Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on April 2008

Courtesy of Food Stadium

April evenings in Tokyo offer some of the most romantic weather of the year. Sunset gets later every day, and a cool, pleasant breeze blows across Tokyo Bay. Such an evening, perhaps after an afternoon of strolling in the nearby Hamarikyu Gardens, is the perfect time to head to Fukunokami for one warm and cozy meal.

Fukunokami is a short walk from Hinode station on the futuristic Yurikamome line. (Don’t look for a driver on the train—there isn’t one.) We had heard that the restaurant was small and homey, so when our map directed us to large and very modern office building, we were sure we’d gotten lost. But after asking for directions, we realized that this rustic Kyushu-style eatery sits in one corner of the building.

As we were shown to a small table at the back of the restaurant, we noticed that it had its own gas burner. This makes sense, as the specialty of the house is mizutaki, a chicken and vegetable hotpot that diners prepare themselves. Most of the tables are on the small side, which was fine, as most of the customers appeared to be couples on dates. Up for something new, we ordered a few glasses of Lento (¥480), a black sugar shochu from Kagoshima. It had a light, crisp bite, and got us ready to try the Kyushu-style cuisine.

Since cooking at the table is always fun, we decided to go with the house specialty, ordering a set meal of mizutaki with tofu, mushrooms and cabbage (¥2,400). Our waiter informed us that this would take a bit of time to prepare, so we munched on satsuma-age (¥680), lightly breaded and deep-fried fish patties, and ebi hasami-age (¥780), a fried shrimp dish somewhat like tempura.

Courtesy of Food Stadium

We ordered a few glasses of Shirayuki sake (¥680) from Hyogo prefecture, which arrived together with our main course. The gas burners were snapped on, and bubbling hotpots of homemade chicken broth were placed on them. Next we were presented with bamboo dishes overflowing with tender chicken, tofu, shiitake and enoki, and assorted veggies. Our server kindly told us which ingredients we should add first, as they take longer to cook. The hotpot produced a wonderful array of scents while the fresh ingredients slowly stewed. When everything was ready, we pulled out the chucks of tofu, veggies and meat, quickly them dipped in ponzu, and feasted.

Following a recent trend among Japanese restaurants, the menu at Fukunokami offers mizutaki dishes that are rich in collagen, an animal protein used in cosmetic surgery. Whether eating collagen actually has any cosmetic effect is still a matter of debate, but chicken soup has been known for its curative properties since the middle ages. So if you’re suffering from hay fever or the spring sniffles, head to Fukunokami for some filling comfort food.