Hakata Matsusuke Nishinakasu 博多松介 西中洲店 (Fukuoka, JAPAN) ★★★☆☆

Our original dinner plan didn't really pan out (some drama there) so instead of finding some place new, we decided to go back to a familiar territory. 

In 2019, we had the pleasure of checking out the delicious chargrilled skewers at Kushiyaki Hakata Matsusuke Haruyoshi (串燒博多松介 春吉店). While that place didn't survive during COVID-19, its sister restaurant Hakata Matsusuke Nishinakasu (博多松介 西中洲店) in the west side of Nakasu (中洲) continued to shine. 

After a 10-minute wait, we finally got ourselves......well, a private room free of charge! 😇

This guy is loving it~!

Hakata Matsusuke Nishinakasu is more of a modern izakaya (居酒屋) than a kushiyaki place so there are dishes such as fresh sashimi available on the menu. 

Neri – The minced chicken and pork meatball grilled with sesame oil and salt. Where's the sauce with the raw egg yolk?

Duck (一口鴨) – Loved the firm texture of the grilled duck which was served with a homemade plum sauce.

Little nugget had this when he was 3 years old. Still remembered how he rubbed it all over his face!

Thigh – Decent.

Tail – Grilled chicken tail with smoky-sweet leeks. What's there not to like?

Neck – Without a question, the best of the night.

It was firm and juicy with a bit of crunch. Pretty addictive. 

Prawns – Not bad. Could really taste the charcoal here.

Chicken Wings or tebasaki (手羽先) – Always a crowd pleaser.

For the record, I thought service was excellent tonight. That was the bright spot (along with the free private room) but the skewers were, for the most part, slightly disappointing for its lack of the perfect chargrilled smoky flavors. 

Food Rating: 5/10

Price: ￥￥￥

Address: 1/F, 1-2-12 Nishinakasu, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka 810-0002 Japan

Tel: +81 (0)92 725-1521

Opening Hours: 5:00pm - 12:00am daily