• MENU SUPERVISION
    SUPERVISOR
  • MEALS(Dec.–Feb.)
    Petit four – Ingredients
  • MEALS(March–May)
    Petit four – Ingredients
  • BRUNCH SET
    BRUNCH MENU
  • These two chefs, who are skilled at dishes that bring the ingredient's flavors to life, are able to bring out the maximum appeal of the ingredients found along the train line in simple flavorings.
    Only at The Rail Kitchen Chikugo can you enjoy the delicious meals of Mr. Imai, who does not have a restaurant in Kyushu, and Mr. Watanabe, who offers dishes not found at his restaurant.
    Main Dish
    en boca Co., Ltd. Representative Tadashi Imai
    Mr. Imai began in 2001 with the opening of the restaurant “en boca” in Karuizawa, the resort area of Nagano Prefecture. A chef as well as an architect, Mr. Imai developed new dishes from the flames of a firewood kiln, based on the concept of "dishes by creative thinking." His pizza which uses seasonal vegetables is particularly well-received. Currently he manages 3 pizza-based restaurants, which can be found in Tokyo, Karuizawa, and Kyoto.
    Amuse - Meat Plate - Vegetable Plate
    Chef Yasuhiro Watanabe
    Mr. Watanabe was born in 1980. Working at COMME des GARÇONS, he developed a unique aesthetic sense. In 2007, he came into his own as a chef, establishing a studio in Futako-tamagawa, and primarily working as a cooking instructor. Later, he shifted his base of operations to Fukuoka in 2015.
    Even after relocating, he's continued to be featured in TV shows and magazines, and has held nationwide exhibitions for cooking events that use ingredients from every region, as well as proposing new expressions for the ingredients that are unique to that region.
    As an author, he has published "68 Simple and Beautiful Dishes in 5/15/30 Minutes" (Magazine House), "Fruit Cooking" (Heibonsha) with fruits as the theme, and a collection of his recipes was featured in "Spring/Summer/Autumn/Winter Everyday Feasting" (Magazine House) in the magazine “Ginza” from the May 2011 edition to the July 2014 edition.
  • The Chikugo region is a major wheat production area in Fukuoka Prefecture. Bread and coffee from local popular shops is served.
    - Petit Four
    Les Trois Chocolats × Chocolate Shop
    Les Trois Chocolats was opened in Paris in 2017 by Emiko Sano, who is the third-generation proprietor of Fukuoka’s popular Chocolate Shop. Emiko strives day in, day out to produce superior chocolates in the gastronomical city of Paris. A fusion of exquisite Japanese ingredients and Emiko’s intimate understanding of Parisian culture, her highly original creations are acclaimed in both countries. On this occasion we are delighted to bring you original sweets exclusive to The Rail Kitchen Chikugo. We hope you enjoy them.
    - Romanesco Broccoli
    Romanesco broccoli is a unique looking vegetable, whose head has a spiral, granular pattern lending it the appearance of coral. It originates in Europe, and the taste of its flower buds can be enjoyed as you would cauliflower or regular broccoli.
    - Shinkai Potatoes
    Until the early Showa era, reclaimed land along the Ariake Sea Coast in Yanagawa City was a major center for the cultivation of shinkai potatoes. But production on an industrial scale is difficult there due to soil of Ariake clay layer, so nowadays, shinkai are cultivated for domestic use and rarely available on the open market. It is not possible to savor this prized local product unless you are in the area, and even residents of Yanagawa City rarely have the chance to try shinkai potatoes.
    - Olives
    The cultivation of olives has been the subject of special incentives in Ukiha-shi since 2009, and at present, olives trees are being grown on around ten hectares of land by as many as sixty households. Green olives appear during the summer after milky white flowers have bloomed on the olive trees in late May. These green olives are then harvested in early October to be freshly pickled, while fully ripened olives with a deep purple color are harvested in late October, before being pressed to produce high quality olive oil.
    - Hana Tachibana
    The Yame region is located in the southernmost part of Fukuoka Prefecture, and as well as boasting fertile soil carried from the mountains by the Chikugo and Yabe rivers, its inland climate is warm during the day and cold at night, making it the perfect environment for cultivating fruit. Hana Tachibana is a variety of mandarin orange harvested in the Yame region, and can only be given that name when it is of superior quality and has a high sugar content. It is an original brand from JA (Japan Agricultural Cooperatives) Fukuoka Yame, and you can enjoy a taste of mellow acidity within its robust sweetness.
    - Hakata Nabana Oishii Na
    Hakata Nabana Oishii Na is an original brand of green vegetable from Fukuoka It is a nutritious variety of rapeseed flower prized for its rarity and high in vitamins and calcium, and compared with similar vegetables is rarely sold in stores. It is customary for the stems and flower buds of rapeseed flowers to be eaten, but the most delicious parts of Oishii Na are the stems and leaves. The stem has a sweetness similar to asparagus, along with a characteristically bitter taste, while Oishii Na harvested from December to March has a higher sugar content.
    - Wheat
    Minami-no-Kaori, wheat grown on the Chikugo Plains, is used for pizza. In fact, Fukuoka has the 2nd highest wheat production volume in Japan after Hokkaido. Minami-no-Kaori is noted for its great aroma, as well as its soft, chewy, and smooth texture.
    - Riverwild Ham Factory Pork
    Minou Itton pork, produced at Riverwild Ham Factory in Ukiha-shi, is used for the meat plate. The pork is traditional Japanese Sangen Ton (a crossbreed of three types of pig) and has a characteristic light taste with a mild favor. It is also used for school lunch in Ukiha-shi.
    - Nakamura-en
    This company in Yame-shi manages the whole process of yame tea leaves and some herbs, from cultivation to sales. Yame-shi is one of the leading tea production areas in Japan. They have developed an original blend of tea with selected ingredients such as yame tea leaves and various herbs cultivated in-house especially for Harunoki, their original brand.
    Original herbal tea made of fragrant herbs cultivated by Nakamura-en and exclusively blended for THE RAIL KITCHEN CHIKUGO is served on the train.
  • The Chikugo region is a major wheat production area in Fukuoka Prefecture. Bread and coffee from local popular shops is served.
    - Petit Four Qui tico co
    Designated as a National “Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings”, the white walled "Kurazukuri" line the streets of Yoshii town in Ukiha city. Inside one of the town’s earthern-walled warehouses is the famous Dorayaki store, "Qui tico co". Beginning with Azuki red-bean paste filling pancake Dorayaki, for 22 years, the husband and wife team have ably managed this store, which is a lovely relaxed space, filled with a unique line up of items such as the famous Dorayaki, along with Lemon Cheesecake, Tiramisu, and seasonal fruits! This time around, THE RAIL KITCHEN CHIKUGO is pleased to offer an original Dorayaki, only available here, from the wonderful Qui tico co store. Please do enjoy this delicious item!
    - Hakata Wagyu Beef
    We bring you beef plates using Hakata Wagyu beef that was carefully raised by farmers registered with Fukuoka prefecture as Hakata Wagyu beef producers. In the southern part of the prefecture, where the Chikugo river flows with plentiful water, and the Chikugo plains spread out, there are many different agricultural items grown here. Hakata Wagyu beef cattle are carefully raised in this abundant natural environment of Fukuoka prefecture. The cattle are fed with the high quality rice straw from harvested rice, which produces meat with a reputation for "tender and juicy deliciousness".
    - Radish
    Used in the amuse. Fukuoka Prefecture is proud to be the second largest producer of radish in the country, and most of it comes from the town of Kitano. Best known for its fresh red color, it’s called “20-day radish” in Japanese because in the summer, it can be harvested in 20 days.
    - Bamboo Shoots
    Bamboo shoots produced by Yame are used in the pizza. Fukuoka Prefecture is the largest bamboo shoot-producing region in the country. Many of the bamboo shoots produced in Fukuoka Prefecture are grown in red soil suitable for cultivation, characterized by their reduced bitter taste and freshness.
    - Yumuta Farm Eggs
    The poultry is free-range farmed in a location surrounded by the mountains and fields of Ukiha, and are raised with pesticide-free vegetables and fermented, homemade feed. Their eggs have a lemon-colored yolk, and the egg whites have elasticity. These are used in the mayonnaise of the vegetable plate.
    - Wheat
    Minami-no-Kaori, wheat grown on the Chikugo Plains, is used for pizza. In fact, Fukuoka has the 2nd highest wheat production volume in Japan after Hokkaido. Minami-no-Kaori is noted for its great aroma, as well as its soft, chewy, and smooth texture.
    - Nakamura-en
    This company in Yame-shi manages the whole process of yame tea leaves and some herbs, from cultivation to sales. Yame-shi is one of the leading tea production areas in Japan. They have developed an original blend of tea with selected ingredients such as yame tea leaves and various herbs cultivated in-house especially for Harunoki, their original brand.
    Original herbal tea made of fragrant herbs cultivated by Nakamura-en and exclusively blended for THE RAIL KITCHEN CHIKUGO is served on the train.
  • The Chikugo region is a major wheat production area in Fukuoka Prefecture. Bread and coffee from local popular shops is served.
    ◎ You can purchase the same-day ticket of "Taste the Region Brunch Travel" at the north exit ticket counter of Nishitetsu Fukuoka (Tenjin) Station. (08:00~09:15) The sale ends as soon as the seat is no longer available.
    - Wayside Bread from Chez Sagara
    Creation of the yuzu dog was supervised by Mr. Kazuhiro Sagara, the owner of Chez Sagara in Tanushimaru-machi, Kurume-shi. Mr. Sagara was one of the Japanese finalists for La Coupe du Monde de la Pâtisserie, known as the World Cup of bread. This popular bread shop attracts many customers, including both local people and tourists. The yuzu dog, made with bread which is crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, and stuffed with special Riverwide Ham Factory sausage with a hint of yuzu kosho (a spicy, hot Japanese condiment made from yuzu rind, chili and salt) is very popular at the shop.
    - Wayside Coffee from Coffee County
    Coffee County in Kurume-shi is a very popular coffee shop run by Mr. Mori, who goes to coffee production areas to carefully select the beans that he roasts and serves at his shop. Original coffee with specially blended beans exclusive to The Rail Kitchen Chikugo is served. You can take home an original travel mug with logo of the shop.