A new restaurant in Nishijin! "Exquisite dishes starting at 110 yen per plate" - a popular standing bar (Sawara-ku, Fukuoka)

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

This time, we will introduce some recommended restaurants where you can enjoy delicious Japanese food and drinks.

"Shokudo Shiotosake" (Nishijin, Sawara Ward, Fukuoka City) where you can enjoy high-quality food and carefully selected alcoholic beverages in a standing bar

Shokudo Shiotosake opened on September 1, 2023 in Nishijin, Sawara Ward, Fukuoka City.

Image: Shiotosake Restaurant

The owner says, "The basis of cooking is salt and sake." He chose the name of the restaurant because he wanted to create dishes that "focus on salt and sake, take the time to bring out the flavor of the ingredients, and impress people."

Image: Shiotosake Restaurant

The concept is "a casual Japanese restaurant." It is a standing bar with a maximum of 14 seats.

Reservations are not possible, so if the restaurant is full, you will have to wait for a seat to become available before entering. Because of this, even though the restaurant opens at 4 p.m., many people line up before the restaurant even opens.

Image: Shiotosake Restaurant

Apparently they use around five different types of salt for different dishes and cooking stages, with the rich "moshio" (seaweed salt) being the best for finishing off the dish! "Moshio" is made from seaweed and is packed with the delicious flavors of seawater and seaweed. It also has a smooth, gentle texture that is appealing.

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The sake on offer is a carefully selected selection sourced by the owner.

Image: Shiotosake Restaurant

From local Fukuoka sake to sake from all over the country, you can choose from around eight types of sake of the day. The menu also includes a fun item called "Hidden Sake" (market price).

This time, I tried "Akitora" (792 yen) from Arimitsu Sake Brewery in Kochi Prefecture.

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It uses Awa Yamada Nishiki rice, which is suitable for sake brewing, and has a sharp, solid flavor with a soft umami taste.

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In addition to sake, they also have wine by the glass and shochu. As it is a corner bar, one of the fun things about this place is that you can bring a beer or soft drink from the display case and open the cork yourself.

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Enjoy a little bit of everything like you would at a traditional Japanese restaurant! Reasonably priced, starting at 110 yen per plate.

"We want people to be able to casually enjoy the kind of cuisine that you can only get at a traditional Japanese restaurant or a set course menu," says the owner, and all of the dishes are reasonably priced, ranging from 110 yen to 880 yen per plate for single portions.

Let me introduce some of the things I received this time.

Duck ham and Japanese pepper (440 yen)

"Duck Ham Sansho" is made by slow-cooking Kyoto duck ham, seasoned with soy sauce containing plenty of Japanese pepper, and garnished with homemade yuzu pepper.

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Squid sashimi (495 yen)

The spear squid sashimi is purposely aged to give it a sticky texture. It goes well with alcoholic drinks.

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Avocado fries (385 yen)

"Avocado Fried" is a typical Japanese restaurant dish, consisting of crispy fried avocado served with a tartar sauce based on Shiraae (a Japanese sesame paste) and Nara pickles.

Deep frying it makes it sweeter and more sticky, and it was really delicious.

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Salt-grilled local chicken wings (308 yen)

"Shio-yaki local chicken wings" are easy to eat because the chicken wings are boneless. The chicken wings become smaller when the bones are removed, but because they are made from large Hakata local chicken, they are still satisfying to eat even after removing the bones.

The crispy skin, which can only be achieved over charcoal, is superb.

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Today's Chawanmushi (462 yen)

The popular "Today's Chawanmushi" changes its contents every day. On the day I visited, it had Camembert cheese on the bottom, egg mixture on top, and a thick bean paste filled with nameko mushrooms.

The melty texture of the cheese and the slight saltiness were exquisite, and I finished it in no time.

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Salted braised pork (418 yen)

The simple "Salted Braised Pork" is cooked in salt and dashi broth and is so tender that it falls apart with chopsticks. It is topped with plenty of spring onions, which go perfectly with pork, and the black shichimi pepper sprinkled on top adds a punchy accent.

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Carrot tempura (308 yen)

The simple "carrot tempura" made with just thinly sliced carrots is crispy and crunchy! I had it with just salt, and it was surprisingly delicious.

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Sardines boiled in oil (418 yen)

The "Sardines Boiled in Oil" dish, which you can enjoy even down to the bones, is made by carefully preparing sardines and slowly simmering them in low-temperature salad oil for two hours! The sardines are soft even down to the bones, and the flavor is surprisingly concentrated, so delicious that you'll be impressed with just one bite!

It is cooked with Japanese pepper as well, so it is not very spicy, but the aroma that wafts through your nose is irresistible.

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Burrata and tomato marinade (418 yen)

A stylish dish called "Burrata and Tomato Sauce." The combination of burrata cheese and tomato sauce with plenty of dashi stock is irresistible.

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Shine Muscat with Shiraae (418 yen)

The Shiraae, which uses seasonal fruits, was Shine Muscat on this day. The bouncy fruit and the homemade Shiraae, which is full of sesame seeds, went very well together and was a dish that went well with alcohol.

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Temaki tuna tataki (352 yen)

"Temaki Tuna Tataki" uses fresh, unfrozen tuna and is made in large pieces so that you can enjoy its presence. It's full of ingredients and extremely satisfying!

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Duck minced cutlet sandwich (528 yen)

The bite-sized "Duck Minced Cutlet Sandwich" is a minced cutlet made from 100% duck meat and homemade pickled vegetables, typical of a Japanese restaurant, sandwiched between slices of bread.

The duck fat, which melts at human body temperature, is super juicy! I enjoyed it simply seasoned with just salt.

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This time, we were seated right in front of the kitchen, so we could get a very impressive view of the cooking process and it was a truly luxurious experience.

Also noteworthy is the newly launched "Saba Sushi," which is sold irregularly and by reservation only (reservations can be made via DM on Instagram).

Image: Shiotosake Restaurant

I'm intrigued because apparently the first 30 bottles were sold out in about four hours.

Image: Shiotosake Restaurant

It was a restaurant where you could casually enjoy delicious, time-consuming dishes. Please stop by. (Text by ayu.latte)

＜Click on the store name for more details about the store ↓＞
■Shiotosake Restaurant
Address: 1-12-20-1F Nishijin, Sawara-ku, Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture
Business hours: 16:00 - Last order 20:00 (closes when ingredients run out, reservations not accepted)
Closed: Sundays
*This article is current as of the time of publication. *Prices in the text include tax.

#Fukuoka gourmet Check them all out!
#Sawara Ward, Fukuoka City　#Izakaya/Bar
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