Yorgo — Restaurant in Fukuoka

We found this place thanks to a Google Maps suggestion for good restaurants near our hotel. It turned out to be a hidden gem tucked behind a gyoza shop — to get to Yorgo, you actually have to walk through the gyoza restaurant.

We walked in without a reservation and were lucky to get a table, as the place was packed. If you’re going with a larger group, it’s probably best to make a reservation in advance.

The kitchen is open and located at the center, with diners seated around the counter, watching the chefs prepare each dish. The food was exceptional, the service warm and attentive, and the wine selection excellent.

The restaurant also had thoughtful touches like wall hooks for coats and storage space under the counter for bags. We were pleasantly surprised to find power outlets under the table — a rare convenience for charging phones.

The only thing that left us slightly puzzled was the portioning. We clearly ordered one plate per dish, but most of them arrived as two plates. Only two or three dishes were presented as a single plate at first — presumably so we could take photos — before being split into two. At first, we thought about checking with the staff, but the food was so delicious that we told ourselves, “Even if it was a mix-up, it’s worth it.” It’s rare to enjoy French cuisine this...

I visited Yorgo twice in my short stay in Fukuoka, and it was the best gourmet experience I’ve had in my travels to Japan so far!

Hidden behind its own gyoza restaurant, Yorgo is a Japanese-French open-kitchen restaurant filled with energy, passion and professionalism. From the amazingly delicious Octopus Avocado Salad, sea urchin and potato to the rare beef fillet cutlet, all the dishes were top-notch and finely executed. I have never been so overwhelmed by every single dish in a restaurant in Japan!

What’s more impressive was the pleasure of watching chef Kawase san effortlessly handling different ingredients in front of me, while attending to my needs whenever possible. He was very friendly and humble. I loved every wine he introduced as well.

Everything about this restaurant topped the bar and I would recommend everyone to check it out when you next...

Good food but terrible hygiene.

First off, the food is pretty decent. We really enjoyed the cutlet steak (super tender) and the uni shredded potato. HOWEVER, the hygiene of the chefs ruined the meal for us. It is an open concept kitchen where there is bar seating around the stoves in the middle, and the chefs serve you. There were MULTIPLE instances where the chefs used a spoon to sample the taste, and then put the spoon away without washing or rinsing it. They would then reuse that same spoon to sample other dishes before serving it to customers. If a bit of extra flavour from a stranger’s saliva doesn’t bother you, then this restaurant is the...