Oryori Furukawa

While Chef Furukawa Makoto may owe the start of his culinary career to Osaka, his heart has always belonged to Fukuoka. He first spent 13 years sharpening his culinary skills at legendary Osaka ryotei Ajikitcho Bunbuan, then continued to train for another four in various Fukuoka restaurants. The fruits of his labors? The opening of Oryori Furukawa — his very own restaurant — in 2018. Using locally sourced and produced ingredients, Chef Furukawa experiments with all sorts of techniques for presentation. One of his proudest dishes is his “hassun” starter: a beautiful plate consisting of small bite-sized delicacies, elaborately gilded with seasonal flowers and other decorations to represent the time of the year. Not only are the components of each dish locally sourced — even the sake in his selection is dominated by the best of local Fukuoka breweries — but also even the furniture, tableware and decorations are produced by artisans from within the prefecture.