CONTENTS
About Uraao
Concept
“Ao” in Narayamachi, Fukuoka, quietly flips its sign for certain nights—that’s “Uraao.”
When Chef-owner Hideyuki Kaneda is away for overseas training or events, the kitchen is entrusted to the younger staff.
They assemble a course that differs from the usual lineup, weaving in ideas and touches that everyday service can’t easily accommodate.
Even when the ingredients are the same, the cooking and pairings deliberately take approaches distinct from the regular “Ao.”
You can sense their drive to express the sensibilities and skills honed under the chef each day—in their own words and on their own plates.
For regulars, it’s a rare chance to encounter a completely new “Ao” in the familiar space.
For just a few days, a calm tension and the heat of creation coexist—an alternate face of Ao.
Uraao Lead: Miki Fukushima
Overseeing this edition of “Uraao” is Miki Fukushima, who normally handles pairing beverages and service, yet also brings a background and technique as a chef.
With training across Japanese, Western, and various Asian cuisines, she sees the whole flow—from the dining room to the birth of each dish—with a wide, integrated view.
Her chef’s instincts are very much alive: beyond designing precise pairings for each plate, she uses drinks to illuminate the aroma of the ingredients and the core structure of the dish.
The result is a composition where food and drink “speak in symphony”—for example, letting the gentle afterheat of a dish resonate quietly with the acidity of sake, or sharpening the outline of acidity with a chilled white wine.
It’s the moment a meal becomes an “interactive encounter,” not just something received at the table.
At Uraao, while supporting Chef Kaneda’s style, Fukushima’s service sensibility and affection for cooking merge to shape a new kind of dining experience.
Seen from a different angle than the usual “Ao,” these dishes will likely be etched as a vivid point in the diner’s memory.
Restaurant Accolades
Because this visit was a special Uraao service, we won’t touch on awards or general evaluations from regular operations.
What matters here is the one-night-only atmosphere of “Uraao,” and the presence of Miki Fukushima at its center.
The theme and structure—different from the usual “Ao”—and the flow felt only on this occasion are what made the night special.
For accolades and evaluations of the regular “Narayamachi Ao,” please see this article.
Dining Prelude
Exterior & Entrance
“Ao” stands in a weathered back alley of Narayamachi, Fukuoka, as if time itself had paused.
The black-lacquered wooden walls of a renovated townhouse over 80 years old; and across the front hangs a deep-blue noren curtain.
A modest lantern casts a soft glow on the noren, gently blurring the boundary with the outside world.
Tonight is “Uraao.”
Look closely and the kanji for “Ao” on the noren is reversed.
Usually it faces front, but tonight it seems to peer out from the back.
It’s a subtle, memorable touch prepared by Chef Hideyuki Kaneda for this special service.
The noren quietly announces that the usual “Ao” has been flipped to show another face for the night.
The story has already begun before the door even opens.
Dining Space
Beyond the doorway stretches an L-shaped dining room anchored by a broad wooden counter.
There are just nine seats, each with a clear view of the chefs’ hands at work.
Low lighting highlights the counter’s lustrous grain and the colors plated before you.
For Uraao, deep-navy napkins and a printed menu rest quietly at each place.
The napkins bear the word “Ao,” while the menu lists the evening’s one-night-only courses in a single column.
Chopsticks and a spoon are set side by side—a subtle hint that the course will cross the border between Western and Japanese styles.
Within the orderly setting there is ample white space for chef and guest to face each other, drawing your focus to the plate and its aromas.
Menu Presentation
The printed menu begins with pig’s trotters and foie gras, moves through beef stew and vanilla, and quietly lists a total of 12 courses.
While some Japanese ingredient names appear, the structure flows on a Western axis—from appetizers to mains to dessert—suggesting an unfolding story.
Whereas regular “Ao” interlaces Japanese and Western with delicate balance, tonight’s “Uraao” is more casual and straightforward.
Ingredients like foie gras, saffron, tomato, macaroni, and hamburger steak give the meal a distinctly yoshoku (Western-style Japanese) aroma.
Yet hints of “Ao-ness” pop up throughout—like horseradish paired with Matsusaka beef, or a course built around sōmen noodles.
From the moment you hold the menu, you sense a warmly nostalgic, yoshoku-leaning experience unlike any “Ao” you’ve had before.
Dishes We Tasted
Signature: The Black Manjū
First to arrive is a familiar signature from “Ao.”
Inside the jet-black bun is a filling of foie gras, pig’s trotters, and aromatic truffle.
The skin is thin yet chewy; a bite releases a torrent of piping-hot filling and a rush of aroma.
Rich umami and sweetness intertwine with truffle’s glamour—an opening plate that jolts the appetite awake.
Seeing this specialty on the Uraao menu signals a wish to inherit Chef Kaneda’s worldview while integrating it into their own composition.
From the moment you taste this heated bun, the night’s tempo clicks into place.
Corn & Tonka Bean
Second is a layer of tonka-bean gelée hidden at the bottom of a cup.
It’s first set before you as is, then a mousse-like sweet-corn soup is poured in, tableside.
At the pour, the gentle sweetness of corn and the sweet-spicy perfume of tonka bloom and softly envelop the room.
The gelée is made by slowly simmering tonka beans with corn cobs to extract concentrated aroma and savoriness.
Spoon up from the bottom and mix with the soup: the mild sweetness of corn overlaps with tonka’s almond-like scent, leaving a softly unraveling finish.
A dish memorable for its layered aromas and shifting textures on the tongue.
Biwa Trout & Fruit Tomato Salad
Next is a salad marrying Biwa trout with fruit tomatoes.
Served in a clear vessel, its vivid colors instantly brighten the air over the counter.
Juicy fruit tomatoes and the tender savor of the trout meld and gently dissolve on the palate.
The green sauce is basil—fragrant and refreshing, adding lift to the sweetness of fish and tomato.
Tiny seeds scattered here and there pop pleasantly, adding sprightly texture among the soft elements.
Light as it is, the interplay of texture and aroma gives the dish dimension and naturally heightens anticipation for what follows.
Summer Vegetables & Kuruma-ebi Risotto
A risotto of colorful summer vegetables with kuruma-ebi (Japanese tiger prawns).
Diced carrot, zucchini, and bell pepper are scattered through the bowl, offering a gentle tapestry of color.
Each spoonful brings a faint al dente bite at the rice’s core and a broth imbued with prawn umami.
The vegetables keep their individual textures, creating varied crunch within each spoonful with rice.
The prawns’ sweetness ties everything together, making for a summery, light yet satisfying dish.
Roast Beef of Matsusaka Beef Rump
A yoshoku classic: roast beef.
Tonight’s is carved from rump sourced in Matsusaka, Mie.
The supplier is Mr. Aoki, who runs a yakiniku restaurant and butcher in Iizuka.
This is the same beef regularly used at Narayamachi “Ao,” prized for its fine-grained lean and concentrated savor.
Thin slices are topped with minced negi and generous shavings of horseradish.
Each bite releases deep flavor from the supple fibers, while the green onion aroma and horseradish’s cool lift tighten the finish.
A sauce beneath the slices gently supports the meat’s sweetness, making for a simple yet layered taste.
Classic in form, but memorable thanks to outstanding sourcing and spot-on cooking.
Hairy Crab & Macaroni Gratin
Lift the iron-pot lid and a plume of shellfish aroma rises.
Inside, flaked kegani (hairy crab) and macaroni are bound in a rich white sauce, bubbling hot.
The cheese stretches in strands; a spoon reveals crab-red and creamy white entwined.
On the palate, crab sweetness fuses with the mellow white sauce, while the macaroni’s spring adds a pleasing rhythm.
Shellfish umami lingers to the end—luxurious warmth in pure yoshoku comfort.
Hamo Burger — Filet-O-Fish Style
A burger starring plump-fried hamo (pike conger), sandwiched with plenty of tartar sauce.
The buns are a special shape made by Fukuoka’s beloved bakery “Pain Stock.” Their moist crumb and toasty aroma lift the delicate flavor of hamo.
Color and freshness come from herbs by Kubota Farm, a familiar partner of Narayamachi Ao; gentle bitterness and bright aromas harmonize with the richness of the tartar.
It evokes the spirit of a Filet-O-Fish, yet the ingredients and build make it distinctly “Uraao.”
Tomato Consommé Gelée & Fruit Tomato with Sōmen
A plate that epitomizes Narayamachi “Ao” in its harmony of Japanese and Western elements.
Tomato consommé gelée, concentrated with umami, meets sweet fruit tomatoes, all tossed with chilled sōmen noodles.
Each bite spreads the gelée’s gentle acidity and savor through the noodles, while the fruit tomato’s juiciness punctuates—cool on the eyes and soothing in a summer course.
Hamburg Steak with Shiitake Cream Sauce
For the main: a hamburg steak that draws out the meat’s full savor—crisped outside, tender and juicy within.
The sauce is a deeply flavored shiitake cream. The mushroom’s aroma and umami meld with the cream’s roundness; together with the meat juices, each bite feels indulgent.
Simple, yet the unhurried care is palpable—a classic given a sense of occasion.
Butter Rice with a Yoshoku Aroma
A staple of European-style restaurants in Japan: butter rice. Steaming hot rice is folded with butter, its rich aroma rising to whet the appetite.
Simple yet perfect for concluding a yoshoku-leaning course. It pairs brilliantly with cream sauces and meats; alongside the hamburg steak it recalls the warmth of a classic yoshoku-ya.
Chef Kaneda’s Beef Stew
A deep, satisfying beef stew fit for the course finale—made with beef cheek from the trusted supplier, Mr. Aoki, familiar to Narayamachi “Ao.”
Chef Kaneda simmers it for about three hours until the meat yields to a spoon, the sauce infused with the essence and body of lean beef.
It’s served with butter rice—the yoshoku classic. A spoonful combining fragrant rice and rich stew is at once nostalgic and luxurious.
Dessert & Finale
Vanilla Ice Cream with a Classic Yoshoku Glow
To finish: a round, beautifully shaped vanilla ice cream that looks as if it came straight from a classic yoshoku-ya. Specks of vanilla bean dot the glossy surface, signaling quality at a glance.
Catching the light through a glass bowl, it shines like a jewel. A striped chocolate stick adds a cute accent—playfulness within simplicity.
Poured into a large, transparent glass is an herbal tea of spearmint and lemongrass.
Before the first sip, the bright mint and citrus-like lemongrass aromas rise to ease the mind.
For lovers of lemongrass, it’s a cup whose lingering fragrance is pure pleasure.
Takeaways
Since the opening of Narayamachi “Ao,” the figure supporting Chef Kaneda from the wings has been like the conductor weaving music behind the stage.
Even in this course themed around yoshoku and European-style cooking, that role remained steadfast—each playful dish carried a quiet assurance and poise.
Meticulous prep, precise doneness, timing that draws out the best of each ingredient, and seasoning that leaves the contours of flavor intact—these spring from long experience and artisan pride.
Translating Chef Kaneda’s creativity into real plates while also crafting a space where guests feel at ease—the work is behind the scenes, yet the very presence becomes part of the cuisine.
The omnibus-like structure—unseen in the usual Narayamachi “Ao”—stood firm thanks to that foundation, elevating the meal into an experience that read like a story to the very end.
Reservations & Access
How to Book (Uraao Only)
Reservations for “Uraao” are announced via the restaurant’s official social channels (primarily Facebook and Instagram) with dates and the start time for booking.
Each announcement clearly states the “reservation method,” with a dedicated form or a specific email/site link provided.
Reservations via DM are not accepted.
Seats are very limited and often sell out right when booking opens, so accessing immediately at the announced time is key.
Also note that regulars dining during normal service sometimes secure Uraao bookings on the spot, so general public slots are realistically quite tight.
Access
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Address: 4-11-3 Narayamachi, Hakata-ku, Fukuoka-shi, Fukuoka
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Nearest Stations: Subway Kūkō Line “Nakasukawabata” (approx. 5–6 min on foot) / Subway Hakozaki Line “Gofukumachi” (approx. 6 min on foot)
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Access: About 5 min by taxi from JR Hakata Station; 2–3 min on foot from the “Hakata-Gochō” bus stop
Hours (Uraao)
“Uraao” is a limited-run special service; dates and hours vary by event.
Sometimes it follows a set start time like regular Narayamachi “Ao,” but exact hours depend on each announcement.
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