A whopping 100g of raw sea urchin! "You can also enjoy a super luxurious pasta" Popular Italian course (Fukuoka City)

Hello. This is Chihi Log, a casual website that provides information about Fukuoka, with a focus on gourmet food.

This time, we will introduce a restaurant in Meinohama, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka City, where you can enjoy authentic Italian food at a reasonable price.

"Sea urchin pasta" is a specialty! A local favorite, the Italian restaurant "Kitchen & Bar Qualia" (Meinohama, Nishi Ward, Fukuoka City)

Kitchen & Bar Qualia is located about a 10-minute walk from Meihama Station on the Fukuoka City Subway and JR Chikuhi Line.

This Italian restaurant opened in March 2008 and is celebrating its 16th anniversary this year, and is beloved by locals.

Image: CHIHIRO

In addition to dinner and bar hours from 5pm to 1am on weekdays, and 5pm to 3am on Fridays, Saturdays, and the day before holidays, we also serve lunch on weekdays from 11:30am to 3pm (last orders at 2:30pm).

The interior of the store has the warmth of wood and the feel of an adult hideaway.

Image: CHIHIRO

There are counter seats and table seats, and the staff are friendly and make for a comfortable atmosphere.

Image: CHIHIRO

Kitchen & Bar Qualia's specialty is sea urchin pasta, but the appeal is that all of their dishes are of high quality. It's amazing that a restaurant that has been loved for so many years is so popular.

The owner, Chef Taguchi (pictured below, right), is a highly skilled chef who has studied and mastered a variety of cuisines, including Italian head chef, Japanese cuisine at a hotel, French cuisine, and ethnic cuisine.

We create unique dishes by skillfully combining the moisture content, flavor, and texture of ingredients, which change with the seasons.

All of the dishes are made with the skills and sensibility that have been cultivated over many years. Every detail is carefully prepared, and the desire to please visitors is apparent in the food.

Image: CHIHIRO

It might be better value than ordering each dish separately! You can add "Spaghetti with Raw Sea Urchin" to the highly satisfying "Qualia Course"

This time we had the "Qualia Course" (3,500 yen per person, orders are for 2 to 10 people, reservations must be made by the day before). It was a very satisfying course that included an assortment of appetizers, salad, seafood dishes, meat dishes, and pasta (you can change it to sea urchin for an additional 1,000 yen). You can also add 2 hours of all-you-can-drink for an additional 2,000 yen.

The offerings will vary depending on the supply situation, but I will introduce what was on offer on the day I visited.

Assorted appetizers

The appetizers for the day were "Sanma confit", "Pana shellfish baked with garlic butter and breadcrumbs", "Oven-baked fresh shiitake mushrooms and camembert", "Spicy Arrabiata sauce", "Smoked salmon carpaccio", "Persimmon, cream cheese and prosciutto", and "Smoked duck". There is a mix of classic dishes that can be enjoyed any time of the day and dishes that change with the seasons.

Each dish is an excellent example of the chef's careful dedication to bringing out the full flavor of each ingredient.

Image: CHIHIRO *The photo is for two people, drinks are ordered separately

Every bite was amazing, and this appetizer alone was satisfying and raised expectations for the course meal that followed.

Salad "Tuna Caesar Salad"

I was captivated by the gorgeous appearance of the "Tuna Caesar Salad," including the beautifully and delicately cut avocado.

More than 10 kinds of seasonal vegetables are used, and the dish is carefully prepared to bring out the unique characteristics of each vegetable.

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The Caesar dressing contains tuna, which shows the chef's playfulness. It goes perfectly with the soft soft-boiled egg.

Not only the vegetables but also the dressings are a fun thing to try when you visit the store.

Seafood dish "White fish meuniere with colorful vegetables in cream sauce"

The seafood dish for the day was "White Fish Meuniere with Colorful Vegetables and Cream Sauce." The white fish was moist and fluffy.

Image: CHIHIRO *The photo is for two people

The chef is particular about the sauce, and prepares it on the spot depending on the ingredients of the day, as well as whether or not the customer is drinking alcohol. It was incredibly delicious.

On this day, the sauce contained okra, giving it a slightly thick creamy texture. The elegant flavor of the okra was exquisitely reflected in the sauce, and the white fish was carefully calculated to give it a moist and fluffy finish.

Image: CHIHIRO

Meat dish "Chicken thigh stewed in demi-glace sauce"

The meat dish is "Chicken thighs stewed in demi-glace sauce."

I was impressed by how moist and tender the meat was and how delicious the demi-glace sauce was, which really brought out the refined flavor of the tomatoes.

Image: CHIHIRO *The photo is for two people

The dish comes with two pieces of chicken thighs, one that has been stewed for just one day and the other that has been stewed for two days.

The chicken is simmered for a day, giving it a nice crumbly texture and allowing you to directly taste the deliciousness of the chicken.

The chicken that had been simmered for two days was even softer and the flavor of the sauce had soaked into the chicken, making it even more delicious.

Image: CHIHIRO

It was a luxury to be able to enjoy two different flavors in one dish. Both were delicious.

Pasta: "Spaghetti with extra-large serving of raw sea urchin" (plus 1,000 yen)

The final course is pasta, with a choice of sauce: tomato, cream, or oil.

This time, I ordered the "Extra Large Portion of Spaghetti with Raw Sea Urchin" (2,580 yen for a single order) for an additional 1,000 yen.

You may have seen it on social media recently, but it's actually a very popular menu item at Kitchen & Bar Qualia that has been available since 2010. They've been carefully selecting and purchasing domestic A-rank raw sea urchin that's free of alum from a supplier in Toyosu for the same reason. A generous 100g of it is served on top!

Image: CHIHIRO

You can choose between tomato sauce or cream sauce. I chose the tomato sauce, which the chef says he has spent the most time researching.

As I also felt with the demi-glace sauce for the meat dishes, Chef Taguchi's use of tomatoes is amazing.

I was overwhelmed by how familiar, everyday ingredients could taste so elegant and luxurious!

Image: CHIHIRO

They check the moisture content and flavor of each tomato from time to time to create the best possible combination to create the sauce.

It was an exquisite dish, with rich, flavorful raw sea urchin intertwined with an exquisite sauce.

A wide variety of cocktails, shaken right in front of you by the bartender!

Kitchen & Bar Qualia also has bartenders on staff and offers a wide variety of authentic cocktails.

If you sit at the counter, you can see the food being prepared right in front of you. It's very impressive!

Image: CHIHIRO

Here are some of the cocktails we ordered.

Scarlett O'Hara Yang Guifei

First up is "Scarlett O'Hara" (950 yen) and "Yang Guifei" (990 yen).

The bright red "Scarlett O'Hara" is a mix of Southern Comfort, cranberry, and lemon, while the popular "Yang Guifei" is made with Keika Chenjiu, lychee liqueur, blue curacao, and grapefruit.

Image: CHIHIRO

Today's fresh fruit cocktail

"Today's Fresh Fruit Cocktail" (from 1,000 yen) can be made using your choice of fruit from those available that day.

I ordered pineapple and peach on this day, and they were delicious with a gentle fruit flavor.

Image: CHIHIRO

Mockingbird

This is "Mockingbird" (950 yen).

Made with mint liqueur, lime, and tequila, this is a refreshing and clean drink.

Image: CHIHIRO

Each dish is an exquisite creation that is brimming with Chef Taguchi's desire to make diners happy.

Please come and visit us. (Text by CHIHIRO)

＜Click on the store name for more details about the store ↓＞
■Kitchen & Bar Qualia​
Address: SMILE-HOUSEII 1F, 2-1-1 Meinohama, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture
Opening hours: [Lunch] <Monday-Friday only> 11:30-15:00 (last orders 14:30) [Dinner/Bar] <Monday-Thursday/Holidays> 17:00-25:00 (last orders for food 23:00, drinks 24:30) <Friday/Saturday/Days before holidays> 17:00-27:00 (last orders for food 24:00, drinks 26:30)
Closed: Sundays
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