Hakata Ikkousha Fukuoka Nishinakasu 博多一幸舍西中洲店 (Fukuoka, JAPAN) ★★★☆☆

We didn’t have lunch plans this afternoon, and since it was getting very close to lunchtime (checking my watch, it was 11:59 a.m.), we decided to slurp a quick bowl of ramen before kicking off our shopping spree.

Luckily, ramen shops are never in short supply on the buzzy Kokutai Road (国体道路) in Fukuoka. With Hakata Ikkousha Nishinakasu (博多一幸舍 西中洲店) just around the corner, we let the final minute tick away as they finally slid open their door for business.

Hakata Ikkousha (博多一幸舍) is a well-loved institution in Fukuoka, known for its pork bone–based ramen. With three different broths to choose from — original (salt-infused tonkotsu), black (with black garlic), and red (spicy) — it’s a popular choice among both locals and tourists alike.

We had the pleasure of trying the original and black tonkotsu ramen at their flagship location back in 2019, and it was a wonderful experience.

Today, we were their first customers! 😂😂

Salt tonkotsu Ajitama ramen (1,000 yen) – Their signature ramen with the original pork based broth, infused with salt.

The body of the broth wasn’t as thick as some other tonkotsu broths on the market which was always a good thing. It still clung onto the noodles relatively well.

The yolk of the soft boiled egg could have been a little more runny.

The char siu not bad but the bamboo shoot not nearly enough for bamboo shoot lovers like us. 

Mini fried rice (400 yen) – After sharing a bowl of noodles with little guy, I had a bowl of mini fried rice myself.

I love ordering fried rice at ramen shops in Japan—they always deliver that incredible "wok hei" (鑊氣). Only wish there was more diced barbecued pork instead of onion; that would’ve made it perfect.

While the shop was empty when we first stepped in, this was 10 minutes later; entirely full with a few customers queuing up inside waiting for a table. That says a lot about the popularity of this place.

Perhaps my palate has changed a little since 2019 but I found the seasoning in the tonkatsu broth and fried rice both a little on the salty side. A sign of aging? 👴👴 

Food Rating: 6.1/10

Price: ￥￥￥

Address: 3-11-18 Haruyoshi, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka, 810-0003 Japan

Closest Metro Station: Tenjin-minami

Tel: +81 (0)92-401-0141

Website: https://www.ikkousha.com/store-ikkosha

Opening Hours: 12:00pm - 3:00am (Mon - Sat), 12:00pm - 9:00pm (Sun)