Don’t just eat ramen when you visit Fukuoka—try the local udon that everyone loves!

▲ Maruten udon. (Photo / Reporter Xu Wenbin)

Reported by Huang Shiyuan in Fukuoka

When people think of Fukuoka Prefecture in Japan’s Kyushu region, their first thought is often Hakata tonkotsu ramen, which ranks alongside Sapporo ramen and Kitakata ramen as one of Japan’s top three ramens. But what many don’t know is that Fukuoka’s udon is also delicious, and its standout feature is noodles that are soft yet firm—locals joke that even elderly people with no teeth can enjoy it!

This time, led by Yasunori Yashima, president of the famous Japanese yakitori restaurant Happohei, we visited “Kamaboko no Udon” (Kaburi Main Store), a udon specialty shop in Itoshima City, Fukuoka Prefecture (also Yashima’s hometown). At first glance, it looks like a local eatery, but this Kaburi no Udon actually has 21 branches across Kyushu. Plus, udon here is much more affordable than ramen—the cheapest bowl starts at just ¥310.


▲ Meat udon. (Photo / Reporter Xu Wenbin)


▲ Burdock tempura udon. (Photo / Reporter Xu Wenbin)


▲ Fried chicken udon. (Photo / Reporter Xu Wenbin)

President Yashima says that the best and most representative food of Fukuoka is actually udon. Unlike Sanuki udon, which is chewy and firm, Fukuoka udon is known for being soft and tender without falling apart—they say even elderly people with poor dental health can eat it with ease.

After ordering, the staff will serve you not only the udon but also a kettle—which doesn’t contain water, but broth. The bowl comes loaded with udon that gradually soaks up the soup, so the liquid level goes down as you eat. If you feel the soup is running low, you can add more yourself. Also, the portions at Kamaboko no Udon are extremely generous, and no matter how much you eat, the noodles seem to never run out—it’s almost like they “multiply the more you eat!”

Additionally, every table comes with a large bowl of fresh chopped scallions, which you can add to your soup according to your taste—the scallions make the broth even more flavorful.



▲ %The freshly chopped green onions are really popular among customers (Photo / Reporter Xu Wenbin)

 

Kamaboko no Udon Kaburi Main Store
Address: 1334-1 Kaminazuke, Itoshima City, Fukuoka Prefecture
Phone: 092-322-3091

Addresses of Kamaboko no Udon branches across Kyushu<<<点我

Note: Added in March 2016: “Hakata Bus Terminal Branch” Address: 2-1 Hakata Ekimae Chuo Dori, Hakata Ward, Fukuoka City, Fukuoka, B1F of Hakata Bus Terminal
Phone: 092-322-6111

%Price list (Photo / Reporter Xu Wenbin)