3 Must-Try Hakata Specialties: Popular Spots for Motsunabe, Seafood, and Eel near Hakata Station

Hakata Uokura is a popular restaurant praised for dishes that lavishly use seafood from across Kyushu, including premium fish such as Nodoguro (Benihitomi) and Yari-Ika (spear squid).
Along with seafood delivered directly from fishermen on the Itoshima Peninsula, the lineup includes tuna, yellowtail, young yellowtail, and medai (Japanese butterfish) brought in from Katsumoto Fishing Port in Iki, Nagasaki.
Among them, the Tsushima Nodoguro known as “Benihitomi” stands out for its rich, high-quality fat.
You can savor its delicate umami as sashimi, and when grilled or simmered, an even deeper richness comes through.

A Hakata specialty, Yariika Ikizukuri (Living sashimi) from Yobuko, is made from squid that have just been landed, kept alive in a tank, and prepared only after you order.
Its translucent flesh is beautiful, and you can enjoy a crisp bite and natural sweetness.

Chefs trained as itamae (sushi chefs) showcase their skills, drawing out the ingredients’ natural flavors to the fullest.
With sashimi, sushi, tempura, aburi (seared), and other methods, you can enjoy different expressions of flavor even from the same fish.

The restaurant also pays close attention to tableware, using Kyushu’s representative crafts such as Arita-yaki porcelain and Satsuma Kiriko cut glass.
As a place where you can enjoy not only the ingredients but Kyushu’s culture as well, it is a restaurant well worth recommending to anyone visiting Hakata.

Hakata Motsunabe Houraku is a specialty restaurant where you can enjoy Hakata’s famous motsunabe in a course-style format.
Its biggest feature is that dedicated staff complete everything at your table, from serving the beef-bone soup to cooking and even portioning out the first bowl.
The sense of excitement as the hot pot is finished right in front of you is a signature pleasure of this restaurant.

The preparation method is also different from typical motsunabe.
With its unique two-stage system, you first enjoy the simple flavors of beef-tail dashi and gyutan tsukune (beef tongue meatballs), then add three blended miso from Kyushu along with the other ingredients.
In a single pot, you can enjoy changes in flavor in two distinct stages.
The offal used is domestic Japanese wagyu offal prized for its springy texture.
Using two types, small intestine and large intestine, is another plus, letting you enjoy differences in flavor and texture.
The rich fat released into the soup pairs perfectly with the finishing zosui (rice porridge) or champon noodles.

Beyond motsunabe, the menu is also packed with Kyushu specialties such as living squid sashimi, goma saba (mackerel with sesame sauce), and basashi (horse sashimi).
It is well-regarded not only by local regulars but also by tourists as a place where you can “enjoy Hakata flavors all at once.”

Inside, the restaurant offers horigotatsu (sunken-floor kotatsu seating) private rooms that can accommodate parties from four up to sixteen.
A calm, Japanese-style atmosphere makes it ideal for many occasions, from meals with friends to company banquets.

Hakata Unagiya Fujiuna is an authentic eel specialty restaurant run by an owner who trained at “Okaya,” a renowned eel restaurant in the Shinshu region.
By combining traditional craftsmanship handed down since the Edo period with Fukuoka’s jiyaki technique, it creates distinctive eel dishes you can taste only here.
For ingredients, the owner personally selects and purchases from trusted wholesalers.
The restaurant is thorough, using only high-quality specimens with a slightly bluish tint on the belly side, said to be only about 20% of the total.

By carefully preparing eel with the Kanto-style back-split method and finishing it with Hakata-style jiyaki, the skin becomes crisp and fragrant while the flesh stays soft and fluffy.
In addition, a tare with a clean finish that can stand up to the eel’s richness brings out the umami even more.

From classic staples like unaju and seiromushi to a la carte dishes such as shirayaki and liver skewers, as well as a kaiseki course that features eel in many forms, there is a wide range to choose from.

The interior is a refreshing space centered on light, white wood, with 30 private and semi-private rooms of various sizes.
It also offers takeout and delivery, including via various delivery services.
If you want to enjoy truly authentic eel in Hakata, this is a restaurant you will want to visit.