Kyūshū
On Kyōmachi covered arcade near the station, this renowned tofu shop has been in business since the Edo period and serves refined kaiseki, starring tofu…
Must-see restaurants in Kyūshū
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Fukuoka
If you can't visit the rest of Kyūshū, try regional foods at this elegant izakaya. Look for dishes like karashi renkon (spicy, deep-fried lotus root) and…
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Kyūshū
At this family-run legend, in business since the early 1950s, peruse the refrigerator case of luscious-looking Japanese and Western pastries, but order…
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Kyūshū
At this fantastic thatch-roofed ex-farmhouse the staff use oven mitts to grill dengaku (skewers of vegetables, meat including Aso beef, fish and tofu…
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Fukuoka
Fukuoka's most famous ramen chain has efficient and always bustling branches in Tenjin, serving the best-selling Akamaru Modern (with black-sesame oil and…
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Beppu
This seven-seat, 1940s time warp with a manic local following has only two things on the menu, both ¥600: generous plates of gyōza (dumplings) perfectly…
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Kyūshū
This sprawling restaurant in a riverside gorge near Ikeda-ko gets an estimated 200,000 annual visitors (!), paying tribute to the 1967 birthplace of…
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Kyūshū
This beach-casual shop might offer the most spectacular sunset of your trip: the sun sinks into the ocean or behind mudflats that stretch to the horizon –…
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Kyūshū
Chikin nanban (sweet fried chicken with tartar sauce; pictured on the menu) was invented here in 1961, and crowds still flock to this no-frills shop under…
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Kumamoto
Yokobachi's leafy courtyard and open kitchen are distinctive. Although some menu translations are head-scratchers, stand-out small plates include spicy…
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Kumamoto
This black-walled, quietly chic izakaya, with cosy private booths and hori-kotatsu (well in the floor for your feet) seating, has a whole menu of Kumamoto…
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Kyūshū
Operated by the local agricultural collaborative, this large, spotless, rustic-modern restaurant offers set menus featuring award-winning Takachiho beef…
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Kagoshima
This atmospheric multistorey restaurant near central Tenmonkan covers all your Satsuma-ryōri needs: Satsuma-age (deep-fried fish cake), tonkotsu (pork…
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Beppu
This busy spot may be the only restaurant in the world where you steam your own meal and eat it while dangling your feet in a foot bath. Order from a…
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Kyūshū
If you're going to splurge on Miyazaki gyū (beef), do it at this gracious yakiniku and steak house with river views. Lunch set menus are a nice deal, with…
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Nagasaki
Come here if you'd like to experience shippoku-ryōri (Nagasaki-style kaiseki) and still afford your airfare home. Menus are filling and varied, and there…
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Nagasaki
Tia serves a buffet of mouth-watering home-style Japanese cooking using local, organic products. It's on the 2nd floor, with an entry that's easy to miss…
Fukuoka
This Fukuoka-born chain (since 1993) has a nationwide following. That's as much for its serving style as for its fresh noodles and 15-second kitchen-to…
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Kyūshū
In the middle of nowhere (in a parking lot) in Niji no Matsubara is a brown-and-white Toyota serving burgers so famous people line up to buy them, and…
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Fukuoka
A humble-chic shokudō (everyday restaurant) run by some clever gourmets. The emphasis on fresh local ingredients means that the menu changes frequently;…
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Kagoshima
If your favourite way to enjoy kurobuta (Kagoshima-style black pork) is deep-fried, this institution does it in prodigiously crunchy crust, as tonkatsu …
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Kagoshima
Owner Reina-san doesn't speak much English but is a bundle of energy, reflected in her cosy, spirited, home-style izakaya on a Tenmonkan side street…
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Kagoshima
Come here to try Kagoshima black pork at an affordable price. It's served several ways: shabu-shabu dipped in delectable broth with minced green onion;…
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Fukuoka
Nobunaga is raucous and rowdy, and that's just the chefs. Choose from the menu or sit at the counter to point and order. Besides yakitori and other…
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Kyūshū
Downstairs is a fish market selling colourful and bargain-priced local fish (gutted and filleted on request), while upstairs is a popular shokudō with…
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Kyūshū
In a nation with lots of sea coast but precious little recreational beachfront, this new spot along the promenade facing Aoshima Island is a breath of…
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Kyūshū
This cosy, family-style shop is credited as the inventor, in 1966, of the retasu maki (lettuce roll) sushi, in which crunchy lettuce substitutes for nori …
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Kagoshima
Kuro Satsuma-dori (black Satsuma chicken) is the name of the bird served here, and also what it looks like after being grilled sumibi-yaki-style over open…
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Kyūshū
Togakushi has no English menu, but any difficulties this may present are worth it for the delicate, thin kama-age udon (barrel-boiled wheat noodles; ¥650)…
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Fukuoka
Fish-your-own Zauo's quite a commotion and good, clean fun. Staff equip you with fishing rods, bait and nets to fish your own tai (sea bream), hirame …
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Kyūshū
Try local bonito multiple ways in a set meal called katsuoaburi-ju. Bonito in two marinades can be eaten raw, grilled over your own tiny hibachi or…
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Beppu
This charming, historic bakery has been in business since 1916, and people still happily queue for its ever-changing selection of oven-fresh breads and…
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Fukuoka
Fish Man's post-industrial vibe features lacquered plywood and big windows, which show off the unconventional presentations of seafood fresh from the…
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Nagasaki
First things first: the wharf's not part of Dejima; the land didn't even exist during those times. Still, Dejima Wharf is a picturesque harbour-side…
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Kyūshū
Aso akaushi (beef from local brown cows) is prized for its relatively low fat content. Get it here sliced over donburi (rice bowl). Set meals come with…
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Beppu
There always seems to be a queue at this ice-cream counter just inside Sol Paseo Ginza Arcade. Even if something seems to have been lost in the English…
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Fukuoka
Down the street from Hakata Machiya Furusato-kan, this lovely eatery makes homemade organic soba (buckwheat noodles) from the Shinshū area of central…
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Fukuoka
An entire floor of ramen outlets, with eight vendors imported from the length and breadth of Japan, including five from Fukuoka, such as Jinanbō (二男坊),…
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Beppu
There's nothing fancy going on here, but Rokusei's a temple to reimen (cold noodle soup) nonetheless. Bowls are pulled straight from the freezer, filled…
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Beppu
Amid the hells (boiling hot springs) of Kannawa, you can cook your own meal in onsen steam at this workshop. Purchase ingredients on the spot (or bring…
