JapaneseChef Kawataro team¥¥¥¥¥8,800-22,000nakasuBook 1 to 2 weeks ahead
Live-tank Yobuko squid ikizukuri across three river-view floors. Goma saba mackerel and seasonal Genkai sashimi platters are the supporting acts.
Tip: The Yobuko squid is market price. Lunch courses run 4,500 yen and up.
JapaneseChef Yamanaka team¥¥¥¥¥6,000-9,000akasakaBook 1 to 2 weeks ahead
The original 1984 Yamanaka, a warehouse building in Ohashi where miso motsunabe was first codified. Hardest to reach of the three Yamanaka rooms; quietest.
Tip: Reserve through the operator's site. Bring a small group; the room is built for parties of four.
JapaneseChef Hirao team¥¥¥¥6,000-12,000imaizumiBook Walk-in friendly ahead
Hirao's seasonal tempura course works through Genkai shellfish and Kyushu vegetables across 12 to 16 dishes. A long-respected open-tempura counter.
Tip: Counter seating is first-come; tables can be reserved. Lunch courses start around 6,000 yen.
Japanese KaisekiChef Yuzuru Takebayashi¥¥¥¥¥22,000-33,000akasakaBook 1 to 2 weeks ahead
Yuzuru Takebayashi's seasonal kaiseki counter in Akasaka, Fukuoka, held a Michelin star in the 2014 and 2019 Kyushu special editions before suspension.
Tip: Book through Pocket Concierge; lunch is a softer entry than dinner.
Japanese SushiChef Daigo Sakai¥¥¥¥¥38,500nakasuBook 2 to 3 months ahead
Daigo Sakai's edomae sushi counter in Nishi-Nakasu. Three Michelin stars in the 2019 Kyushu special edition, after holding one star in 2014.
Tip: Pocket Concierge bookings open exactly two months ahead at 00:00 JST.
Japanese SushiChef Shiro Imamura¥¥¥¥¥22,000yakuinBook 2 to 4 weeks ahead
Edomae sushi omakase plus a la carte from a Yakuin counter, eight seats wide. Quieter than the Nakasu rooms, with a wider seasonal repertoire of grilled fish.
Tip: Reserve through Pocket Concierge; pair with the Tabelog Bronze listing in 2024.