Hakata Izumi

This Japanese pufferfish in Fukuoka is fast approaching its centenary year, having opened way back in 1923. The wisdom which comes with such age is apparent in the expert cooking, stunning presentation, and dignified atmosphere. Even if you’ve tried Japanese pufferfish before, the staff at Hakata Izumi will show you a whole different side to the ingredient. Here you can choose from three different varieties of fugu — farmed, wild, or farm-fattened. The wild is the most expensive, but each has its own unique benefits in taste and texture. There are also two different set menus to choose from, with a full premium kaiseki meal, or a more limited (but no less delicious) meal. Both feature a range of cooking styles like sashimi, grilled shirako, deep fried, soup, porridge, and more. For the sashimi platter, the thin translucent slices are fanned out over a plate to represent a chrysanthemum flower. It takes a painstaking process to make premium blowfish sashimi and the chefs at Hakata Izumi are some of the top experts in the country. Grab a seat at their restaurant to find out the difference it makes for yourself.