Restaurant in Fukuoka, Japan
Course-only Chinese. Book ahead or miss out.
Imaishihanten Suzuka is Fukuoka's most credentialed Chinese counter restaurant, holding consecutive Tabelog Award Bronze wins in 2025 and 2026 alongside three years on the Tabelog Chinese WEST 100 list. At 12 seats and course-only, it demands advance planning — but the lunch entry point at JPY 8,000–9,999 makes a two-visit strategy both practical and smart for serious food travellers.
If you are serious about Chinese cuisine done through a Japanese sensibility, Imaishihanten Suzuka is one of the most credentialed stops in western Japan and worth planning a Fukuoka trip around. With a Tabelog score of 3.95, consecutive Tabelog Award Bronze wins in 2025 and 2026, and three consecutive years on the Tabelog Chinese WEST 100 list (2023, 2024, and the current edition), this 12-seat counter restaurant in Minami Ward has earned a level of recognition that puts it well above most of Fukuoka's dining scene. Booking is relatively accessible compared to the city's hardest sushi counters, but you still need to plan ahead. At JPY 20,000–29,999 per head at dinner and JPY 8,000–9,999 at lunch, the value case is strongest at lunchtime, making a two-visit strategy — lunch first, then dinner — the smartest way to experience the full range of what this kitchen offers.
Opened on 20 July 2019 in a low-key residential block a three-minute walk from Nishitetsu Hirao Station, Imaishihanten Suzuka operates as a course-only, reservation-only restaurant serving Chinese cuisine and dim sum reframed through Japanese culinary sensibility. The kitchen's own description , Chinese cuisine that resonates with the Japanese sensibility, crafted exclusively by this chef, right here and now , tells you the register: this is not a Cantonese banquet hall or a standard Chinese-Japanese fusion concept, but a tightly controlled personal expression of a cuisine with a distinct point of view.
The room is small by design. Twelve seats , four at the counter, two tables of four , means the kitchen controls every plate and every pace. Seating requests are not accepted, so your position in the room is assigned. There are no private rooms, though private buyouts for groups of up to 20 are available, which makes it a practical option for a corporate or celebration dinner if you can fill the room. The atmosphere is deliberately focused: no smoking anywhere on the premises, a dress code that excludes tank tops and beach sandals, and a policy that strong perfume or fabric softener may get your reservation declined. These are not arbitrary rules; they reflect a kitchen that takes scent seriously as part of the dining environment, where the aromas from the kitchen are the intended sensory throughline of the meal.
Drinks run to sake, shochu, and wine. Credit cards are accepted (Visa, Mastercard, JCB, Amex, Diners). A 10% service charge is added to the bill. Two dedicated parking spaces are available on-site, with coin parking nearby , useful if you are coming from outside the immediate Hirao neighbourhood.
The clearest reason to return is the price gap between lunch and dinner. At JPY 8,000–9,999 for the lunch course and JPY 20,000–29,999 for dinner (plus 10% service), a first visit at lunch is the lower-risk entry point: you get the same course format, the same kitchen, and the same award-level cooking at roughly a third to half the dinner price. Review data suggests the average spend lands around JPY 15,000–19,999 at dinner, which puts it slightly below the leading of the listed range in practice.
For a second visit, the dinner counter is the natural progression , a longer, more involved course that pushes the kitchen's range further than the midday offering. Wednesday through Saturday are the only days lunch service runs (12:00–13:30), while Monday and Tuesday are dinner-only. Sunday is closed entirely. If your Fukuoka itinerary allows a Wednesday-to-Saturday window, you can do lunch on the first day and dinner later in the same trip without doubling back. That combination gives you the clearest picture of what this kitchen can do across formats and pacing. Mondays and Tuesdays are dinner-only options, which suits visitors arriving later in the week.
The restaurant notes a strong focus on fish, which gives the menu a clear throughline for anyone comparing this to other Chinese-category restaurants in the region. For context, Fukuoka is already one of Japan's strongest cities for seafood-driven dining , venues like Chikamatsu, Asago, and Chiso Nakamura all work in this vein , so placing Imaishihanten Suzuka in that company tells you something about the seriousness of ingredient sourcing here, even if the cuisine category is different.
Families with children are accommodated, provided children are accompanied by adults and are participating in the course format. Severe allergies may result in a reservation being declined, so declare these at booking time. The restaurant does not offer à la carte or takeout under any circumstances.
Reservations are required. Online booking is available (check the restaurant's website at suzuka-0720.com or Tabelog), and the phone line is +81-92-534-7133. Given the 12-seat capacity and the restaurant's consistent award recognition over three years, booking a minimum of two to three weeks out for dinner is advisable, especially for weekend slots. Lunch on a weekday is generally more accessible, but the 90-minute service window (12:00–13:30) means the full lunch sitting fills quickly. Check for irregular closures and holiday hours on the restaurant's Instagram or website before confirming travel plans around your booking. Note that the holiday period 29 December 2025 to 3 January 2026 carries special hours with regular operations suspended.
For more dining options across the city, see our full Fukuoka restaurants guide. If you are extending your Japan itinerary, comparable precision-focused counter restaurants worth considering include Harutaka in Tokyo, Gion Sasaki in Kyoto, and HAJIME in Osaka. For hotels, bars, and other experiences while in Fukuoka, see our hotels guide, bars guide, and experiences guide.
| Venue | Cuisine | Price | Booking Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| IMAISHIHANTEN SUZUKA | Easy | ||
| Chikamatsu | Sushi | Unknown | |
| Gahoujin 我逢人 | Sushi | Unknown | |
| Genkiippai | Ramen | Unknown | |
| Matsuyama | Western | Unknown | |
| Mihara Tofuten | Tofu | Unknown |
Key differences to consider before you reserve.
This is a course-only restaurant, so there is no a la carte option — you commit to the full menu at booking. With just 12 seats in a residential building a three-minute walk from Nishitetsu Hirao Station, it runs at close to full capacity most nights. A 10% service charge is added to the bill, and the kitchen has a stated focus on fish. Seating requests are not accepted, so arrive flexible.
Yes — the restaurant has 4 counter seats alongside two tables of four. All seating is on the same course format, so the counter is not a casual drop-in option; you still need a reservation. Seating requests are not accepted, so counter placement is assigned rather than chosen.
Reasonable for a solo visit, provided you book ahead. The 4-seat counter suits a single diner well — the intimate 12-seat room means solo guests are not isolated. At JPY 20,000–29,999 for dinner (plus 10% service charge), the per-head cost is fixed regardless of party size, so there is no financial penalty for going alone.
With caution. The Tabelog listing states that guests with severe allergies or strong aversions to certain ingredients may be declined a reservation — the set-course format leaves limited room for substitutions. Flag restrictions clearly when booking online or by phone (+81-92-534-7133), and expect the possibility of a refusal if the course cannot be adjusted safely.
Book at least two to three weeks out for dinner, longer for a weekend lunch slot. With only 12 seats and a Tabelog Bronze Award (3.95 score, ranked 132 in its category nationally), the room fills consistently. Walk-ins are not accepted; the restaurant is fully reservation-only via the website at suzuka-0720.com or by phone.
There is no ordering to do — the restaurant serves a set course only, for both lunch and dinner, with no a la carte option and no takeout. The kitchen has a documented focus on fish within its Chinese-cuisine-through-Japanese-sensibility framework. Trust the course or do not book.
Groups of up to 12 can dine in the main room, and private hire is available for up to 20 people. There are no private rooms within the standard layout, so a group of more than 12 would need to arrange an exclusive booking. check the venue's official channels at +81-92-534-7133 to discuss private-use terms.
Mon 17:00 - 22:00
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