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Fukuoka’s location right next to the Genkai Sea-famous for its squid and hirame--makes it a magnet for seafood fanatics. Here you will find quality sushi and sashimi (raw fish) galore-all made with super-fresh ingredients sold daily in the Nagahama Fish Market. Top-end diners might want to try Nishimura Sushi near Hakata’s Canal City, where the fare is as fresh and delicious as it is expensive. An average sushi course here will set you back around 3,000 yen. At the other end of the dining spectrum, Maguro no Yakata has the cheapest sushi in town-if not in all of Japan-with even unagi (eel) sushi coming in at under 100 yen. In between these two extremes there are countless bars and restaurants selling variations on a similar theme.
If the idea of raw fish does not tickle your taste-buds, perhaps the city’s numerous soba (buckwheat noodles), udon (rice noodles), tempura (deep fried seafood and vegetables), or yakitori (skewered chicken) restaurants will be more to your liking. Hakata’s Karonouron has been serving the same delicious udon menu at the same premises since the early days of the Meiji Era and is a great place to take the weight off your feet after a day of sightseeing. Or, if yakiniku (grilled meat) is more your style, a visit to Shichi Ri will provide you with all the local color you need, as workers from the nearby Nakasu entertainment district come together to discuss the day’s business over good food and ice-cold beers. And speaking of beer, why not visit the local Nakasu Brewery? With beer going for as little as 325 yen a mug in summer, you may leave the premises a little worse-for-wear, but where else in Japan can you eat a quality steak dinner for 1,000 yen?
But the highlight of Fukuoka’s drinking and dining experience are the provincial specialities that either originated in or are only available in Fukuoka-ken. Fukuoka ramen (Chinese noodles), Hakata gyouza (stuffed dumplings), Yanagawa steamed eel, Chidori Manju (Japanese confections), Zenzai Kawabata, Genkai-Sea fugu (blowfish) and Karashii Mentaiko (spicy pollock roe) are all nationally acclaimed examples of Fukuoka’s special contribution to the world of Japanese cuisine.
Among these, pride of place goes to Fukuoka ramen-famed throughout Kyushu and the rest of Japan for the rich taste of its pork-stock soup. Local legend has it that visiting Chinese merchants built Japan’s first ever ramen shop in the Nagahama district of Fukuoka, from where it was exported to the rest of the country. Whether or not the story is true, tonkotsu ramen--as the local dish is known--is a culinary delight that should be sampled at least once while you are in Fukuoka. An ideal spot to experience this regional delight is Ichiran Ramen, which has made a ritual of eating this specialty.
Or perhaps better still, why not drop by one of the city’s famed yatai (pictured above). As soon as dusk falls, hundreds of these portable cabin-like eateries begin to appear on the streets selling not only ramen, but also yakitori, tempura and oden (broth-boiled delicacies). Some of the yatai are virtually restaurants in themselves, with reputations to match. It is not unusual to see queues of customers waiting patiently outside the most popular establishments. There really is no better place in Fukuoka to meet locals and to get a taste of what the city is all about.
Whether you prefer Japanese cuisine or foreign flavors, you will love Fukuoka. Korean, Thai, Chinese, Indian, Russian, Middle Eastern, Italian and French restaurants all vie for the attention of the city’s diners and ensure that no newcomers to the city need be without their favorite brand of home-cooking for long. And there are also hundreds of fast-food and chain restaurants selling everything from curry-rice to cup-noodles 24 hours a day, seven days a week, in any part of the city. In short, whatever your preferences, and whatever your budget, you will not go hungry here!
However, as any hardy Fukuokan will tell you, eating without drinking is no fun at all, hence the numerous opportunities for exercising your drinker’s elbow in the city. In Nakasu, Fukuoka has the biggest, busiest adult entertainment district this side of Honshu. For quiet drinks and a sophisticated clientele Moghura no Salute is hard to beat; but there are also the city’s myriad beer-halls, pubs, snack-bars and hostess-bars to tempt your thirst. If a younger crowd is more to your liking, a visit to Oyafuko-dori’s Off Broadway, Crazy Cock or Voodoo Lounge bars will provide enough drink-till-you-drop experiences to last the weekend at least. The local bar scene rivals the best of any city in the country.
And when you finally need help dealing with that post-party hangover, Fukuoka has a huge array of non-alcoholic drinks options. With a café or a coffee shop on nearly every corner, you need not go thirsty for long when searching for that all-important caffeine fix the morning after. Many of the best cafes are perfect places to spend a relaxing afternoon or early evening, too.
So, if you are planning a visit to Fukuoka, don't forget to pack your chopsticks! With so many places and different styles to choose from, you will wish you had even more time to spend at the city's tables and counters.
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