The owner, who has worked at "Bento-zan" for 18 years, opened a new restaurant in his hometown of Fukuoka in August. Currently, they are serving lunch only on Wednesdays and Saturdays. The lunch short course costs 13,200 yen. The welcome dish beautifully showcases the changing seasons, and when I tried it, it reminded me of nostalgic puffed rice paired with crab and steamed rice from Saga. It was so delicious that it made me crave some sake. The assortment of seasonal delicacies included duck simmered, oyster simmered with sweet soy sauce, anago (conger eel) with lotus root, shiitake mushrooms from Oita, and fried white balls topped with salmon roe. It seems that many restaurants these days do not put much effort into their appetizers, but this selection is a wonderful treat for sake lovers. The soup at the end featured Matsutake mushrooms, marking my first Matsutake of the year, and the broth was delightful. The sashimi consisted of fugu (blowfish) from Tamana, which had excellent texture and flavor. The ponzu sauce, made in-house by the chef, was so tasty that I could drink it down until the very end. The small hot pot with abalone had a wonderful seaweed aroma and the liver sauce was incredibly delicious, making me want bread. When I mentioned this, they made it into a risotto with rice instead. The rice dish was a clay pot rice with chestnuts, gingko nuts, and shirasu (young sardines), and even after having two bowls, they kindly made five rice balls for me to take home. For dessert, the server artfully shaped persimmons and apples, and I was offered delicious tea multiple times. The ingredients are sourced mainly from Kyushu, and the beautiful Arita ceramics used for serving are stunning! The alcohol selection also focuses on local Kyushu brews, which is a thoughtful touch for customers visiting from outside the region. I started with a highball, followed by Glenfiddich, my first time having it in a while. Then I tried "Hirotogawa" from Fukushima, recommended by the owner’s mentor, which was very good. I also enjoyed "Wataneya" from Miyagi and a new sake from Fukuoka called "Yuma," which even a local like me wasn’t familiar with. The restaurant has various seating options beyond just the counter, making it suitable for different occasions. Thank you for the wonderful meal!

It's been almost a year since my last visit. I had three types of wine: sparkling, white, and rosé. Today, I enjoyed the sparkling wine again. The first dish was finely fried scallops with a chrysanthemum sauce. The seasonal platter included jade ginkgo nuts, salmon roe, steamed rice from Saga wrapped in seaweed from Ariake, jellyfish from Ariake, and grated daikon radish. There were also figs simmered in sansho pepper, with a hint of sansho and edamame. The seasoning was excellent. Next was the dobin mushi, featuring splendid matsutake mushrooms and shrimp. The tofu, shiitake mushrooms, and shungiku (Japanese chrysanthemum) were aromatic. The stone sea bream was slightly aged, and there was a type of tuna I've never heard of, reportedly from Karatsu. This was followed by abalone with liver sauce, which was a specialty of the chef and rich in umami. The autumn sawara (mackerel) was also fried in a light coating. To finish, there was rice with plenty of tiny fish and chestnuts. For dessert, we enjoyed melon. I was able to savor seasonal ingredients beautifully presented with refined dashi. I will definitely visit again. Oh, and the chef kindly offered that I could bring my own Champagne next time. Thank you!

It was nice to enjoy a quiet time at the counter. Since they only had full bottles of wine, I had Aso sparkling water and Akayane's sansho shochu on the rocks. The dish was the standard abalone, which had a gentle flavor, and they only offer a course meal where you leave it all up to them. The kind service makes it likely that I will visit again.

This is my first visit. They offer six types of sake and three types of wine, which is a bit on the smaller side. The fried rice stalks were delicious, almost like a puffed rice snack. The steamed egg custard with scallops and aonori sauce was exquisite. I had the cooked rice with snow crab, which I can only enjoy this season. It's my first time having my favorite snow crab this year. Next came the eight-part appetizer: simmered oysters from Nagasaki with a fragrant sansho pepper; a jelly dish with bell peppers; fried shiitake mushrooms stuffed with mentaiko; breaded and fried shiratama dumplings topped with salmon roe; and beef with miso—perfect pairing for sake. Then, I had the dobin mushi with mushrooms; the broth was fantastic. The slightly aged fugu (blowfish) was packed with umami. The deep-fried fugu bones were delicious! I really enjoyed them. The liver of abalone with seaweed was rich and tasty—this is their specialty. To finish, I had a rice dish with plenty of sweet potato and a dessert of persimmons and apples in brown sugar syrup. The flavors were just right. I heard the chef trained in Tokyo. The restaurant is called "Bun Tokuyama," and it’s very famous for its delicate cuisine. Thank you for the wonderful meal! I hope to return again, and it would be great to see more wine options!

Recently, it seems that many establishments in Fukuoka are emerging as popular eateries under the lineage of prestigious Japanese food traditions. This particular restaurant, which I visited about three months after its opening, comes from the lineage of "Buntoku Yam." They offer a lunch short course only on Wednesdays and Saturdays, so I decided to try that this time. The restaurant is located on the third floor of a new building and is designed not only for counter seating but also for groups. The couple running the restaurant provided very humble and attentive service. The food is traditional Japanese cuisine, and it's a blessing to be able to enjoy this level of cooking in Kyushu. In an era where "Hassun" (a traditional Japanese dish with several small items) is becoming rare, they served it beautifully, and I enjoyed a long-anticipated Matsutake mushroom soup that was incredibly flavorful. The abalone hot pot was robust, utilizing the abalone liver as a sauce, which made me crave some sake! Seasonal ingredients like pufferfish and chestnuts were skillfully incorporated into the dishes, and the Hassun skillfully featured mentaiko (spicy cod roe), reflecting a conscious connection to the local culture. The final claypot rice was extremely delicious, and I was able to take home the leftover rice as onigiri (rice balls). It seems that full courses even include crab and allow for a thorough seasonal tasting experience!

It was the best meal! I want to go again!