HALAL Beef Hotpot Fukuoka Style!

Most probably to enjoy a good hot warming food while touring at Fukuoka Prefecture in chill weather is to visit the MOTSUNABE KIWAMIYA NISHIJINTEN. This non-pork eatery serves halal beef meat with recognition by the Muslim Professional Japan Association, thus making the Muslims able to experience another local delicacy, apart from heating up your body after a tiring day.

Located in the city of Fukuoka, it is easy to access the restaurant by taking the train to Nishijin Station and exit at gate 4B, walk down the aisle and you will instantly see signage to head up to the second floor. It operates from the evening that is 5 pm until midnight daily.

Surprisingly this place has a wide space and guests can come in a group to have a gathering. It would be a good experience too if the group get to sit at the non-chair seating setup or typical Japanese seating style near the premise window.

Upon our arrival, we were served a complimentary dates (kurma) each guest. We felt touched by their thought as who would have expected to eat dates in Japan while travelling. Personally, it was like break-fasting time when coincidently we reached there after sunset.

The menu highlight was, of course, the steamboat or hotpot and there was some halal steak that you may want to add, on top of it.

The hotpot was served together with fat meat, tofu, cabbage, salted fish as flavour, chilli flakes and a handful of chopped leaves to enhance its savour. While it was cooking, we would need to mix all the ingredients to create the taste moreover when it has tones of fat meat in the pot. A gentle reminder not to consume or bite the fish as it is not to be eaten as I understand because it is very salty – and as I mentioned before, it is a salted fish. The portion of food is based on the number of guests. So for us, it was sufficient to enjoy the food.

To convince the Muslims that it is halal, they put a cow toy near the portable stove with a Japanese Muslim professional body logo, hence making it looked presentable too!

Since you won't get to taste that meaty beef in the hotpot, I would strongly recommend to top up some sizzling steak meat to satisfy your craving.

The meat was prepared sliced with a couple of hot green pepper on side. You have to entertain yourself by cooking it on the hot stone for a few seconds. The meat was so good and it was such a relief to have some meat taste around Fukuoka while most of the time we were only to have fish and chicken.

Before clearing off the bill, if you feel like having some dessert after a meal, they also offer some halal mochi – a Japanese sweet made from rice flour with several flavours that are strawberry, matcha, mango and café au iait (not sure what flavour is this).

Overall, the experience was awesome, and it would be good to come here with a group of friends as the eating becomes more excited while you need to cook it yourself on the table.

As a memory, the owner or the crew will take a chance to have a picture with you especially the Muslims as they would like to get the support, apart from promoting their business. So you better get yourself look good and ready as the owner himself will post it on his Instagram account :

@halalmotsunabe_kiwamiya !

This eatery has become more popular from time to time and I bet most people will aim to go here to try the local cooking. Do drop by to their restaurant if you come to Fukuoka to gain that experience!

p/s: sorry that we forgot to capture the menu list and its price. Our order was more than RM300 as far as i can remember. so you better bring a good handsome money!