Motsunabe Rakutenchi Food Review

Motsunabe Rakutenchi Hakata: Fukuoka’s Specialty Restaurant

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Last updated on April 27th, 2024

Read about my dining experience in Motsunabe Rakutenchi, one of the best and oldest Motsunabe restaurants in Fukuoka. Enjoy the tasty food in a lively environment.

Motsunabe (もつ鍋) is a regional traditional hot pot dish of Fukuoka and has become one of the most popular dishes in the area. It is a must-try if you are in Fukuoka, and especially in the winter season.

Fukuoka does have one of the best and oldest motsunabe restaurants in town that specialises in motsunabe – Motsunabe Rakutenchi (楽天地). The restaurant is popular and renowned for providing quality motsu with a luxurious helping of Chinese chives and traditional secret soy sauce. It has been operational for more than 40 years and is still beloved by locals. Many tourists also visited Rakutenchi to taste Fukuoka’s specialty dish Motsunabe. Perfect place to check one of Fukuoka’s specialties.

This Fukuoka food post is regarding my dining experience in Motsunabe Rakutenchi at the Hakata ST-EAST BR branch. Check it out.

Food Trip to Motsunabe Rakutenchi

Motsunabe Rakutenchi

During one of Kyushu’s trips, we went to Motsunabe Rakutenchi to try this tasty motsunabe. We went to the Motsunabe Rakutenchi Hakata ST-EAST BR which is located a 3-minute walk from the Hakata-guchi exit of JR Hakata Station.

Inside Motsunabe Rakutenchi

The restaurant is lively with retro-flavored Izakaya Japanese style. It has an outdoor and inside dining area for patrons to enjoy their food and drinks. There is also a queue outside of the restaurant for those without reservations. We highly recommend for reservation as it can take some time to wait for the table.

With reservation, we were seated after confirmation of the details.

Motsunabe Rakutenchi Menu

The Motsunabe Rakutenchi menu is easy to read with Japanese and English translations. It also introduces the concept of Motsunabe as well as easy-to-understand price points for all of their courses.

Motsu Yaki

Besides the hot pot option, Motsunabe Rakutenchi also offers motsu-yaki (grilled offal) which is a new Hakata’s speciality. Try it if you are interested on its taste.

What We Ordered

Side Dish from Manzoku Course Set meal

It’s not our first time eating motsunabe, still, we were excited to try out this hotpot dish at Motsunabe Rakutenchi.

We both opted for the Motsunabe Manzoku Course set meal which is the most popular recommendation. The set consists of motsunabe the offal hotpot, 1 choice of appetizer (from vinegared offals, Kimchi, or mentaiko), tofu, and unlimited eat of champon noodles. Perfect pair with the cooling beer!

Fresh ingredient from Motsunabe Rakutenchi

Without a long wait, our food was served. The pot of Motsunabe Rakutenchi contains a heap of top-quality fresh ingredients like cabbage, and chives in traditional, topped with garlic and red pepper. It was boiled right at your table.

Cook at high heat for about 5 or 7 minutes until tender.

The hotpot Motsunabe Rakutenchi

Can’t wait for the first sip, its special soy sauce-based soup tastes sweet and delicious. The flavor of the soup is brought out by removing excess fats from beef offal. The broth is rich, with a subtle saltiness and sweetness in it. It tastes even better with the vegetable umami. Can’t get enough of this tasty Motsunabe!

Motsu Beef Offal

Here’s a closer look at those delicious pieces of offal. They’re soft and look fatty. When bite on it, it is quite chewy and not fatty at all. Absolutely delicious!

Champon Noodles from Rakutenchi

At the end of your meal, add the champon noodles to the leftover soup in the pot to create a tasty way to end the meal. The noodles have absorbed the flavor of the soup very well and are tasty.

We can’t stop eating and are so full!

Overview: Motsunabe Rakutenchi Food Review

All in all, we highly recommend the Motsunabe Rakutenchi. The food is tasty and the enviroment is lively.

Motsunabe Rakutenchi’s main shop is located at Tenjin and it has many branches in Fukuoka. We choose dine in the Motsunabe Rakutenchi Hakata ST-EAST BR located beside the Yodobashi Hakata and highly recommend this place. The atmosphere is busy and lively. Reservations can be made online and highly recommended to avoid waiting in line. Make sure you look for the correct branch.

Motsunabe Rakutenchi Hakata ST-EAST BR (元祖 もつ鍋 もつ焼き 楽天地 ヨドバシ 博多駅 店 1階)
Address: 〒812-0012 Fukuoka, Hakata Ward, Hakataekichuogai.
Operating Hours: Daily from 12:00 to next day midnight 3:00 (Last Order 2:30)
Getting there: 2 minutes walk from JR Hakata Station (beside Yodobashi Camera Multimedia Hakata)
Expected to Pay: Lunch for ¥1,800 and Dinner for ¥3,000

Check on Motsunabe Rakutenchi Hakata restaurant here (Official website)

Lastly, this Fukuoka must eat food blog is part of Kyushu travel post in Fukuoka. Free feel to read also our Fukuoka travel blog and food review.

Continue read on our travel guide to Kumamoto, Yufuin, Miyazaki and others places in Kyushu.