Today, Friday Dec. 4, restaurant and premium quality food store Whole Square opened in the basement of Grand Hyatt Fukuoka (Canal City Hakata). Fukuoka Now went to take a look around…
Whole Square was founded in Kumamoto, a prefecture famous for its high quality beef, pork and other fresh produce.
The company’s goal is to bring top quality foods straight from farmer to customer, and they care a lot about traceability: they make sure that every aspect of the food they sell is carefully managed. They know where all their ingredients came from (and in some cases, what they were fed), as well as how their products were made and by whom. Additives are avoided wherever possible.
Many of the shop’s products and most of the ingredients used in the restaurant are sourced right here in Kyushu. This includes cheeses and yoghurt made at their Kumamoto dairy, and charcuterie and dry-aged beef sourced by MARS (Marubishi Agricultural Relations), a sister company of Whole Square.
Whole Square encourages customers to “eat, cook and learn”. Visitors can sit at the bar enjoying wine, cheese, freshly sliced ham and dry-aged beef, whilst conversing with the knowledgeable staff. They can then buy these ingredients to take home, and spread all the food-related wisdom they’ve just acquired!
Whole Square also specialises in importing hard-to-find products, including dairy and charcuterie products. They also stock lots of products and ingredients for avid bakers (and delicious baked goods for those who are avid eaters).
This is truly a must-visit for foodies, but fair warning: it’s impossible just to peek in! Whole Square is one of the premier places in Fukuoka to buy meat and dairy products from Kumamoto livestock: from phenomenal milk, yoghurt, and cheese, to dry-aged beef, pate, sausages, and ham. You’ll want to eat at the restaurant, called Awesome Grill, and/or buy bags of goods to enjoy at home!
Whole Square opens on Friday Dec. 4, 2015.
Whole Square Fukuoka
Canal City Hakata Grand Building B1F, 1-2-82, Sumiyoshi, Hakata-ku
Opening hours:
Market: 10:00~21:00
Bar: 11:00~23:00 (L.O.: 22:00)
Awesome Grill: Lunch 11:00~15:00 (L.O.: 14:00), Night 18:00~23:00 (L.O.: 22:00)
Tel.: 092-982-1008
http://www.wholesquare.jp/