some farm-to-table fresh Italian cuisine. This luxurious Italian restaurant is run by an Italian chef and grows its own vegetables and herbs, and utilizes locally sourced Munakata beef and seafood in its pizza and pasta dishes. Although the restaurant doesn’t serve Japanese food, it’s a brilliant way to experience locally grown and sourced produce in an elegant and stylish setting. Visitors can buy seasonal produce at the store, as well as freshly baked bread at the newly opened on-site Italian bakery. Drop by Fukuma Beach on your way home to catch the sunset dancing off the shallow shore. 

Takenaka (Kitakyushu City)

Test your courage with some fugu (blowfish) sashimi at Takenaka. While fugu has a reputation worldwide as a potentially lethal dish, it can be consumed in many forms both in Kitakyushu and neighboring Yamaguchi Prefecture. To knock this food off your bucket list, visit Takenaka, a popular fugu specialty shop, to enjoy a full blowfish lunch for a reasonable price. While fugu sashimi is a great novelty dish to say you’ve tried (and survived), fugu karaage is a personal favorite of mine.

Ibiza Smoke Restaurant (Ukiha City)

The vibrant green countryside town of Ukiha makes for a great one-day road trip out of Fukuoka City. Make your way through the mountainside to find Ibiza Smoke Restaurant, a smoked meat shop serving sausage, bacon and other products using locally sourced Mino pork. The seasonal paella course also uses regional ingredients and is a great option any time of the year. Ukiha is also famous for fresh fruit, so stop by a michi-no-eki farmers market for some local produce before heading to the picturesque Ukiha Inari Shrine.

Mataichi No Shio (Itsoshima City)

For some homemade caramel pudding topped with sea salt harvested along a picturesque coastline, head to Mataichi No Shio. These creamy caramel puddings are coveted by young travelers to the popular Itoshima coastal region, with long lines of eager visitors extending down the road on busy weekends. The facility’s wooden exterior is fascinating, and there are plenty of handcrafted wooden stools and tables to match the vibe. Combine this day trip with a hike up Mount Tateishi for some killer views of Keya Beach. 

Find more of Braithwaite’s recommendations around Fukuoka Prefecture via the Fukuoka Eats website and @fukuoka.eats on Instagram.