The Yakuin area, a 6-minute walk from Yakuin-odori Station on the Fukuoka City Subway, or a 10-minute drive from Hakata Station, is a quiet residential area with many trendy stores. One street over from Josui-dori, Imoto's is tucked away behind a white noren curtain with the name of the restaurant dyed around it.
Head Chef Tatsuya Imoto was born in 1986. After graduating from a culinary school in his hometown of Fukuoka, he trained at a Japanese restaurant in Kyoto for seven years. In 2015, at the age of 29, he opened Imoto, and five years later, the restaurant was awarded two stars in a global gourmet guide book.
What Chef Imoto values most in his cooking is the "dashi" (soup stock) made from Rishiri konbu (kelp). As dashi is the beginning of everything, he uses ichiban dashi (first stock) in all of his dishes. Ichiban dashi is also used in the mixed stewed vegetables. Dried bonito and tuna flakes are not steamed, but shaved to retain their aroma and flavor. He also uses natural spring water from Aso. It is soft and helps bring out the flavor of konbu. For ingredients, he asks suppliers he has known since his apprentice days in Kyoto, as well as trusted local suppliers in Fukuoka, to create courses with a balance of seasonal fish and vegetables. For example, in the summer, eel and pike conger are featured. The intention is to make the best use of the ingredients and create a dish that one never tires of eating.
The sake list features about 15 kinds from all over Japan. Sake is served according to the guest's preference and the cuisine of the moment and includes local Fukuoka varieties as well as Chef Imoto's favorite label. Many guests enjoy a variety of brands, one glass at a time. There is also a wide selection of wines, mainly reds and whites from Burgundy, as well as eight kinds of Champagne.
The restaurant has only 11 seats at a neat L-shaped counter that makes the most of the warmth of the wood, and every seat offers a perfect view of Imoto's skills on display right in front of you. The bowls are all Wajima-nuri lacquerware, the tableware is mainly Kyo-yaki and blue-and-white and Nankin Akae porcelain and other antiques, and the glassware is from Baccarat and Lalique. Imoto's sense of aesthetics can also be felt in the vessels used to serve the dishes. The restaurant does not disappoint when it comes to family gatherings, anniversaries, intimate dinners, and entertaining important guests. Visitors from outside of the prefecture also can't miss the convenience of access, considering how close it is to Hakata Station by car.
Imoto says he wants guests relax with food and sake, and talk with them about the tableware and drinks. Such warm hospitality will surely make your time at Imoto unforgettable.
------------------------------------------------------------------
* The availability of this webpage does not guarantee that the restaurant presented provides services in English, unless otherwise stated. Please be aware that English services may also depend on staff availability at the restaurant.
Access
A 6-minutes walk from Yakuin-Odori Station
