Hakata Yakiniku Nurubon

Just two blocks east of JR Hakata Station is Hakata Yakiniku Nurubon. For travelers craving high-quality wagyu beef after a jaunt on the shinkansen, or for those who need their fill of mouth-watering meat to re-energize themselves post-shopping spree, Nurubon has become one of the go-to places in the Fukuoka city center for yakiniku. But its convenient location isn’t the sole reason behind its popularity. Nurubon has also made a name for itself via its dedication to authenticity and quality. First starting out as a butcher and distributor, Nurubon brings a 40-plus-year history — and all its accompanying expertise — to its restaurant business. Decades in the business have forged exclusive connections with the industry’s best beef suppliers, ensuring that Nurubon serves only the highest quality wagyu available. Similarly, its chefs are so well-versed in the art of preparing the meat that they even know which angle at which to slice individual cuts, so as to ensure the best flavor and mouthfeel in each bite. To that end, the restaurant also offers three different types of sauce — a regular soy sauce-based sauce, a sweeter blend of the above, and a variety that is lemon-infused — with which to enjoy the meat. For those who prefer their yakiniku with salt and not sauce, the restaurant offers only specially selected Himalayan pink rock salt. Guests who just can’t get enough of the restaurant’s high-quality meat don’t have to worry either: Menus in English, Korean and Chinese mean that even visitors from overseas shouldn’t have any issues placing additional orders. The pancakes and dolsot bibimbap — mixed vegetables and rice in a hot stone bowl — are as authentic as they can get outside of Korea, and are not to be missed.