Fukuoka

Fujita

赤坂　藤田

A self-taught chef delights his guests with an exquisite Japanese cuisine that changes with the seasons. As the word “omakase” suggests, Chef Akihito Fujita’s menu is dictated by his free-style ideas and the best ingredients available on the day. The clay pot rice is packed with flavors of nature’s bounties such as new gingko nuts in the fall and pufferfish in the winter. Adored by repeat customers, Akasaka Fujita is a local gem that is not to be missed.

Akasaka Fujita is located just a short walk from Akasaka Station in central Fukuoka. Formerly a casual izakaya, the restaurant has evolved over the years into an intimate fine-dining experience as the chef focused on his own culinary approach. The interior of the restaurant features a tasteful mix of traditional and modern details. The mid-century dining chairs add a pleasant contrast to the shoji screens and straw clay walls.

Just 9 seats are placed spaciously across the wide ginkgo wood counter, where guests can enjoy watching the chef prepare the food. The dishes are served one after another on selected crockery, including rare antiques and pieces by living national treasures such as Kakiemon XIII. From presentation to flavor, every course tells the story of the seasons.

Free-style ideas

“Good aroma and texture” is Fujita’s motto as he creates new recipes for his 10-course menu. With no set flow like traditional kaiseki, the omakase course here is constantly changing as he adds new dishes throughout the season. Repeat customers will always enjoy a unique experience. "I'm constantly thinking of new dishes," the chef says repeatedly from behind the counter. “I want our guests to enjoy a sense of the Japanese seasons through our cuisine.”

The clay pot rice is a chef specialty. As the lid is lifted, guests gasp at the sight of seasonal ingredients, packed with freshly cooked rice. In the fall, he likes to use new ginkgo nuts which have this great texture and deeper flavor but are rare to find. On other days, he may serve different recipes such as Pacific saury, fruit tomatoes, lotus root and micro shiso, or Tankai chicken with corn and Manganji chili peppers.

During the winter, one of his favorite ingredients is the shimofuri Chinese cabbage, a special variety that is deliberately exposed to frost for more sweetness. It becomes very soft when cooked. When a new rice crop becomes available, he likes to serve the course as plain white rice.

The corn mousse is smooth and sweet, made by pureeing the broth infused with the umami of the kernels and the cob. The sweetness is balanced by the sourness of the kabosu citrus jelly, shiso flower and finger lime. The dish is served in a beautiful porcelain bowl by Imaizumi Imaemon.

Beef shabu-shabu is a delightful main dish. Thin slices of top-grade Nozaki beef are cooked rare and layered on a plate with a couple of black peppercorns. Served with sweet and sour lettuce, the meat is smooth and tender, disappearing in your mouth with a sweet flavor. The fig dish is cooked in champagne and lemon, cooled and tossed with hazelnut miso. Served in a Baccarat dish, green lemon is shaved on top.

The eel hand roll uses fresh eel from Mikawa in Aichi Prefecture. The fish is broiled in a flavorful sauce and wrapped in the finest nori seaweed that is toasted just before serving. A soothing dish of sea urchin and hairy crab is served in a beautiful antique glass. The Tosa vinegar jelly brings the rich flavors together.

INGREDIENTS
Fujita is committed to sourcing top-quality ingredients that illustrate the flavors of the season. The Nozaki beef used for the shabu shabu course is sent directly from a farm in Kagoshima Prefecture. The finest skirt steak and sagari, or hanging tenderloin, come from a local BBQ restaurant. For chicken, he likes to use Tankai Jidori chicken from Shiga Prefecture. Most of the fish come from the local Yanagibashi Market.

The koshihikari rice, a key ingredient for the clay pot dish, comes from a store in Uonuma in Niigata Prefecture. The restaurant uses the high-grade seaweed from Geishu Mikuniya, a specialty store in Hiroshima that only wholesales to select restaurants. Fujita is also very particular about where he gets his vegetables. He is constantly looking for great produce such as new ginkgo nuts from Sobue, which are only available for a short time of the year.

CHEF

Akihito Fujita

Akihito Fujita was born in Fukuoka Prefecture in 1984. Since both his parents worked, he was used to cooking for himself from an early age and enjoyed making delicious dishes. It wasn’t until after he went to university and started working for a major real estate company that he wasn’t built for a corporate career. He wanted to be able to work independently and began looking into the idea of owning his own restaurant. Completely self-taught, he opened a yakitori bar at age 29. He ran that for about five years before changing his restaurant into an izakaya, which became a successful local eatery. As he began experimenting with his cuisine, his style evolved into today’s omakase menu at Akasaka Fujita. On days off, he tries different restaurants in cities like Tokyo and Kyoto for new inspirations.

"Even if I ate a dish a few years ago and didn't think much of it at the time, it can still give me an idea for something new years later,” he says. “I'm always thinking about new dishes.”

VISION
Fujita says he’s focused on serving his guests at Akasaka Fujita. He has no current plans to expand or open new restaurants. As he says repeatedly, he spends his time trying different restaurants, searching for inspirations for new recipes.

WINE & SAKE

The chef offers an excellent pairing menu for those who enjoy wine and sake. He makes sure to stock about 10 sake choices, including rare vintages such as Jikon, Aramasa and Juyondai. One of his favorite pairings is monkfish liver with Kijo sake, which is made by replacing some of the water used during the fermentation period with finished sake. He also has a number of Burgundy wines that go well with many of his dishes.