Hakata Issou Nakasu branch — Restaurant in Fukuoka

I had to try this out for myself after reading all the reviews and witnessing the long line outside the shop.

Fukuoka is known for pork based ramen. And the whiff of the soup can be rather strong and some days, disturbing as it alternates finely between garbage and pork stew.

I was fortunate to be first in line today as I arrived 45mins earlier before their opening time at 7pm.

When I entered, I was horrified that they accepted ONLY CASH. Thankfully I had 3000 yen left and that made my last day here extremely sweet.

We ordered the most popular No.2 and No.5 (with wanton)

Let’s dive into the soup.

It was easy and smooth to drink despite it looking very creamy and opaque. The taste had layers of umami from collagen to the bones that created the broth and to the saltiness.

The generous splash of spring onions balance up the freshness with a hint of kick.

Now the noodles was al dente, firm and springy. It was enough to soak up the broth.

The meat was not as tender as I would like it to be. Perhaps there was more lean meat than fats.

The egg was disappointing. I hoped it was done like onsen eggs with a bit runny but my had the yolk semi-cooked.

On the whole, I would say it’s the best ramen I had in Fukuoka.

You can give Ichiran a...

I don't dream of, nor obsess over Ramen. Being a Hawaiian boy, I prefer a bowl of the lightly brothed Saimin (literally "water" noodles) sparingly garnished with charsiu, egg and green onion. And some wontons if available.

Honolulu also has more than passable Tonkotsu ramen and Fukuoka (origin home ofTonkotsu Ramen) has all the heavyweights (Ichiran, Ippudo, Shin, Danbo...) I've tried them and enjoyed them all, though nothing could be further from a light Saimin broth than Tonkotsu.

But once I went to Hakata Issou, with it's famed "cappucino" Tonkotsu broth crema and umami complexities frothed up to the n-th level... Well, I can't stop thinking, salivating, dreaming, hungering and OBSESSING over this bowl of ramen.

Along with the delicious broth, you also get a perfectly executed ajitama, square cut chasu, kikurage and al dente noodles. And it is concocted in front of you by the young ramen chefs in a swift and precisely choreographed display of economical movements.

I had this ramen at the Nakasu branch (not the original Hakata location) on a Saturday night. That means the ramen, the Nakasu nightlife, sights and sounds added up to such unreal Japan fun! I highly recommend the total experience here...

Wait time was minimal (around 10-15 mins) and service was okay. The restaurant has a fishy fish sauce like smell inside and the outside didn’t smell great either. We were enjoying the food UNTIL we saw the ramen chef sneezed right at the broth pots as he was stirring them, and he did it TWICE!!! Yuck! It was clear that he wasn’t feeling well because he was constantly sniffling and wiping his nose with the towel around his neck, yet he wasn’t wearing any mask or gloves. In addition to that, we also saw him blew his nose with tissue and went back to preparing food with his bare hands without washing them. It was disgusting and totally ruined our night. Highly advise against going to this restaurant. I feel sick from just writing this. Absolutely disgusting...