Saga Prefecture has restaurants that appear on national lists, and many are within reach of Fukuoka by train. This guide compares 12 of them in Kiyama Town, Saga City, Karatsu City, Imari City and Kashima City. For each place it gives prices, opening days, booking rules and the route from Fukuoka.
The lists are the Tabelog Hyakumeiten (食べログ百名店, “Tabelog Top 100”), The Tabelog Award 2026 and the Michelin Guide Fukuoka, Saga and Nagasaki 2019 Special Edition. Tabelog is a Japanese restaurant-review site. Its Hyakumeiten lists pick 100 restaurants per food category and per region (EAST or WEST Japan) from restaurants that meet its conditions, using its own scores. This page shows the year of each listing only. It does not show Tabelog scores, reviews or rankings.
In short
- Five of the 12 are in Karatsu: Oshige, Amegen, Caravan, Arutokoro and Kawashima. Trains from the Fukuoka City Subway Airport Line connect to the JR Chikuhi Line toward Karatsu (see section 14).
- Prices run from ¥580 for a bowl of ramen (Marukou) to dinner from ¥38,500 at Soan Nabeshima.
- Oshige, Amegen, Arutokoro, Kawashima and kate cuore need a reservation. Soan Nabeshima gives seats to inn guests first.
- Reservations are by phone or Japanese booking pages. Section 15 shows the steps. The official pages we read do not say whether staff speak English, so ask when you book.
Checked with official pages on October 11, 2026.
1. How do the 12 restaurants compare?
Depends on the provider
Pick a place by reservation rules first, because many places on the list need a booking. Click a name to jump to its section. “Award” means The Tabelog Award 2026, and “Michelin” means the 2019 Special Edition.
| Restaurant | Area, food | Listed in | Booking |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marukou Ramen Center | Kiyama, ramen | Hyakumeiten 2025 | Not stated |
| Shirayama Bunga | Saga City, curry | Hyakumeiten 2026 | By phone |
| Wakayanagi | Saga City, noodles | Hyakumeiten 2026 | Not stated |
| Kira Honten | Saga City, Saga beef | Michelin | Phone or online |
| Chuka Oshige | Karatsu, Chinese | Hyakumeiten 2026, Award | Required, phone only |
| Amegen | Karatsu, river fish | Hyakumeiten 2025, Award, Michelin | Required, online |
| Caravan | Karatsu, steak | Hyakumeiten 2025, Award | Online or phone |
| Arutokoro | Karatsu, Japanese | Award, Michelin | Reserve ahead |
| Kawashima | Karatsu, tofu | Michelin | Required |
| kate cuore | Imari, Italian | Hyakumeiten 2025, Award | Required, phone |
| Drive-in Tori | Imari, grilled chicken | Hyakumeiten 2025 | Not stated |
| Soan Nabeshima | Kashima, Japanese | Hyakumeiten 2025, Award | Inn guests first |
“Not stated” means the shop’s official pages do not mention reservations. Call before you go if your group is large.
2. Marukou Ramen Center Kiyama (丸幸ラーメンセンター 基山本店): ramen from ¥580
Depends on the provider
A bowl of ramen is ¥580, and the shop’s page shows the prices that started on July 29, 2026.
This is a ramen shop beside National Route 3 in Kiyama Town. Eat-in prices on its page: special ramen with raw egg and four slices of chashu (roast pork) ¥690, ramen set meal ¥970, and eight gyoza ¥380. The shop is closed on Tuesdays (on the next day, Wednesday, if Tuesday is a national holiday).
The shop’s page gives no opening hours, and its menu notes a last order of 20:30 for some dishes. It does not mention reservations, parking or payment methods.
Listed in: Tabelog Hyakumeiten Ramen WEST 2025.
From Fukuoka: Take the JR Kagoshima Line from Hakata Station to Kiyama Station. The shop is about a 12-minute walk from Kiyama Station and about 9 minutes from Keyakidai Station, according to its page.
Still open? The news page (latest entry August 9, 2026) shows no closure or move.
Address: 1642 Ogura, Kiyama-cho, Miyaki-gun, Saga. Google Maps. Phone: 0942-92-2855.
3. Shirayama Bunga (白山文雅): European-style curry in Saga City
Depends on the provider
The shop takes reservations and takeout orders by phone only.
Bunga serves European-style curry. The menu has a beef curry, a mushroom curry, a seafood curry and two-curry set courses. The menu page shows no prices.
Lunch is 11:00–14:30 (last order) from Tuesday to Friday, and until 15:00 (last order) on Saturday, Sunday and holidays. Dinner is 17:30–20:00 (last order). The shop is closed on Mondays (the next day if Monday is a holiday) and on Thursday evenings. It has 6 parking spaces.
Listed in: Tabelog Hyakumeiten Curry WEST 2026.
From Fukuoka: Take the JR Limited Express Kasasagi from Hakata Station to Saga Station. The shop’s page does not give a walking time from the station.
Still open? The news page (latest entry September 10, 2026) shows no closure or move.
View this post on Instagram
Address: 1-2-1 Hakusan, Saga City. Google Maps. Phone: 0952-23-4789.
4. Wakayanagi (若柳): a diner known for pork champon in Saga City
Depends on the provider
The shop began in 1933 as a kappo (Japanese restaurant) and now serves pork champon as its main dish.
Champon is a noodle soup with pork and vegetables. The shop also has a beef champon. Its Instagram does not list prices.
According to the shop’s Instagram profile, it opens 11:00–15:00 and is closed on Sundays. It announces other days off by month on Instagram. It has parking: 5 spaces across the street and 4 behind the shop. The shop has no website, and its pages do not mention reservations.
Listed in: Tabelog Hyakumeiten Diner (食堂) 2026, under the name Wakayanagi Shokudo (若柳食堂).
From Fukuoka: Take the JR Limited Express Kasasagi from Hakata Station to Saga Station.
Still open? The shop posted on Instagram on September 1 and October 2, 2026.
View this post on Instagram
Address: 2-2-1 Zaimoku, Saga City. Google Maps. Phone: 0952-23-8204.
5. Kira Honten (季楽 本店): Saga beef run by JA Group Saga
Depends on the provider
A Saga beef lean steak lunch is ¥3,800 and a Saga beef steak at dinner is ¥9,800, both with tax.
Kira Honten is a restaurant run by JA Group Saga (JAグループ佐賀). It serves Saga beef at table seats, private rooms and a teppan (iron griddle) counter. Michelin calls it a one-star teppanyaki restaurant.
Lunch examples on the shop’s page: Saga beef loin steak lunch ¥5,800 and curry ¥1,300 (tax included). Dinner is steak from ¥5,000 to ¥15,000, and the teppan counter adds a 10% service charge.
Hours: Lunch 11:00–15:00 (last order 14:00). Dinner 17:00–22:00 (last order 21:00). Closed on the second Wednesday of the month, and the page says this may change without notice. There are 70 parking spaces.
Booking: By phone or online through a Tabelog booking form linked from the shop’s page. Tell the restaurant about food allergies when you book. The teppan counter is for children aged 10 and over. On weekends and holidays, lunch may close early because of crowds.
Listed in: Michelin Guide Fukuoka, Saga and Nagasaki 2019 Special Edition (one star).
From Fukuoka: Take the JR Limited Express Kasasagi from Hakata Station to Saga Station.
Still open? The shop posted on Instagram on October 8, 2026, and its news page lists a private-room menu from October 1.
View this post on Instagram
Address: 3-9-16 Daizai, Saga City. Google Maps. Phone: 0952-28-4132.
6. Chuka Oshige (中華 大しげ): a Chinese omakase course in Karatsu
Depends on the provider
There is one omakase course at ¥13,000 (tax included), and you need two or more guests and a reservation by phone.
Oshige serves one fixed omakase (chef’s choice) menu of Chinese food. The shop’s Instagram profile says dinner is 18:00–21:00 and lunch is by arrangement. It is closed on irregular days and has parking for 2 cars. It announces booking dates on Instagram. On October 10, 2026, it said that phone bookings for December 2026 and January 2027 open at 11:00 on Thursday, October 15, 2026. The shop takes bookings by phone only and does not accept them by Instagram message.
Listed in: Tabelog Hyakumeiten Chinese WEST 2026, and The Tabelog Award 2026 (Silver and Best New Entry).
From Fukuoka: Take a Fukuoka City Subway Airport Line train that continues onto the JR Chikuhi Line to Karatsu Station. Check section 14 for how to read the timetable.
Still open? The shop posted on Instagram on October 10, 2026.
View this post on Instagram
Address: 552-5 Bozumachi (annex), Karatsu City. Google Maps. Phone: 0955-53-8820.
7. Amegen (飴源): river-fish and wild-plant cooking in Hamatama, Karatsu
Depends on the provider
Book on the shop’s website by 15:00 the day before; bookings up to six months ahead are possible if you ask first.
Amegen serves river fish and foraged plants (摘草料理). It has six private rooms with tatami floors, and all are non-smoking. Course prices on the menu page: Ume ¥7,700, Take ¥12,000 and Kiwami ¥18,000. An ayu (sweetfish) set meal is ¥4,000 from June to October. Service charge is extra.
Hours: Seatings at 11:00, 12:00 and 13:00, and at 17:00 and 18:00. Closed on Tuesdays. The shop takes phone inquiries 11:00–17:00. It accepts cash and JCB, VISA and Mastercard.
Booking: The “WEB予約” button on the official site opens a TableCheck form. The site is in Japanese only. Tell the restaurant when you book if a guest uses a wheelchair.
Listed in: Tabelog Hyakumeiten Japanese WEST 2025, The Tabelog Award 2026 (Bronze) and the Michelin Guide Fukuoka, Saga and Nagasaki 2019 Special Edition (starred).
From Fukuoka: The restaurant is far from a station. By car, leave the Nishi-Kyushu Expressway at Hamatama IC and turn right at the traffic light; there is parking. By train, the page names Hamasaki Station on the JR Chikuhi Line: about 7 minutes by taxi or 45 minutes on foot.
Still open? The official site shows no closure or move notice.
Address: 1058-2 Gotanda, Hamatama-cho, Karatsu City. Google Maps. Phone: 050-1724-2537.
8. Caravan (キャラバン): wagyu steak, 3 minutes from Karatsu Station
Depends on the provider
The shop is a 3-minute walk from Karatsu Station, and its page says to use a nearby paid car park.
Caravan is a steak shop that grills Saga beef and Imari beef on an iron plate. Its menu is posted as an image, so its prices are not given in text. We do not list them here.
Hours: Lunch 11:30–15:00 (last order 14:30). Dinner 18:00–22:00 (last order 20:30). Closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.
Booking: Online through a link to Tabelog on the official site. For same-day bookings, call. The shop’s page says not to park in the neighboring temple’s lot.
Listed in: Tabelog Hyakumeiten Steak and Teppanyaki WEST 2025, and The Tabelog Award 2026 (Bronze).
From Fukuoka: Take a Fukuoka City Subway Airport Line train that continues onto the JR Chikuhi Line to Karatsu Station, then walk 3 minutes.
Still open? The official news page was updated on September 27, 2026.
View this post on Instagram
Address: 1845 Nakamachi, Karatsu City. Google Maps. Phone: 0955-74-2326.
9. Arutokoro (料理屋あるところ): a Japanese omakase course at ¥12,000
Depends on the provider
The omakase course is ¥12,000 with tax, and the shop asks for a reservation in advance.
Arutokoro serves a Japanese course of seasonal Karatsu ingredients. The Michelin 2019 announcement names it as a restaurant in a converted old house (古民家). According to the shop’s Instagram profile, it opens 11:00–15:00 and 17:00–22:00.
Closed days: The shop posts its days off on Instagram each month (it has an “October closed days” highlight). We could not read the dates.
Booking: The Instagram profile asks for a reservation for two or more guests by the day before. Its Instagram does not say how to reserve, so call the number below.
Listed in: The Tabelog Award 2026 (Bronze) and the Michelin Guide Fukuoka, Saga and Nagasaki 2019 Special Edition (one star).
From Fukuoka: Take a Fukuoka City Subway Airport Line train that continues onto the JR Chikuhi Line to Karatsu Station. The shop is in the Kagami area of Karatsu, and the shop’s pages do not say how to get there from the station.
Still open? The shop posted on Instagram on October 6, 2026.
View this post on Instagram
Address: 732 Kagami, Karatsu City. Google Maps. Phone: 0955-58-8898.
10. Kawashima (日本料理かわしま, 川島豆腐店): tofu and kaiseki in Karatsu
Depends on the provider
The tofu course at 9:00 starts at ¥2,200, and dinner kaiseki (course meal) is ¥14,300 or ¥22,000.
Kawashima belongs to Kawashima Tofu Shop (川島豆腐店) and runs three sessions a day. The morning tofu meal starts at 9:00: ¥2,700 with grilled fish or ¥2,200 with tofu only. Lunch at 12:00 is an omakase kaiseki; its price is not stated. Dinner kaiseki starts at 18:30.
Closed: Sundays.
Booking: Reservations are required. Book lunch by the day before. Call 0955-72-2423 for the morning and lunch sessions. For dinner, call 090-1083-8823 or use the Tabelog booking link on the site. Tell the shop about allergies and dislikes, because the chef buys ingredients at the market on the day.
Listed in: Michelin Guide Fukuoka, Saga and Nagasaki 2019 Special Edition (one star; announced as a tofu kaiseki restaurant).
From Fukuoka: Take a Fukuoka City Subway Airport Line train that continues onto the JR Chikuhi Line to Karatsu Station. The shop’s pages do not give walking directions.
Still open? The shop posted on Instagram on October 8, 2026.
View this post on Instagram
Address: 1775 Kyomachi, Karatsu City. Google Maps. Phone: 0955-72-2423.
11. kate cuore: reservation-only Italian in Imari
Depends on the provider
The restaurant takes reservations only, and everyone starts together at lunch or dinner.
kate cuore is an Italian restaurant. According to its Instagram profile, lunch starts at 12:30 and dinner at 19:00. It does not list prices.
Booking: The profile says the shop is reservation-only and gives a phone number. It lists hours for taking reservations by phone, Tuesday to Friday, 10:00–11:00. It is closed on irregular days.
Listed in: Tabelog Hyakumeiten Italian WEST 2025, and The Tabelog Award 2026 (Silver and Best Regional Restaurants).
From Fukuoka: Go to Karatsu first (section 14), then continue by JR to Imari Station. Check the timetable for where to change trains. The shop’s pages do not say how to reach it from the station.
Still open? The Instagram profile was online on October 11, 2026, but it shows no posts, so we could not check recent news. Call before you go.
Address: 3997-4 Tachibana-cho, Imari City. Google Maps. Phone: 0955-23-1110.
12. Drive-in Tori Imari (ドライブイン鳥 伊万里店): chicken grilled over a net
Depends on the provider
The Imari shop seats about 300 people, and it publishes its closed days month by month.
Drive-in Tori grills chicken over a net at the table with a house sauce. The official site calls the Imari shop the main shop (伊万里本店). A separate Itoshima shop is not the one on the list. Prices are on the menu page of the site.
Hours: 11:00–22:30, with lunch 11:00–15:00 (shop’s Instagram profile). Closed on Wednesdays, on some other days, and on December 31 and January 1. The site posts each month’s closed days; the November list was posted on October 7, 2026.
Language: The official site has an English page. It is short and does not include the menu or opening hours.
Listed in: Tabelog Hyakumeiten Yakiniku WEST 2025 (first listing).
From Fukuoka: Go to Karatsu first (section 14), then continue by JR to Imari. Check the timetable for where to change trains. The shop’s page for directions is in Japanese.
Still open? The shop’s Instagram posted on October 9, 2026.
Address: Kou 1384-2 Otsubo-cho, Imari City. Google Maps. Phone: 0955-23-0667.
13. Soan Nabeshima (草庵 鍋島): dinner at a sake brewery inn in Kashima
Depends on the provider
Dinner starts together at 17:00, and inn guests get seats first.
Soan Nabeshima is the restaurant of Onyado Fukuchiyo (御宿 富久千代), an inn run by the Nabeshima sake brewery. It is a small restaurant built mainly around a 6-seat counter, and the menu is a Japanese course paired with sake.
Price: Dinner only, from ¥38,500 including tax and service charge.
Booking: Seats go to inn guests first. The page lists a phone number and an email address for inquiries. Children under junior high school age are not admitted. Allergies must be reported by the day before. If you arrive late, you may get fewer dishes.
Closed: The inn is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays and on some other days.
Listed in: Tabelog Hyakumeiten Japanese WEST 2025, and The Tabelog Award 2026 (Bronze).
From Fukuoka: Take the JR Limited Express Kasasagi from Hakata Station to Hizen-Kashima Station. The official access page shows a car park for restaurant guests. It does not give walking directions from the station.
View this post on Instagram
Address: Otsu 2420-1 Hama-machi, Kashima City (Hontei building of the inn). Google Maps. Phone: 0954-60-4668.
14. How do I get from Fukuoka?
Depends on the provider
Saga City and Kashima are on one JR line from Hakata; Karatsu is on another. Always check today’s timetable with the operators: JR Kyushu and the Fukuoka City Subway.
- Kiyama (Marukou): JR Kagoshima Line from Hakata Station to Kiyama Station.
- Saga City (Bunga, Wakayanagi, Kira) and Kashima (Soan Nabeshima): JR Limited Express Kasasagi from Hakata Station to Saga or Hizen-Kashima. JR Kyushu lists Kasasagi as running between Hakata and Saga / Hizen-Kashima.
- Karatsu (Oshige, Amegen, Caravan, Arutokoro, Kawashima): The Fukuoka City Subway Airport Line connects to the JR Chikuhi Line at Meinohama Station. Some trains go through to Karatsu, and others need a change on the way, so check the timetable.
- Imari (kate cuore, Drive-in Tori): The farthest stops on this list. Search the route to Imari Station on a route-search site and check where to change trains.
Amegen is far from a station, so a car or a taxi is easier. Several places have limited parking, so check the section for each.
15. How do I book if I do not read Japanese?
Depends on the provider
Official pages and booking forms are in Japanese. Use browser translation to read them. Phone numbers are in each section.
- Fix your date, time and number of guests. Check the closed days in the section first.
- Choose how to book. Use the phone for Oshige, Arutokoro, Kawashima, kate cuore and Bunga. Amegen uses a TableCheck form. Kira and Caravan link to Tabelog booking pages.
- Say your name, number of guests and food allergies. Soan Nabeshima and Kawashima ask for allergy notice.
- Ask if parking is available when you call, if you plan to drive.
What to say
予約をお願いします。◯名で、◯月◯日の◯時です。 (Yoyaku o onegai shimasu. ◯ mei de, ◯ gatsu ◯ nichi no ◯ ji desu. = I would like to reserve a table. We are ◯ people, on ◯/◯ at ◯.)
16. How were the 12 chosen?
Depends on the provider
We started from the Saga entries in Tabelog Hyakumeiten lists, The Tabelog Award 2026 and the Michelin 2019 Special Edition announcement. We kept restaurants with an official website or official Instagram where we could read how it works today. We left out places with no official page, places we could not confirm are open, and places that say they are hard to book. This is not a ranking. It does not show Tabelog scores.
The Michelin recognition here comes only from the 2019 Special Edition announcement, so it shows what was listed in 2019.
Common questions
Do I need a reservation?
Yes at Oshige, Amegen, Arutokoro, Kawashima and kate cuore, where the shops ask for a booking. At Soan Nabeshima inn guests have priority. The pages of Marukou, Wakayanagi and Drive-in Tori do not mention reservations.
Can I pay by card?
Only Amegen states it: cash, JCB, VISA and Mastercard. The other official pages we read do not say, so ask or bring cash.
Do the shops have English menus?
The official pages we read do not say. Drive-in Tori has a short English page without a menu. Plan to use a translation app.
Sources (checked October 2026)
- Lists: Tabelog Hyakumeiten, The Tabelog Award 2026 and Michelin Guide Fukuoka, Saga and Nagasaki 2019 Special Edition (Japanese)
- Marukou: shop information and news
- Shirayama Bunga: official site and menu
- Wakayanagi: official Instagram
- Kira Honten: official site, lunch, dinner and Instagram
- Chuka Oshige: official Instagram
- Amegen: official site, menu and shop information
- Caravan: official site and about
- Arutokoro: official Instagram
- Kawashima: Kawashima Tofu Shop, tofu restaurant and kaiseki restaurant
- kate cuore: official Instagram
- Drive-in Tori: official site and Instagram
- Soan Nabeshima: official page, access and inn
- Trains: JR Kyushu limited express trains
