What to eat in Fukuoka (Hakata) now
Fish from the Genkai Sea arrives the same day. Known for raw mackerel and squid, and winter oyster huts.
The Genkai Sea, with fishing ports in Itoshima and Munakata and the Hakata market
Open UmamiHop →Today's picks for where you are, a help card to show the chef, and a menu translator. Free to use.In season in October
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Goma-saba (raw mackerel with sesame sauce)
Hakata's specialty: very fresh raw mackerel dressed in sesame-soy sauce. Some finish it over rice with hot tea poured on.
- Season
- All year
- Best
- Oct – Feb
Show the staff: ごまさば
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Live squid sashimi (ika no ikizukuri)
Translucent, just-cut squid. Many places will turn the leftover tentacles into tempura or grill them with salt.
- Season
- Apr – Oct
- Best
- May – Aug
- Where
- Yobuko (Saga), Itoshima, and specialty shops in Hakata
Show the staff: イカの活きづくり
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Mentaiko (spicy pollock roe)
Fukuoka's signature flavor — on rice, in rice balls, or lightly grilled. A popular souvenir too.
- Season
- All year
- Best
Show the staff: 明太子
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Hakata ramen (pork-bone broth)
Creamy pork-bone broth with thin noodles. Ordering extra noodles is called kaedama.
- Season
- All year
- Best
Show the staff: 博多ラーメン
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Motsunabe (offal hot pot)
Beef offal simmered with cabbage and chives in garlicky broth, finished with noodles.
- Season
- All year
- Best
- Nov – Feb
Show the staff: もつ鍋
Coming in November
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Winter spear squid
In winter, the live squid is spear squid: thinner and sweeter.
- Season
- Nov – Mar
- Best
- Dec – Feb
Show the staff: 冬のヤリイカ
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Itoshima oyster huts
Winter-only huts at the fishing ports where you grill oysters in the shell yourself. They pop — borrow a jacket.
- Season
- Nov – Mar
- Best
- Dec – Feb
- Where
- Itoshima (about 40 minutes from Hakata by car or train)
Show the staff: 糸島の牡蠣小屋
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Ara (grouper) hot pot
Winter hot pot of the luxury grouper Fukuoka calls ara. The gelatinous skin and broth are superb.
- Season
- Nov – Feb
- Best
- Dec – Jan
Show the staff: アラ（クエ）の鍋
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Hirame (flounder) from the Genkai Sea, as sashimi or sushi
The classic winter white fish. Firm flesh, and the engawa (fin muscle) has a pleasant crunch.
- Season
- Nov – Mar
- Best
- Dec – Feb
Show the staff: 玄界灘のヒラメ（刺身・寿司）
Local specialties through the year
| 🐟 Goma-saba (raw mackerel with sesame sauce) | All year |
| 🦑 Live squid sashimi (ika no ikizukuri) | Apr – Oct |
| 🦑 Winter spear squid | Nov – Mar |
| 🦪 Itoshima oyster huts | Nov – Mar |
| 🌶️ Mentaiko (spicy pollock roe) | All year |
| 🍲 Ara (grouper) hot pot | Nov – Feb |
| 🍵 Sea bream sashimi and tai-chazuke | Feb – May |
| 🍣 Genkai Sea horse mackerel | May – Sep |
| 🍜 Hakata ramen (pork-bone broth) | All year |
| 🍲 Motsunabe (offal hot pot) | All year |
| 🐟 Live shirouo (ice goby), eaten as odorigui | Feb – Apr |
| 🍣 Winter yellowtail (kan-buri) from the Genkai Sea | Dec – Feb |
| 🍣 Hirame (flounder) from the Genkai Sea, as sashimi or sushi | Nov – Mar |
Other regions
Nagoya (Aichi) · Hiroshima · Hyogo (Kobe, Akashi) · Kyoto (city, Tango coast) · Hakuba (Nagano) · Hokkaido (Sapporo, Otaru) · Seoul · Busan
Seasons shift with the weather and the catch each year. Ask the restaurant what is in today.