When it comes to regional food destinations in Japan, Fukuoka stands tall with a bowl of ramen in hand. As the gateway to Kyushu, this lively prefecture is a magnet for hungry travelers seeking comfort dishes that warm you from the inside out. From sizzling skewers to creamy pork bone broth, here are five famous foods you’ll want to try the minute you land in Fukuoka.
1. Hakata Ramen
You can choose your noodle firmness and toppings. Image: PIXTA/Nishihama
Hakata ramen is Fukuoka’s most iconic dish and one of the most influential ramen styles in Japan. Its signature pork bone (tonkotsu) broth is simmered for hours to produce a creamy, deeply savory base. Paired with ultra-thin, straight noodles and toppings like chashu (braised pork belly), kikurage mushrooms, green onions and pickled ginger, it’s the ultimate comfort food. Most shops in Fukuoka will let you customize your ramen. You can choose your noodle firmness and toppings and many offer kaedama (noodle refills) for when you’re not quite done yet.
2. Mentaiko (Spicy Cod Roe)
A Fukuoka staple in the postwar era Image: PIXTA/ sky&sun
Inspired by Korean pickled roe, mentaiko became a Fukuoka staple in the postwar era and has since gone national. Made by marinating pollock or cod roe in chili, sake and other spices, it’s served as a side dish, stuffed into onigiri, or mixed into creamy pastas.
It may not be everyone’s taste, but it is surely something to try when in Fukuoka. For a true taste of the city’s obsession, head to Ganso Hakata Mentaiju, a restaurant that builds its entire menu around spicy cod roe. It’s so famous that you can even buy mentaiko-themed souvenirs in Fukuoka.
3. Motsunabe (Offal Hotpot)
It’s warming, rich and collagen-packed. Image: PIXTA/ チリーズ
Motsunabe is a local hotpot made with beef or pork intestines (motsu), simmered in a garlicky broth with cabbage, leeks, chili and tofu. It’s warming, rich and collagen-packed, making it a go-to dish during the colder months (though you’ll see locals slurping it year-round).
The broth varies by restaurant as some use soy sauce and others miso, but all variations of Motsunabe offer that same deep, savory satisfaction. Finish your meal the Fukuoka way: by adding champon noodles or rice to soak up the last of that umami-rich soup.
4. Goboten Udon
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