History

The cloudy tonkotsu broth was born around 1941 at a dockside stall in Nagahama. Mitsugu Sugimoto's Sankyu and Hizo Tsuda's Ganso Nagahamaya are the most-cited origin candidates. The thin straight noodle, the kaedama refill, and a tare poured into the bowl before the broth all emerged together. Tonkotsu spread across Kyushu through the 1950s, with regional variants in Kumamoto (garlic-laced) and Kurume (richer). Today Hakata Issou, Ippudo Daimyo, Hakata Ikkousha and Shin-Shin run the canonical Fukuoka counters, and the Hakata format has since exported worldwide through chains like Ippudo and Ichiran.

Common allergens: Gluten, Soy, Pork, Egg

Make it at home

Yield 4Hands-on 45 minTotal 6 hrDifficulty Advanced

Ingredients

  • 1kg pork bones (femur and trotter)
  • 500g pork back fat
  • 30g ginger, sliced
  • 5 garlic cloves, smashed
  • 1 onion, halved
  • 60ml shoyu (Japanese soy sauce)
  • 30ml mirin
  • Sea salt
  • 400g thin straight Hakata-style ramen noodles
  • Toppings: 8 slices chashu pork, 4 soft-boiled marinated eggs, sliced scallions, beni-shoga pickled ginger

Method

  1. Blanch pork bones and back fat in boiling water for 10 minutes, then drain and rinse off scum.
  2. Return bones to a clean stockpot with 4 litres cold water, ginger, garlic and onion. Bring to a hard rolling boil, do not simmer.
  3. Boil hard for 4 to 6 hours, topping up water to keep the bones submerged. The broth must roll constantly to emulsify the fat into the water. Strain when the broth runs creamy and pale.
  4. In each bowl, combine 20ml shoyu and 10ml mirin as the tare base, plus a pinch of salt.
  5. Cook the thin noodles for 60 to 90 seconds in fast boiling water (firmness to taste), drain hard.
  6. Pour 350ml hot tonkotsu broth over the tare. Lay the noodles in, top with chashu, halved soft egg, scallion and a small mound of beni-shoga. Serve immediately.

Tip from the editors. The broth must roll hard the entire cook to emulsify the fat into the water. A gentle simmer makes a thin clear broth and not a tonkotsu.

Where to eat hakata tonkotsu ramen

Hakata tonkotsu ramen in Fukuoka

Hakata Issou Honten ★ 4.7

Japanese Ramen¥hakataUntil 24:00

Hakata Issou's Honten runs to 24:00 every night. Tonkotsu cappuccino foam-headed pork bone broth, ten minutes from Hakata Station on the Chikushi side.

Try: Tonkotsu cappuccino

Tip: Open 11:00-24:00 daily. Queues run the block; the late slot from 22:00 clears.

Hakata-ku, Fukuoka 812-0013, Japan

Ippudo Daimyo Honten ★ 4.4

Japanese Ramen¥¥daimyo

Ippudo Daimyo Honten has poured Hakata tonkotsu in the same Daimyo back alley since 1985. The flagship counter that launched a global ramen brand worldwide.

Signature: Shiromaru classic tonkotsu, Akamaru shin-aji, Karaka-men spicy

Order: Shiromaru classic at lunch with the half-kaedama refill.

Tip: Open 11:00-23:00. Queues are shortest before noon and after 21:00.

Chuo-ku, Fukuoka 810-0041, Japan

Hakata Ramen Shin-Shin Tenjin Honten ★ 4.5

Japanese Ramen¥¥tenjin

Shin-Shin's Tenjin flagship pours a lighter, cleaner tonkotsu than the Hakata norm, with the city's best yakimeshi side and a 03:00 close anchoring the night.

Signature: Hakata tonkotsu ramen, Yakimeshi fried rice, Mentaiko gohan

Order: Tonkotsu ramen with the yakimeshi pairing.

Tip: Open 11:00-03:00, closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Walk-in only.

Chuo-ku, Fukuoka 810-0001, Japan

Hakata Ikkousha Honten ★ 4.5

Japanese Ramen¥hakata

Hakata Ikkousha's original-froth tonkotsu under 1,200 yen with kaedama refill. Five minutes from Hakata Station; cheaper than Ippudo, same bracket as Issou.

Try: Original froth tonkotsu

Tip: Daily 11:00-24:00. Vending-machine tickets.

Hakata-ku, Fukuoka 812-0011, Japan

Nagahama Number One Gion ★ 4.3

Japanese Ramen¥hakata

Nagahama Number One Gion pours Hakata tonkotsu at 700 yen near Gion subway. The cheapest seriously-good ramen in Hakata, with a 20-hour pork bone broth.

Try: Hakata tonkotsu ramen

Tip: Cash and IC accepted. Kaedama refill is 150 yen.

Hakata-ku, Fukuoka 812-0038, Japan

More cities are in research. Want hakata tonkotsu ramen covered somewhere specific? Tell us where you want to eat.

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