Saint-Emilion

Set in the castle town of Kokura, this Kitakyushu restaurant provides beautiful, refined French cuisine in the city's historic quarter. The chef at Saint-Emilion is passionate about choosing the best ingredients for each dish, mainly sourced from local Japanese farmers and imported from France. But the secret ingredient? Love. "If just one dish makes a lasting impression on a visitor, I'll consider it a success," says the chef. Through his dishes, guests are given a feel for the seasonality of Japan, and of Fukuoka. In spring, the kitchen is deluged with orders for white asparagus with bearnaise sauce. The chef recommends sea urchin with refreshing tomato gelee in summer. Matsutake mushroom galettes are extremely popular autumn choices, and in winter, the flaky, piping hot fugu shirako (pufferfish milt) baked in pastry dough is highly sought after. While Kitakyushu's famous seafood is usually enjoyed in Japanese style, Saint-Emilion offers a means of enjoying it that is not easily found in Fukuoka — and all year round, no less. It's a popular place for celebrations and other special occasions.