The delicious, melty, freshly made cheese! Recommended gourmet food to try at "Aburayama" (Minami-ku, Fukuoka City)

Hello. I'm ayu.latte, a writer who loves delicious food.

ABURAYAMA FUKUOKA has become an increasingly popular spot since its renovation. We will introduce you to a delicious restaurant that is particularly noteworthy, where you can enjoy gourmet handmade cheese.

Enjoy handmade cheese every day on a farm with a spectacular view! "ABURAYAMA CHEESE STAND" (Kashiwara, Minami-ku, Fukuoka City)

ABURAYAMA FUKUOKA is an outdoor facility that was reborn on April 27, 2023, when Aburayama Citizens' Forest and Aburayama Ranch were combined.

It is about a 40-minute drive from central Fukuoka, including Tenjin and Hakata, and about 15 minutes from the Tsutsumi ramp on the Fukuoka Urban Expressway, and about 20 minutes from the Nodame ramp (paid parking available).

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Some facilities have not yet opened, but there are currently Starbucks Coffee and a camping field planned and operated by the outdoor brand SnowPeak, and glamping facilities are scheduled to open in the future.

The words "ABURAYAMA BACK TO NATURE FUKUOKA" on this brown building were designed by Kashiwa Sato, who was in charge of the total production and branding of this facility. It's very cool.

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This shop features the Aburayama branch of CHEESE STAND, a fresh cheese specialty store with its main store in Shibuya, Tokyo. This is the first store of its kind outside of Tokyo!

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The store sells a variety of products, including fresh cheese.

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The "Cheese Shop's Drinkable Yogurt" is of course homemade and is only available at "ABURAYAMA CHEESE STAND"  (650 yen, 500ml). Very rich and delicious!

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The cheeses on the shelves include "mozzarella" and "ricotta," as well as the somewhat unusual "burrata" and "caciocavallo."

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The shop opened in April, and production of some of the products began in September in the workshop attached to the store.

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On this day, the person making cheese in the workshop was Cheese Stand owner and cheese craftsman Shinji Fujikawa.

Fujikawa, who has always loved cooking, took a year off during university to backpack to Italy. Through a series of coincidences, he ended up working in Naples for three months.

He was so impressed by the freshly made cheese he encountered there that he returned to Japan and started making cheese in Tokyo.

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Mozzarella cheese is also handmade in the attached workshop from early in the morning!

Cheese making starts early in the morning. This time, we were given a special opportunity to see the process of making mozzarella cheese up close. *Usually you can only see it from outside through a glass window.

Milk received from farms within Fukuoka Prefecture is transported in milk tanker trucks, which are specially designed for carrying milk.

The milk is separated into solids and liquid, and the solids (curd) are kneaded in hot water.

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The kneaded dough is molded into a round shape...

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This is freshly made mozzarella cheese. It's round and cute!

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Enjoy freshly made cheese! A taste report of popular cheese-filled dishes

The store has an eat-in space where you can enjoy dishes made with freshly made cheese.

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There are also menu items available for take-out, so it would be fun to have a picnic in the park.

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This is what I received this time.

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First up is the visually stunning "Plenty of Tomatoes and Burrata with Oregano" (1,780 yen). Under the "burrata" are surprisingly sweet cherry tomatoes, olive oil and oregano. "Burrata" is a cheese made by stretching mozzarella thinly into a bag shape and stuffing it with a mixture of finely torn mozzarella and fresh cream.

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When you put the knife in, the sight of the cream oozing out is thrilling.

Burrata means "buttery" in Italian, and as its name suggests, it is richer than mozzarella. The rich cheese, sweet tomatoes, and bitter oregano combined create a perfect balance! I finished it in no time.

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There are five types of pizzas using fresh cheese, including seasonal ones. This time, I tried the "Margherita" (1,300 yen) and the "Quattro Formaggi" (1,700 yen).

The dough is made using graham flour, a type of whole wheat flour. It has a rough, coarse texture and is more nutritious than soft or strong flour, making it popular among beauty-conscious people!

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The "Margherita" is a simple pizza made with tomatoes, basil, and mozzarella cheese. The crunchy texture of the dough and the melted cheese are irresistible, making it a standard pizza that is full of freshness.

"Quattro Formaggi" uses four types of cheese: ricotta, mozzarella, white mold cheese, and semi-hard cheese. It is highly recommended because you can enjoy four different types of cheese with different tastes and textures at once: milky ricotta and mozzarella, semi-hard cheese, and fragrant white mold cheese.

To finish, add black pepper and plenty of honey from Sugamo Bee Farm in Tokyo! The sweet and salty taste is irresistible.

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What's more, there are also some irresistible collaboration products that are only available in Fukuoka that anyone from Fukuoka will want to try!

The "Ultimate Hot Dog with Melty Semi-Hard Cheese" (1,200 yen) is a special item created in collaboration with "pain stock," a bakery that is famous nationwide in Fukuoka. It uses bread from "pain stock," fresh sausage made from "Hobiton" pork, which is raised and fed with special care, and plenty of semi-hard cheese from "CHEESE STAND"!

As it is a popular menu item, unfortunately it was sold out on the day I visited and I was unable to eat it, but I would like to try again next time.

Image: ABURAYAMA CHEESE STAND

In addition, collaboration menus with "Fukuoka City" will be available each season!

At ABURAYAMA CHEESE STAND, you can enjoy freshly made cheese every day while taking in the spectacular view. If you visit ABURAYAMA FUKUOKA, which has been reborn as an even more enjoyable facility, be sure to stop by. (Text by ayu.latte)

＜Click on the store name for more details about the store ↓＞
■ABURAYAMA CHEESE STAND
Address: 710-2 ABURAYAMA FUKUOKA, Minami-ku, Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture
Business hours: 10:00-18:00 (Eat-in space 11:00-17:00 on weekdays)
Closed: Wednesdays
*This article is current as of the time of publication. *Prices in the text include tax.

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