The 10 Best Ramen Shops You Must Eat in Kyushu, Japan

When speaking of Ramen in Kyushu, the Hakata ramen stands out as the most famous choice. But there are many different varieties of Ramen in Kyushu with each region using their special select ingredients that lends the dish a unique character and makes it flavorful. We recommend a stop in the in the middle of the sightseeing in Kyushu. To make your choice easier, here is our recommended list of the top ranking Ramen in Kyushu!

1． Maruko Ramen Center Kiyama-chō store

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With its unique yellow signboard with bright red letters and a big parking lot, it is difficult to miss the Maruko Ramen Center Kiyamachō store. The Tonkotsu soup, a pork base broth that is made with super high-pressure steam boiler and thin straight noodle, is the main characteristic of the Ramen served here.

The Tonkotsu does not have the typical smell associated with the Ramen and is highly recommended for ladies who may not like the strong fragrance of the broth. Reasonably priced at 420 yen, the Ramen, served with a topping of green onions and roasted pork fillets with the addition of pickled red gingers, is both simple yet appealing.

You can create your very own Ramen at this store by choosing your favorite toppings. Food tickets for egg, seaweed and Kyushu’s specialty, Karashi Takana, can be bought in advance. You can also enjoy the fried rice, bumbling and the rice bowl with a Chinese style sauce that is served here.

Well known for its gourmet cuisine, the store attracts a large crowd. Don’t get disheartened if you see a long queue outside the store! Inside, the store has the capacity to seat 150 and the seat turnover rate is quite high. The Ramen served at this store brings out even more flavor in the Tonkotsu, almost making it addictive!

2． Kokin Chan

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If you are in Hakata during the night, it is impossible to miss all the different food stands. Although the stands serve different kinds of food such as Ramen, Kushi-yaki, Oden and Italian, we highly recommend the “Kokin Chan”. Amongst the different varieties on the menu, you should try the Yaki Ramen, think noodle fried with pork, Kamaboko (boiled fish paste) and vegetables such as sprouts, carrots and onions.

They use a blend of sauces with Tonkotsu Soup to give it a rich flavor. You can end a night of drinking with a hot bowl of Ramen at this stand as most Japanese do, or even have the Ramen as a side dish. Don’t let the long queues of regular customers dishearten you because as soon as you enter, you will find a seat and make friends with the people sitting next to you while you enjoy your Ramen. Come and enjoy this experience that is unique to Ramen stands.

3． Authentic Karamenya – Masumoto

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This store is ideal for you if you love hot and spicy food and are ready for a bowl of fiery Ramen. The Karamen (spicy noodle) served here is extremely popular in Miyazaki. The Masumoto Ramen is not just spicy and hot but it is also very addictive. You will always see people lining up for the Karamen, a masterpiece that you can’t stop eating once you start.

The unique noodle contains Kojac as one of the main ingredients and the soup is made from Chinese chives coming Mizayaki and Kumamoto along with a lot of garlic and minced meat. You can choose amongst the Kojac noodles, Chanpon noodles (originating in Nagasaki) or fresh noodles. You can also customize your Ramen by choosing the quantity of garlic and the amount of hotness. So, are you ready to challenge your spice buds with the Masumoto Ramen.

4． Kokutei

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Established in 1957, this popular shop has many fans in Kumamoto. The family still carries forward the traditional taste and technique that the founder crafted with special attention for every Ramen served here. From the roasted pork fillets, noodle and soup, everything is homemade. The unique taste of the Ramen served here, comes from the “Ma-yu”, a burnt garlic oil that is also homemade.

We recommend the “Ramen with Egg” that is served green onions, cloud ear fungus, rare part of roasted pork fillet, boiled sprouts and fresh egg yolks that are specially ordered. It is said that the founder’s wife who was very fond of eggs created the Ramen. It is definitely worth it to try their Ramen to get a taste of tradition and history.

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5． Sanpei Ramen

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This Ramen shop operates with the goal of serving you with a unique taste that you can only find here. If you want to taste the Black-Miso Ramen, this is the ideal place for you. To get the special taste and colour, they use specially ordered miso and barley miso from Kyushu region and blend it with carefully selected ingredients such as black pork, brown sugar and black sesame from Kagoshima. This is mixed with Tonkotsu Soup and rested overnight to lend the Ramen its unique flavour. This special Ramen uses thrice the quantity of black miso than regular MisoRamens.

The Ramen comes with the option of adding lard to make it even more flavourful. If you choose to enjoy your Ramen without lard, it will be less rich but you will get even more flavour of the black miso. For the health conscious, there is also an option to add Torono (grated yam) and vegetables as toppings. For the big eaters, extra rice can be ordered, that is a great combination with the Ramen.

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6． Shianbashi Ramen

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When you speak of noodles in Nagasaki, you are most probably referring to the Chanpon or the Sara Udon. To introduce the Chanpon, lets talk about Shianbashi Ramen, a shop that has been frequented by the famous actor-singer from Nagasaki – Masakazu Fukuyama. The main characteristic of the Chanpon served here is the milky chicken based broth with vegetables and Kamaboko as soup along with silky noodles.

The Bakudan (Bomb) Chanpon stands out in the menu and is served with a special garlic paste. Interestingly, the paste is not 100% garlic and is mixed lard. Make the taste of your Ramen more flavorful as you mix this paste slowly while enjoying your meal. The menu has quite a lot of variety and while waiting for your Ramen, you may want to try the Oden as an appetizer.

7． Maruju

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How about some Tsuke-Men (dipping noodles) from Kyushu? The noodle served at Maruju is a super-fat noodle that comes from a specific noodle making factory in Kyoto. The soup is made by using chicken and pork bones in the ratio of 3:1 respectively and also contains a large amount of vegetables that is slowly boiled over a period of two days.

The other ingredients include green onions sourced directly from the local farmer, sprouts grown in high quality water from Takeda City, Hinohikari rice from the Oita Prefecture and Sakura eggs from the Kuju Plateau.

The recommended dish is the “Nouko Tonkotsu Gyokai Tsuke-Men” (Rich pork and seafood dipping noodle) that represents the true taste of Marujyu. The Ramen is simply exquisite with the chewy super-fat noodle, rich soup and vegetables. Additional vegetable are free of cost. If you like your Ramen spicy, we recommend the Karami Tsuke-Men (Spicy dipping noodle). The mixed chicken-pork dumpling is also highly recommended.

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8． Hakata Issou

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Located near the Hakata station, where there are a lot of Ramen shops, the Hakata Issou stands out. Their special soup, cooked slowly over a long time with the skull, spine and hooves of Japanese piglets, is a source of their pride. The soup is surprisingly creamy as a result of the pretreatment.

The sauce is blended with local soy sauce from Fukuoka and a variety of selected seafood goes well with the soup. The silky, flat and thin noodle has great texture and makes a great combination with the soup.

We recommend the Cha-Shu-Men (roasted pork filet ramen). The roasted pork fillet is as carefully selected as the other ingredients and people can enjoy the taste of the meat in the Ramen. Ear cloud fungus, green onion and sea-weed constitute the basic toppings. A must-try when you visit Hakata!

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9． Yururi

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Have you heard about the Miyazaki Ramen? The soup has a Tonkotsu base but utilize other local ingredients that come exclusively from the region. The soup is made only from the skulls of pork from Miyazaki. The original recipe of the soup has been modified but the owner, who was trained last Kurume City. As he uses less salt, you can fell the enhanced sweetness and the richness of the soup.

The simple taste is the reason for the popularity of Yururi. It is ideal for ladies as the Ramen is not too rich and heavy. The specially selected noodle, which comes daily from Fukuoka, compliments the soup very well. You also have an option to chose between the thin and the fat noodle. Another factor that makes this Ramen unique is that green onions, that are not too strong, and boiled eggs, that go very well with the Ramen. You can also order rice that is free of charge. Satisfaction guaranteed!

10． Kuroiwa

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This Kagoshima Ramen shop is a local favorite. The rich but simple soup is made of chicken and pork bones and once you taste it, you may want to eat it all. The noodle makes a great accompaniment to the soup and the Ramen does not have a very strong smell of Tonkotsu, so it can be eaten easily.

The best toppings for the Ramen are green onions and sprouts. The burnt green onions lend a unique taste to the dish. Our recommended dish at the Kuroiwa is the fried rice that is decorated with seven slices of roasted pork fillet that is home made. The egg fried rice which use the same roasted pork fillet is also suggested. Are you ready to experience the essence of Kagoshima at Kuroiwa?

Let’s explore the tasty Ramen that you can only try in Kyushu!

It is interesting to note that each ramen has its own unique characteristics. Although Kyushu is well known for Tonkotsu Soup, a pork based Ramen broth, but depending on the ramen store you can find many variations of the soup such as Shoyu (Soy Sauce), Shio (Salt), Miso (Fermented Soybeans), and Gyokai (Seafood). It would be an interesting trip by itself to discover these ramen shops when you visit Kyushu. So, are you excited to try one of our moth-watering recommendations? Find your own favorite ramen store in Kyushu!