Motsunabe: How to Eat and the Best Restaurants in Fukuoka Discover Oishii Japan -SAVOR JAPAN -Japanese Restaurant Reservation Guide-

Update-date: Oct 08 2024

Author: SAVOR JAPAN

Motsunabe: How to Eat and the Best Restaurants in Fukuoka

Fukuoka is a town known for its gastronomic delights, and the many top-notch foods on offer are loved by tourists and locals alike. One food you must try when you visit Fukuoka is the well-loved Motsunabe. It is a filling meal packed with collagen and vegetables. This article gives you the facts on Motsunabe and introduces the best restaurants where you can go and try it.

See full listings of Nabe restaurants found in and around Fukuoka.

What Part of the Animal Is Motsu?

The Complete Guide to Motsunabe: Recipes, Flavors, How to Eat, and the Best Restaurants in Fukuoka

Motsu is the general Japanese word for an animal's internal organs, examples of which include the liver, heart, and small intestines. These organs all tend to be referred to as motsu in Japanese.

How to Make Motsunabe

One of the most popular Japanese dishes made using motsu is Motsunabe. The main ingredients of motsunabe include motsu (usually beef small intestines), garlic chives, cabbage, and tofu. Many different things can constitute motsu, but Hakata’s motsunabe usually uses beef small intestines which are famous for their soft, spongy texture. It is a taste that will have you instantly hooked due to the high levels of white fat.

Cut all of your ingredients into bite-sized pieces. To get the true motsunabe flavor, season with Chinese garlic and red chili pepper. The dashi (broth) can be made of a mix of things that may include soy sauce, mirin (Japanese sweet rice wine), water, or chicken bone broth. After preparing your ingredients, bring the dashi to a boil and then add the motsu and simmer. After that, add your vegetables, bring to a boil again, and your dish is ready.

A good tip is to boil the vegetables quickly on a high heat to allow the flavor of the dashi to permeate the vegetables. Also, motsu can have a strong smell, so get rid of this by rubbing them in salt and flour and then rinsing. This will improve the taste! You can also add extra seasonings such as garlic or thinly chopped chilis.

Once the ingredients are cooked through, mix thoroughly.

The Best Way to Eat Motsunabe

Once it is ready, dish it up. First, try eating it as is and then try seasoning it with cayenne pepper. A little spice helps to enhance and change up the flavor.

In Japan, after eating hot pot, it is customary to cook rice or noodles in the remaining dashi broth. This is known in Japanese as "shime", the act of eating something to end a night of dining on foods like hot pot and drinking alcohol. The tasty dashi, infused with the unique flavors of the motsu and vegetables, is the perfect partner for rice and noodles. You should definitely try it when you come to Japan!

What Is Fukuoka’s Famed Motsunabe?

Motsunabe was created in the Kyushu region's Fukuoka Prefecture sometime around 1945. It is generally made from a soy sauce-based dashi, although nowadays you can get it in several different flavors such as miso or even a spicy version flavored with chilis. Motsunabe, with its simple but rich flavor, has become Fukuoka’s signature dish, renowned by both locals and tourists.

The Best Restaurants for Motsunabe in Fukuoka

This article will introduce some of the best restaurants for motsunabe in Fukuoka. Read about an array of great restaurants with different selling points, from those known for their excellent stock to those using high-quality beef like Kuroge Wagyu.

1. Motsunabe Nagamasa Hakata Main Branch (Hakata)

Motsunabe Nagamasa Hakata Main Branch cuisine

Motsunabe Nagamasa Hakata Main Branch, renowned for utilizing Kyushu's ingredients, offers dishes like the specialty "Motsunabe" (offal hot pot) and "sesame mackerel." The Motsunabe features a deep-flavored broth, while the sesame mackerel offers unique flavor and texture. They also offer a wide range of courses, including an all-you-can-drink Motsunabe Course. Suitable for individual diners or groups, the restaurant guarantees a relaxed atmosphere. However, reservations are essential, especially on weekends. It's a great choice for anyone visiting Kyushu, whether for leisure or business.

Motsunabe Nagamasa Hakata Main Branch

Open: Dinner 5:00 pm - 11:00 pm (L.O. 10:30 pm)
Closed: None
Average price: [Dinner] 5,000 JPY
Access: 7-minute walk from Hakata Exit of Hakata Station. Turn left at the Hakata Ekimae 2-chome intersection and right at the next intersection. Turn left at the 3rd corner, and it is on the right.
Address: 1F North, BuRG Hakata Ekimae, 3-18-8, Hakata-ekimae, Hakata-ku, Fukuoka-shi, Fukuoka Map
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2. Hakata Motsunabe Yamanaka Hakata Branch (Hakata)

Hakata Motsunabe Yamanaka Hakata Branch cuisine

Hakata Motsunabe Yamanaka Hakata Branch is proud of its Motsunabe hot pot. This delicious dish will win you over once you taste it. The restaurant uses only domestic beef, and its original miso flavor, a blend of several kinds of miso, is quite popular. Garlic is what gives the dish its rich taste. The aroma and rich flavor of the garlic make the dish even more delicious. Special courses such as Vinegared Beef Motsunabe and Chili-seasoned Roe are available only at Hakata Branch. The restaurant has an exotic colonial decor with European and Asian influences. You can savor a moment of elegance in an atmosphere like that in a fine-dining restaurant.

Hakata Motsunabe Yamanaka Hakata Branch

Open: Dinner 4:00 pm - 11:00 pm (L.O. 10:30 pm)
Closed: None
Average price: [Dinner] 5,000 JPY
Access: 3 minutes walk from the Chikushiguchi exit of JR Hakata Station
Address: 2F, Hakatabe Bldg., 2-4-6, Hakataeki-higashi, Hakata-ku, Fukuoka-shi, Fukuoka Map
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3. Hakata Motsunabe Shoraku (Hakata)

Hakata Motsunabe Shoraku is very particular about the ingredients they use. One of their most loved dishes since the restaurant was established is the Motsu-Nabe Soy-Sauce Flavor (1,300 JPY (plus tax)) which contains Kyushu-grown vegetables and fresh, locally sourced seafood. The springy motsu have a notable bite, and their famed dashi is made using sweet-tasting Kyushu-produced soy sauce. You’ll love the dish's mild yet refreshing flavor! There is also a choice between salty or miso-based dashi, so choose whichever you prefer.

Hakata Motsunabe Shoraku

Open: Lunch 11:00 am - 3:00 pm (L.O. 3:00 pm) / Dinner 4:00 pm - 11:00 pm (L.O. 10:30 pm) We open until 12:00 am on Friday, Saturday, and Day before National Holidays (L.O. 11:30 pm).
Closed: None
Average price: [Dinner] 2,000 JPY / [Lunch] 1,000 JPY
Access: Directly-connected to JR [Hakata Station]! On the 10th floor of JR HAKATA CITY AMU PLAZA HAKATA
Address: 1-1 Hakataeki Chuogai, Hakata-ku, Fukuoka city, Fukuoka Map
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4. Motsunabe Mizutaki Yonbankan (Tenjin)

2. Motsunabe Mizutaki Yonbankan (Tenjin)

At Motsunabe Mizutaki Yonbankan, you can try the Hakata Motsunabe (1,250 JPY) made with Kuroge Wagyu beef from Miyagi Prefecture. You won’t be able to resist the delicious, sweet-tasting motsu fully infused with the taste of the homemade dashi. It also comes in several flavors, such as kimchi or miso. If you can’t get enough motsunabe, you should try the all-you-can-eat course!

Motsunabe Mizutaki Yonbankan

Open: Lunch 11:00 - 14:30 (last order 14:00), Dinner 17:00 - 00:00 (last order 23:00)
Closed: None
Average price: [Dinner] 2,500 JPY / [Lunch] 500 JPY
Access: Three minute walk from the Subway Tenjin Station. Depart through the #4 exit, turn right, cross Showadori street, located on the second floor of the building directly in front of the Hotel Ascent Fujioka.
Address: Tenjin Broadway Bldg. 2F, 3-4-28 Tenjin , Chuo-ku, Fukuoka, Fukuoka Map
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5. Motsukou (Gofukumachi)

Motsukou has been around for years and is overwhelmingly popular with the locals. Their Motsunabe (1,000 JPY) has been a customer favorite for more than 40 years. It uses a dashi made from chicken bones as a base, and only uses motsu bought fresh every morning, which limits the distinct offal aroma, making it easier for tourists to eat if they are not used to the flavor of motsu.

Motsukou

Open: [Weekdays, Saturday, Day before Holidays] 5:00 pm - (L.O. 11:30 pm)

[Holidays] 5:00 pm- (L.O. 10:30 pm)
Closed: Sunday
Average price: [Dinner] 4,000 JPY
Access: 2 minutes walk from Gofukumachi Station on Fukuoka munisiple Subway Hakozaki Line.
Address: 7-14, Tsunabamachi, Hakata-ku, Fukuoka, Fukuoka Map
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6. Yumehana Genkido (Hakata)

Yumehana Genkido is an izakaya (Japanese pub) in Hakata serving exquisite Japanese food made from ingredients carefully selected by a head chef with over 30 years of experience. Their signature dish, the Motsunabe (1,200 JPY, plus tax), is another dish that shows off the chef’s talents. The ingredients include carefully selected domestically sourced beef small intestines, and the dashi is made from ingredients like the head of sea bream. It has the type of refined, subtle flavor you would expect from such an experienced chef.

Yumehana Genkido

Open: [Weekdays] 5:00 pm - 11:00 pm (L.O. 10:00 pm) / Lunch 11:00 am - 2:00 pm (L.O. 1:30 pm)
Closed: Wednesday
Average price: [Dinner] 2,500 JPY / [Lunch] 700 JPY
Access: 5 minutes walk from Hakata station. Leave the Hakata exit and turn right. It's on the 8th floor of Hakata bus terminal.
Address: Hakataguchi Kotsu center Bldg. 8F, 2-1 Hakata Eki Chuo Gai , Hakata-ku, Fukuoka-shi, Fukuoka Map
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Disclaimer: All information is accurate at time of publication.