ramen stands or Yatai in Wakasu and I came here for one reason particular eat

some ramen there isn't any dish more famous in Fukuoka than tonkotsu ramen

here along the Naka River is an area dedicated to pop-up ramen stands that

look like shacks strangers sitting shoulder-to-shoulder around a ramen chef

eating and drinking throughout the night it's a traditional site from decades

past it's not easy to pick a you tied to visit most visitors aren't from Fukuoka

it attracts many more tourists and locals these days the ramen here is

decent basic tonkotsu ramen but way overpriced for the quality which is why

most locals take a pass only visiting when they need that quick trip down

memory lane yatai tonkotsu ramen it's great when you're hungry but the taste

is nothing special just the basics

no spoon at your tie you drink from the bowl

there are some things to note about eating here it is nice to get that

old-world ramen experience eat outdoors and meet new people but the staff is a

little pushy the ramen is nothing special and it's just too overpriced for

what you get so where do the locals go I wanted to find out the Nakasu area is

loaded with ramen shops you don't have to go just to the yatai on the Riverside

you can go to one of many ramen shops in this area and the one I'm about to take

you right now is really really good this is you UNARI RAMEN open from 6:00 p.m.

to 6:00 a.m. I guess you could say it's open for breakfast Nakasu is Fukuoka's

entertainment district which is why ramen is so popular here it's either the

first or last meal of the night I ordered the highly recommended Gyokai

tonkotsu ramen for 720 yen

the chashu pork is blow torched the bowls are heated to maintain the correct

temperature it's a professional touch

the noodles are cooked in boiling water

the chef adds the tonkotsu broth makes the dashi fish soup stock

the noodles are shaken dry

add it to the soup and then set to settle the flavor

next up is that blow torched chashu I asked for a special topping a half boiled egg add

a little negi for the finish

Wow Gyokai tonkotsu ramen is lighter than the usual tonkotsu ramen because of the

mix of the fish soup stock it leaves you refreshed not weighed down you can tell

because it's not too oily on the surface it's a wonderfully balanced taste the

noodles slightly firm perfect the noodles the chashu, the soup all the

ingredients just come together and that's what makes this shop really

really special the broth also has pieces of onion in it which I really loved

folks when you have really really good ramen I'm talking about the best ramen

it changes you you can't go back from that moment there's good ramen and then

there's great ramen this is great ramen and once you've had this experience of

going to that level you can't go back this is life-changing

now add that half boiled egg and go even deeper to the farthest end of the ramen

galaxy that's where heaven is but take note those heavenly gates are only open

from 6:00 to 6:00

so this is the Fukuoka Tenjin area it's about a 15-minute walk from Nakasu and

behind me you can see very interesting - two yatai

and it seems on a lot of the street corners here in Fukuoka in the center

you'll see little stands serving ramen but I've come to Tenjin for one reason

in particular here lies the cheapest tonkotsu ramen in

the city and I'm going to see if it's worth the 280 yen that's right I said

280 yen or about two dollars and fifty cents that's about 70% cheaper than the

price of most normal bowls here do we get what we pay for

or will it exceed our wildest expectations the shop calls this the

Oishii ramen it's got to be good with a name like that customer turnover here

is fast staff working in overdrive from open to closed for two hundred and

eighty yen it exceeded the yatai ramen and quality taste and price yeah you've

got to go here now 280 yen is is like a fraction of what you pay for ramen in

most places but man that's billing and the average stay of people eating the

ramen there is 3 minutes literally the guy sat down next to me he ate it got up

wait left and then he had a smoke awesome that's the Fukuoka ramen experience

man go in eat your ramen real fast go out and have a smoke. Are you getting it?

this is a serious ramen town I made one more stop on my ramen binge tour the

newly opened Ramen Stadium in a Nakasu shopping mall it's like a museum inside

very clean and easy to navigate many famous restaurants with satellite shops

in the same stadium ramen stadium

pay us a vending machine I went for the basic tonkotsu ramen. Yes! Katamen.

Wait a moment. Boom! That's a beautiful bowl of ramen with a very well-balanced tonkotsu

broth this is the new face of ramen in Fukuoka from yatai stands to shopping

malls if you didn't get that ramen fever before you came your will by the time

you leave Fukuoka. Itadakimasu. Never mind those planes and trains it's all

about the adventure of meeting new people on the road and seeing the

lesser-known corners of one of the world's safest and most beautiful

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