asukany127
In Fukuoka, the very popular NUMBER SHOT (I want to call them NUMBER SHOT-sama because they have been so helpful) is a place I have visited a few times at the Tenjin location, but this was my first time at the main store. I made a reservation online over three weeks in advance when my friend, who lives abroad, confirmed their visit to Fukuoka. My friend wanted the 2-hour all-you-can-drink course for 5000 yen starting at 7 pm. On the day of the reservation, my friend informed me that due to rain and thunder, the flight was delayed and they would likely arrive at Fukuoka Airport around 7:30 pm. I called the restaurant to change the reservation time, feeling a bit guilty as I had canceled a reservation for the same friend for the same reason a few months ago. They graciously agreed to change the time to 8:30 pm. Later, my friend informed me that they would be even later, so I called again to request a change to 9 pm. The restaurant kindly accommodated this request as well. Despite the delays, my friend's flight was further delayed, and they would likely arrive at the restaurant around 9:20 pm. Feeling like I couldn't change the time any further, I decided to go ahead and start without them. Just before 8 pm, my friend messaged me saying they were still at Kansai Airport, which seemed odd. It turns out my friend had fallen asleep at the airport due to the long delay and missed their flight without realizing it. Due to the rain, there were many flights waiting for takeoff, and my friend's flight was 14th in line. Realizing the significant delay, I knew I couldn't cancel the reservation last minute. I planned to go to the restaurant and apologize, prepared to pay a cancellation fee. Just before arriving at the restaurant, my friend messaged me again saying they were about to take off and would arrive at Fukuoka Airport before 10 pm. They asked me to eat without them and enjoy the meal. When I arrived at the restaurant and explained the situation, the staff were understanding and even commended me for going through such a tough time. They had reserved three seats at the counter, allowing us to sit side by side or 90 degrees apart. The course meal started with a visually stunning assortment of appetizers, including sashimi and sushi, which exceeded my expectations in taste and quality. The following dishes were also delicious, with standout items being the jumbo shiitake mushroom with anchovy butter sauté and the bouillabaisse. My friend finally arrived just before 10:30 pm, and to my surprise, the staff had prepared the full course meal for them, starting from the appetizers. I was moved by their thoughtfulness, but also felt guilty for the extra effort they had to put in. In the end, the experience lasted over two hours, and it was a memorable dining experience.