Eat well in Fukuoka for under €15 a plate: the locals'-budget edition.
Eat well in Fukuoka for under €15 a plate: the places locals on a budget actually use.
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.
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.
Try: Kalbi bukkake udon
Tip: Closed Wednesdays. Lunch queues clear after 13:30.
Daichi no Udon goboten udon piles burdock tempura on a soft Hakata noodle bowl. Hakata Station B2 branch is the cheapest counter for a serious udon bowl.
Try: Goboten udon
Tip: Open from 10:00. Add a small bowl of rice for the broth soak.
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.
Try: Niku udon
Tip: Open from 07:00 most weekdays. Vending-machine tickets Cash is faster than card.
Yamaya Canal City runs a mentaiko rice set with all-you-can-add mentaiko on top, plus miso soup and free pickles, the cheapest filling lunch on the canal.
Try: Mentaiko rice set with all-you-can-add
Tip: Open with the mall. Walk-in only; lunch queue from 12:00 Cash is faster than card.
Shin-Shin pours a Hakata tonkotsu plus the city's better yakimeshi side under 1,200 yen. The 03:00 close anchors the cheaper Tenjin late-night plate.
Try: Hakata tonkotsu ramen with yakimeshi
Tip: Closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Walk-in only.
Ramen Stadium runs eight regional ramen counters on the fifth floor of Canal City: Hakata tonkotsu, Sapporo miso, Kumamoto garlic, all under 1,200 yen.
Try: Regional ramen tasting
Tip: Vending-machine tickets at each counter; half-portion samplers available.
Hakata Issou's tonkotsu cappuccino comes in under 1,200 yen for the bowl plus a kaedama refill. Worth the queue for the price-to-quality ratio in Hakata.
Try: Tonkotsu cappuccino ramen
Tip: Open 11:00-24:00 daily. Arrive before 11:30 or after 21:00 Cash is faster than card.
Ichiran's Canal City branch runs the silent solo-booth tonkotsu under 1,500 yen with the customisable red-sauce slip. Open almost around the clock daily.
Try: Solo-booth tonkotsu
Tip: Vending-machine ticketing in English. The kaedama refill is the saving move.
Full Full's mentaiko French roll at 280 yen has been a Hakata souvenir since 2002. A baguette split and stuffed with mentaiko-butter at Hakata Station.
Try: Mentaiko French roll
Tip: Counter at the Hakata Station Deitos exit. Box of six is the standard.
Kasanoya's umegae mochi at 130 yen each is one of the cheapest day-trip food orders. Grilled-to-order plum-mark rice cakes filled with sweet red bean paste.
Try: Grilled umegae mochi
Tip: Walk-in only. Open 09:00-18:00 daily; no closing day Cash is faster than card.
Several Yanagibashi stalls serve ready-to-eat seafood don, tempura plates and rice balls between 600 and 1,200 yen. The cheapest serious breakfast in Hakata.
Try: Seafood and tempura rice bowls
Tip: Closed Sundays. Arrive before noon for the freshest stock Cash is faster than card.
Hide-Chan's Nakasu yatai pours Hakata tonkotsu at the canal-side stall for under 1,000 yen. The post-drinking late-night close most locals order.
Try: Hakata tonkotsu ramen at the canal yatai
Tip: Cash only; six counter stools. Walk-in only.
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 Gion Tetsunabe's iron-pan gyoza at 900 to 1,500 yen per pan with a beer comes under 2,000 yen total. The original tetsunabe gyoza, dinner-only.
Try: Tetsunabe gyoza pan
Tip: Open 17:00-22:30. Closed Sundays and national holidays Cash is faster than card.