Hakata Mizutaki Toriden Hakata Head Shop

In the middle of winter in Hakata, when I was in the mood for nabe (hot pot), the option of mizutaki suddenly popped into my mind, even though all I could recall were restaurants serving motsunabe (hot pot with beef intestines and vegetables). There are various theories about the history of mizutaki in Hakata, but the most popular theory is that it originated in 1905 when Heizaburo Hayashida, the founder of a restaurant called “Suigetsu,” invented it. So mizutaki cannot be ignored when talking about Fukuoka’s gourmet food.

I immediately searched the Internet and decided to go to the Hakata Mizutaki Toriden Hakata Head Shop, which was the closest to the hotel where I was staying, without a reservation. Fortunately, there were seats available and I was able to enter the restaurant, but there was one thing that was actually a little unexpected…

When I actually went there, I was a bit intimidated by the upscale atmosphere…Hakata Mizutaki Toriden Hakata Head Shop is a restaurant like this…

I visited Hakata Mizutaki Toriden Hakata Head Shop at around 1:30 p.m. on a weekend afternoon. I was heading to the restaurant with the help of Google Maps, but I almost walked right past it without noticing it on the street where the restaurant was supposed to be located.

The reason why I did not notice it right away was because the exterior of the restaurant looked quite upscale and lacking in presence. I had mistakenly thought the restaurant was a popular restaurant until I arrived at the restaurant, and I was looking for it under the assumption that it would have a huge sign… but in fact, the restaurant was hidden behind a gate, and the entrance was unexpectedly upscale. When I saw the menu standing at the gate, I thought, “Oh no, it’s over my budget…”. I later looked up other mizutaki restaurants and found that mizutaki in Hakata is a much more expensive food than motsu-nabe. I was completely caught off guard, thinking, “It’s chicken, so it won’t be that expensive.

According to the Tabelog information, the first and second floors of the apartment-like building are used for the restaurant, which has a total of 130 seats. The interior of the restaurant has a simple yet luxurious feel, and at least while I was there, there were no customers with small children, and it was more like an older crowd enjoying a relaxed lunch. Well, there is private seating, so I guess it is okay to bring children. On the other hand, the waitstaff on the floor are mainly young people, and although the atmosphere is upscale, you can have a normal meal without being self-conscious…

We can also order Mizutaki by itself! My first experience of authentic mizutaki at the Hakata Mizutaki Toriden Hakata Head Shop… so how was it?

The Hakata Mizutaki Toriden Hakata Head Shop menu was mainly courses for both lunch and dinner, but I was a bit nervous when I saw the course price, so I ordered Mizutaki by itself (Toriden’s Mizutaki, priced at 4,350 yen plus tax).

A few minutes after ordering, the first appetizer arrived. A half-boiled egg named “Toriden Tamago” is served with sweet meat miso. Also under this boiled egg is a…

The Amaou (strauberry) and garland chrysanthemum tofu paste was hidden under the boiled egg, which made me feel like I was getting a little something for nothing…

Next, the waiter took the soup from the boiling pot. The soup, made by simmering whole chicken from Kyushu for six hours and seasoned only with salt, was truly 100% pure chicken flavor, and I felt the chicken broth slowly seeping into my body. There are three kinds of seasonings for seasoning this soup: back salt, yuzu kosho, and homemade shichimi (seven spices), but personally, I liked the taste best when combined with the homemade shichimi.

When I had taken my time to enjoy the soup, the waiter served me chicken meat on a small plate. This chicken was a young chicken from Kumamoto Prefecture, and there were three kinds of chicken meat in the pot: one each for the meat of the breast, thigh, and bone-in meat. It went without saying that all the meat was plump and delicious. The meat with the bone was especially delicious, with a rich flavor. You can enjoy it as it is, but I also recommend seasoning it with homemade ponzu (Japanese sauce made from soy sauce and citrus juice), which is available at the table. However, be careful not to overdo it, as the ponzu vinegar is light in color, but the flavor is very strong…

After finishing the three slices of chicken, it is time for the vegetables. The waiter put the vegetables, kuzu-kiri (kuzu noodles), and chicken balls into the pot. The waiter cooks the vegetables up to this point, but from this point on, you cook the pot yourself. When the vegetables are cooked to your liking, you turn off the heat and enjoy the flavor of the vegetables soaked in the chicken broth to the fullest (note: you can have more vegetables for free). I heard that Torita’s tsumire contains gizzards to give it a chewy texture. The unique flavor of gizzard, different from that of cartilage, can be enjoyed together with this tsumire.

This is the end of Toriden’s Mizutaki, but you can add a finishing dish for an extra charge. Although it was quite a blow to my wallet, I couldn’t resist the temptation and ordered truffle risotto (priced at 1,600 yen plus tax). The total price of the course was about the same as the cheapest course, so if I felt like regretting it later, I would just say so and be satisfied…

Let the rice grains absorb all of the thick chicken broth left in the pot, and top it with truffle oil and a generous amount of cheese. Finally, the waiter slice the black truffle right in front of you. Seeing this, you already know that there is no way this risotto can be “bad,” right? Even before you put it in your mouth, you can smell the mellow aroma of truffles, and in your mouth, the aroma of truffles plus the richness of cheese and chicken broth are released in a bang. It is not at all regrettable to pay an additional 1,600 yen (tax not included) for this. I mean, isn’t it amazing to be able to eat truffle risotto for 1,600 yen?

So, although I spent much more money than I had initially anticipated, I was fully satisfied with the mizutaki at the Hakata Mizutaki Toriden Hakata Head Shop. It was still rather expensive, but the mizutaki alone plus truffle risotto was enough to warm my body and soul. Well, I do have a regret that I wish I had more chicken… I think it would be useful in situations where you are having a meal with important people or entertaining guests, rather than just sitting around a pot and having a good time.

Mizutaki Course at Hakata Mizutaki Toriden Hakata Head Shop (prices do not include tax)

• Tenjin 6000 yen (2 appetizers, Hakata specialty sesame mackerel, delicious simmered chicken wings, Hakata mizutaki, finishing zosui, and dessert)
• Hakata 7,000 yen (Tenjin course plus 3 appetizers, sea ​​urchin and nama-yuba, Oita’s specialty fried chicken, choice of 2 desserts)
• Nakasu 9,000 yen (Hakata course plus horse sashimi, choice of 4 desserts)

Affiliated restaurants offer even better deals on Mizutaki… Access to Hakata Mizutaki Toriでn Hakata Head Shop is a 3-minute walk from the nearest station, Nakasu Kawabata Station on the Fukuoka City Subway Airport Line.

In addition to its Mizutaki specialty restaurant, Hakata Mizutaki Toriden also operates stores in several other business categories, such as a dandan noodle, chicken noodle specialty restaurant and a seafood tavern. Among them, a restaurant called “Hakata Seafood Uoden” near JR Hakata Station offers the same Toriden Mizutaki at a more reasonable price than the main restaurant. That’s right…if you can eat it at such a reasonable price, you can go there more casually. If you want to enjoy Mizutaki normally, it might be better to order it with other izakaya menus at Uoden.

Now, here are the details of the restaurant…