History
Hakata udon traces to the 13th century, when the priest Shoichi Kokushi brought milling technology back from China and a noodle culture spread through Hakata. The Fukuoka noodle is soft and yielding, polar opposite to the Sanuki udon (firm) of Shikoku. The broth is ago (flying fish) and bonito with light soy. Goboten (burdock-root tempura) is the canonical topping, made famous at Daichi no Udon and Ebisuya. Three big Fukuoka chains (Maki no Udon, Daichi no Udon, Manda Udon) cover the everyday market; Ebisuya runs the chef-led version at Sumiyoshi.
Book a food experience
Tours, tastings and classes that match this page, bookable on GetYourGuide.
Common allergens: Gluten, Soy, Fish
Make it at home
Ingredients
- 300g udon noodles (fresh or frozen)
- 800ml ago dashi (flying fish stock) or bonito dashi
- 30ml light shoyu
- 10ml mirin
- 2 burdock roots, peeled and cut into 12cm sticks
- 100g plain flour
- 100ml ice water
- Neutral oil for frying
- Sliced spring onion and shichimi togarashi, to serve
Method
- For the goboten: soak burdock sticks in cold water 10 minutes to remove bitterness. Whisk plain flour and ice water to a loose batter.
- Heat 5cm neutral oil in a deep pan to 170C. Coat burdock in batter, fry 4 to 5 minutes until golden. Drain on paper.
- Bring the dashi to a simmer, add shoyu and mirin.
- Cook the udon noodles to package instruction, drain.
- Divide noodles between two deep bowls, ladle hot dashi over. Lay goboten on top, scatter spring onion and shichimi. Serve immediately.
Tip from the editors. The udon is soft on purpose; do not overcook to firm Sanuki texture. The broth must taste of ago not soy.
Where to eat hakata udon
Hakata udon in Fukuoka
Daichi no Udon ★ 4.4
Daichi's Hakata Station-front shop runs the city's most-talked-about goboten udon: a tower of crispy burdock-root tempura over a bowl of soft Hakata noodles.
OrderGoboten udon with a side bowl of rice for soaking the broth.
TipOpen from 10:00 most days. The B2 station-area branch has the shortest queues.
Maki no Udon Hakata Bus Terminal ★ 4.0
Maki no Udon is one of Fukuoka's three big udon chains. The Hakata Bus Terminal branch runs niku udon at 600 yen with cheap kashiwa rice on the side.
TryNiku udon
TipOpen from 07:00 most weekdays. Vending-machine tickets Cash is faster than card.
Manda Udon Tenjin ★ 4.1
Manda's small Tenjin counter pours a soft Hakata-style udon with the city's better goboten burdock tempura, working lunch crowds through 800-yen bowls.
OrderGoboten burdock-root tempura udon with a raw egg on top.
TipOpen from 11:00 most days. Cash and IC card; turnover is fast.
Ebisuya Udon Hakata Sumiyoshi ★ 4.4
Ebisuya Udon's Kalbi Bukkake bowl at 780 yen was the 2014 Japan Udon Championship runner-up. Flat Hakata noodles, kalbi beef, raw Mihoran egg.
TryKalbi bukkake udon
TipClosed Wednesdays. Lunch queues clear after 13:30.
More cities are in research. Want hakata udon covered somewhere specific? Tell us where you want to eat.