Ramen Oigen Dazaifu 拉麵 おいげん 太宰府店 (Dazaifu, JAPAN) ★★★☆☆

Ramen Oigen Dazaifu (拉麺 おいげん 太宰府店) is a pork bone broth ramen shop we first visited two years ago during our trip to Dazaifu (太宰府). After skipping lunch to make time for a Mont Blanc dessert in Kurume earlier in, we figured this was the perfect opportunity to relive a flavorful memory. Plus, by the time we arrived at around 3pm, most eateries in the area had already closed for their lunch service.

But clearly, we weren’t the only ones with this idea. A line had already formed, and we found ourselves waiting in the cold, with the temperature hovering around 2°C.

It took a while before we could finally get in (more on that later).

Tonkotsu Ramen (豚骨らぁ麵) (920 yen) — Still the star of the show at Ramen Oigen. The creamy pork bone broth was deeply flavorful, yet beautifully balanced — not overly rich or intense. But the real standout was the smoky aburi chashu (chargrilled pork belly). Perfectly charred, tender, and packed with flavor, and definitely elevated the entire dish.

Shoyu Ramen scented with shrimp oil (海老香る醤油らぁ麵) (1,050 yen) — I had the shoyu ramen scented with shrimp oil this time around. The broth had a savory umami profile, but to be honest, it lacked the depth and richness I was hoping for. And regrettably, it didn’t come with the smoky aburi chashu — my favorite. (Yes, I could have added it as a topping but forgot).

Meanwhile, the soft-boiled egg was nicely done.

This didn't taste anywhere as good as their smoky aburi chashu.

The thin noodles were pretty satisfying.

Our visit wasn’t all smooth sailing. As we stood in front of the line outside the shop, braving the cold, three seats became available but only two were next to each other. However, no signal came from the staff to usher us in or guide us in any way and the ramen shop was set to close in about half an hour. In the end, I had to step inside and explain our situation, asking if little nugget and mom could be seated first while I waited outside. Thankfully, they agreed, but the moment felt a bit awkward (why not offer us to be seated separately?).

All things considered, I felt the incident could have been handled with more care and compassion by the team. When you're hungry, cold, and traveling with a small child and elderly, those little gestures go a long way.

We did have a great time in Dazaifu, as always. 

Food Rating: 6.3/10

Price: ￥￥￥

Address: 1-10-32 Saifu, Dazaifu, Fukuoka, 818-0117 Japan

Closest Train Station: Dazaifu

Tel: +81 (0)92-408-8697

Website: www.ramen-oigen.com

Opening Hours: 10:00am - 4:00pm daily