Nikuichi (Yakuin Store) — Restaurant in Fukuoka

Enchanted by the rating in Google and comments from customers from other social media sources, I decided to try to make a reservation with Nikuichi (@Yakuin) online, only to find that it was fully booked during my stay in Fukuoka.

On 15 Apr, I went with my kid there at around 17:30 and tried our luck. Couldn't believe it was still a NO even though it was a time quite early for dinner and too late lunch. We were not even given a chance to wait at the spot. As I didn't give up, I asked a waitress if I could make an in-person reservation so long as I was there. Still a NO I got. Yet, lucky that the male manager was so KIND and he offered to check his tablet and told us there would be a time slot available on the next day at 20:30. Of course I said yes!

In the next evening, after a long haul to Yanagawa and Dazaifu, my kid and I were too exhausted to go anywhere else but headed straight there arriving at 19:50, much earlier than our reservation time I knew. We just didn't mind sitting and waiting outside.

The same male manager was so kind that he offered us little cups of tea to refresh while we sat outside waiting. To my big surprise, we were arranged to have our seats around 25 minutes earlier than the reservation time eventually!

As for the meats, they were amazing! The portion was sumptuous and the taste was GREAT! The meat options were wide and reasonably priced! My son even said he liked them more than the expensive Kobe beef dinner we had in a trip to Kobe last year. The veggie we had went well with the meats wrapped. The only downsides were there was not enough variety of veggie available, whereas there was only one sauce for dipping, unlike Yakiniku Like which has 5 or 6 options of sauce available. But of course, the meat quality is much higher in here.

In short, it is a GREAT restaurant! I hope all of its frontline staff would be as friendly and thoughtful as the store manager. Would definitely recommend this to fans of...

Good Food, Terrible Service

The food quality is excellent, and the prices are reasonable, but the service was appalling

Experience Details: We made a reservation for 4:00 PM (2 people) and were seated promptly upon arrival.

Merits: Ambiance: The restaurant has a pleasant atmosphere, even featuring a retractable screen for privacy between table.

Food Quality & Speed: Dishes arrived quickly, and the thick ox tongue and harami were outstanding. Affordability: We ordered à la carte and paid around ¥3,500 per person, which is reasonable. Robot Servers: Occasionally, robots delivered food which was refreshing.

Demerits: Appalling Service: Some of the worst I’ve encountered, not just in Japan but globally.

Rude Staff: When I requested a grill plate change, the waiter complied but then rolled his eyes after I thanked him, as if I’d offended him. It was so unprofessional and made me so confused Rushed Dining Experience: Despite being told we had 1.5 hours when we booked online, a waitress abruptly asked if we were done after we have just stopped eating at about 45 minutes. She automatically pressed the "check bill" button on the tablet immediately we said “yes”. It felt like we were being hurried out, leaving a terrible impression.

Conclusion: By far it was one of the most terrible dining experience i have ever had. Although the food was good, i would not...

Because it is so popular, we had to reserve a table way early and could get only a table at 9pm. But it was well worth the wait and the trip from Hakata to Yakuin station.

The Yakuin branch is much more spacious and comfortable than the Hakata one, which has an even longer queue every night. The atmosphere is perfect for a family or friends' reunion.

The food is good value for money and very well prepared. The special platter is a much try for everyone, coming with an explanation of the different parts of beef being served.

But it was the service that worth a special mention. We came as a party of two seniors. Without knowing, we ordered two special platters. A member of the crew duly came and warned us that the platter was for 2-3 persons and with a big portion. I believe this is omotenasi in action even for visitors, making our visit a most memorable and enjoyable one.

Recommended for anyone who likes BBQ meat in a true Japanese ambiance and...