Hakata Ikkousha Honten is a japanese ramen restaurant in Hakata, Fukuoka.
Ikkousha's main store five minutes from Hakata Station pioneered the original-froth tonkotsu, a fat-and-water emulsion that runs creamy across the bowl.
Signature dishes: Original froth tonkotsu, Mentaiko ramen, Gyoza side
Must order: Original-froth tonkotsu with kaedama refill.
Tip: Daily 11:00-24:00; Sundays close at 21:00. Cash and major cards.
Address: Hakata-ku, Fukuoka 812-0011, Japan
Nagahama Number One grew from a 1971 yatai into a Fukuoka chain. The Gion branch pours a 20-hour tonkotsu over ultra-thin Hakata-style noodles.
Signature: Nagahama tonkotsu ramen, Kaedama refill, Negi scallion bowl
Order: Standard tonkotsu plus kaedama refill.
Tip: Open 11:30-23:00 daily, Sundays close at 22:00. Walk-in only.
The original Hakata iron-pan gyoza, three minutes from Gion subway. Bite-sized dumplings packed in a circular cast-iron pan and pan-fried crisp on every side.
Signature: Tetsunabe iron-pan gyoza, Pork-belly skewers, Mentaiko
Order: Two pans of tetsunabe gyoza with a Kirin draught.
Tip: Open 17:00-22:30. Closed Sundays and national holidays. Queue from 17:00.
Ebisuya's flat Hakata-style udon won runner-up at the 2014 Japan Udon Championship. The signature Kalbi Bukkake pairs chewy flat noodles with a raw egg.
Signature: Kalbi bukkake udon, Flat Hakata-style noodles, Burdock tempura
Order: Kalbi bukkake udon at 780 yen, raw egg on top.
Tip: Open 11:10-18:00, closed Wednesdays. Lunch queues clear by 13:30.
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.
Signature: Goboten burdock tempura udon, Hakata soft noodles, Bukkake udon
Order: Goboten udon with a side bowl of rice for soaking the broth.
Tip: Open from 10:00 most days. The B2 station-area branch has the shortest queues.
Nagahama Number One grew from a 1971 yatai into a Fukuoka chain. The Gion branch pours a 20-hour tonkotsu over ultra-thin Hakata-style noodles.
Signature: Nagahama tonkotsu ramen, Kaedama refill, Negi scallion bowl
Order: Standard tonkotsu plus kaedama refill.
Tip: Open 11:30-23:00 daily, Sundays close at 22:00. Walk-in only.
The original Hakata iron-pan gyoza, three minutes from Gion subway. Bite-sized dumplings packed in a circular cast-iron pan and pan-fried crisp on every side.
Signature: Tetsunabe iron-pan gyoza, Pork-belly skewers, Mentaiko
Order: Two pans of tetsunabe gyoza with a Kirin draught.
Tip: Open 17:00-22:30. Closed Sundays and national holidays. Queue from 17:00.
Ebisuya's flat Hakata-style udon won runner-up at the 2014 Japan Udon Championship. The signature Kalbi Bukkake pairs chewy flat noodles with a raw egg.
Signature: Kalbi bukkake udon, Flat Hakata-style noodles, Burdock tempura
Order: Kalbi bukkake udon at 780 yen, raw egg on top.
Tip: Open 11:10-18:00, closed Wednesdays. Lunch queues clear by 13:30.
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.
Signature: Goboten burdock tempura udon, Hakata soft noodles, Bukkake udon
Order: Goboten udon with a side bowl of rice for soaking the broth.
Tip: Open from 10:00 most days. The B2 station-area branch has the shortest queues.
Yamanaka invented miso-style motsunabe in 1984. The Akasaka branch is the most central of three Fukuoka outlets and the easiest reservation.
Signature: Miso motsunabe, Soy sauce motsunabe, Champon noodle finish
Order: Miso motsunabe for two with the champon noodle close.
Tip: Reserve a day ahead for dinner. Closes between 14:30 and 17:00 for the afternoon break.
Rakutenchi's Tenjin flagship: three floors and 240 horigotatsu seats, the largest motsunabe room in Kyushu. Soy-sauce base, mountain of garlic chives.
Signature: Soy-sauce motsunabe, All-you-can-eat champon, Garlic-chive mound
Order: Puripuri motsu daimanzoku course with all-you-can-eat champon noodles.
Tip: Open daily 17:00-24:00. Reserve through the operator's site or by phone.
