{"id":174844,"date":"2025-12-09T18:58:10","date_gmt":"2025-12-09T09:58:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fukuoka-now.com\/?post_type=food&p=174844&lang=en"},"modified":"2025-12-09T18:59:33","modified_gmt":"2025-12-09T09:59:33","slug":"suzuna","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fukuoka-now.com\/en\/suzuna\/","title":{"rendered":"Suzuna Opens in Otemon: A New, Quiet Benchmark for Modern Shojin Cuisine"},"content":{"rendered":"

In a quiet corner of Otemon, a small restaurant is quietly expanding the idea of what shojin cuisine can be. Suzuna<\/strong>, which opened this month inside the grounds of a local temple, offers a monthly vegetable-driven course free of all animal products. That alone makes it a rare find. But what sets Suzuna apart is the training and temperament of its owner-chef, Yuki Kizaki<\/strong>\u2014a Fukuoka native shaped by years in Kyoto kitchens and a formative stint at Kajitsu<\/em>, New York\u2019s Michelin-starred shojin restaurant.<\/p>\n

Nick and Emiko of Fukuoka Now visited on opening night, curious to see how those influences might translate in Fukuoka. What arrived was a quietly confident progression of dishes built around careful broths, seasonal vegetables, and Kyoto technique\u2014food that doesn\u2019t rely on volume or theatrics, but intention.<\/p>\n

\"Suzuna<\/p>\n

Shojin cuisine follows Buddhist principles, avoiding meat, fish, eggs, and other animal-derived ingredients. That may sound restrictive, yet Suzuna\u2019s course feels the opposite: clean, expressive, and surprisingly layered. The dashi alone\u2014built without katsuobushi (fish)\u2014shows how flavor can be coaxed from vegetables, seaweed, and time. Vegans will find a safe haven here, but the appeal extends far beyond dietary labels.<\/p>\n

\"Suzuna<\/p>\n

\u5148\u4ed8\uff1a\u6734\u8449\u5473\u564c<\/strong>
\nHoba leaf layered with aromatic miso, Kyoto awa-fu from Fuka, gingko nuts, crisp Shiraishi (Saga Prefecture) lotus root chips, and simmered-then-fried taro. It arrives on a tiny charcoal grill\u2014one per person\u2014so the leaf warms and releases its aroma as you eat. A thoughtful opening that leans on texture as much as flavor, with a bit of tableside theater you can feel rather than see.<\/p>\n

\"Suzuna<\/p>\n

\u304a\u6900\uff1a\u856a\u306e\u64e6\u308a\u6d41\u3057<\/strong>
\nA velvety Shogoin turnip potage enriched with white miso and oats, anchored by a turnip mochi and thinly grilled slices of Itoshima turnip. The broth\u2014made only from turnip peel and kombu\u2014shows how far restraint can go.<\/p>\n

\u53e3\u3069\u308a\uff1a\u83ca\u6700\u4e2d<\/strong>
\nA beloved Kajitsu<\/em> dish recreated here with Fuka\u2019s blessing. Toasty monaka wafers sandwich a smooth sesame tofu. It looks so much like a dessert you almost expect sweetness, which makes the savory filling all the more playful and disarming.<\/p>\n

\u713c\u304d\u7269\uff1a\u5927\u6839\u30b9\u30c6\u30fc\u30ad<\/strong>
\nItoshima organic daikon simmered in a broth of its own trimmings and kombu, then brushed with soy and finished under intense heat. Served with a bright, citrus-laced white miso. A study in simplicity\u2014and somehow one of the most satisfying dishes, the kind that feels genuinely good to take in.<\/p>\n

\"Suzuna<\/p>\n

\u7bb8\u4f11\u3081\uff1a\u67ff\u306e\u30de\u30ea\u30cd<\/strong>
\nAsakura persimmon paired with a cream made from Tofu\u2019s zaru tofu. Cacao nibs add an unexpected bitterness that keeps the dish from drifting into sweetness. If no one told you the \u201ccream\u201d was tofu, you\u2019d likely guess cream cheese\u2014an impressive bit of sleight of hand.<\/p>\n

\"Suzuna<\/p>\n

\u5c0f\u934b\uff1a\u767d\u5229\u4f11\u9ea9\u3068\u30c8\u30de\u30c8\u306e\u5c0f\u934b<\/strong>
\nA personal hotpot built around white Rikyu-fu, a rarely seen ingredient sent directly from Fuka before frying\u2014possibly the only place in Japan serving it this way. Simmered with fruit tomatoes, kombu broth, Brussels sprouts, and spinach, finished with Kujo negi. Another small revelation: the tomato-based broth isn\u2019t what most people associate with shojin cuisine, yet it fits seamlessly.<\/p>\n

\"Suzuna<\/p>\n

\u3054\u98ef\u30fb\u7c95\u6c41<\/strong>
\nRice cooked with Hokkaido lily bulbs alongside a lively kasujiru made with Takakiya sake lees from Oita and Kyoto white miso. Comforting but far from ordinary.<\/p>\n

\"Suzuna<\/p>\n

\u7518\u5473<\/strong>
\nAnmitsu of carefully simmered Tanba adzuki (red bean), persimmon syrup, brown sugar kanten, and shiratama. A quiet, polished finish.<\/p>\n

\"Suzuna<\/p>\n

With the chef running the entire operation himself, seating is intentionally limited: 10 counter seats and two four-tops, with just eight guests welcomed per evening for now. Despite the Kyoto pedigree and the Michelin connection, Suzuna isn\u2019t precious or stiff. The counter feels relaxed and accessible\u2014even ideal for solo diners\u2014while still offering the sense of discovering something considered and new.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re searching for a meal that\u2019s gentle, seasonal, and precise, Suzuna stands out as one of the most compelling new openings in Fukuoka this year. Vegetarians will be thrilled, but the restaurant\u2019s real achievement is broader: it\u2019s simply a deeply satisfying meal that leaves you feeling good when you walk out the door.<\/p>\n

Menu<\/strong> (tax included) Course \u00a58,000,
\nsake, wine, beer, non-alcoholic drink, etc<\/p>\n

Reservations:<\/strong> 092-600-4148<\/a> \/ TableCheck<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Suzuna<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In a quiet corner of Otemon, a small restaurant is quietly expanding the idea of what shojin cuisine can be…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":29305,"featured_media":174849,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_locale":"en_US","_original_post":"https:\/\/www.fukuoka-now.com\/?post_type=food&p=174844&lang=en","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[355],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-174844","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-food-drink","location-chuo-ku","en-US"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.fukuoka-now.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/fn_suzuna_WEB-014.jpg?fit=1400%2C1050&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fukuoka-now.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/174844","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fukuoka-now.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fukuoka-now.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fukuoka-now.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/29305"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fukuoka-now.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=174844"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.fukuoka-now.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/174844\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fukuoka-now.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/174849"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fukuoka-now.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=174844"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fukuoka-now.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=174844"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fukuoka-now.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=174844"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}