Fukuoka’s Hakata Ikkousha ramen shop opened in March 2004 in Daimyo, Chuo Ward, Fukuoka. It serves tonkotsu, the pork-bone style the source places among Japan’s three major ramen styles, with a milky-white broth topped by bubbling foam. Ikkousha entered Canal City Hakata’s Ramen Stadium in 2005 and began expanding as a chain. The source describes 19 locations across Japan and 50 shops in nine countries, with the main shop particularly well known in Fukuoka. These are figures from the original account. Its pork broth is rich and deep, and both noodles and chashu work well with that flavor.
Orders were placed at a ticket machine, with a Korean menu also available. At lunch, about JPY 1,000 could cover ramen and an additional item. Beyond the basic tonkotsu bowl, there were Red and Black options: Red for spicy heat and Black for a nutty black-sesame flavor. Noodles could be very soft, soft, regular, hard or very hard. Gyoza, fried rice and rice bowls were side options; an extra serving of noodles cost JPY 150.
The open kitchen lets you watch the ramen being prepared. That pale broth is appetizing, and the strong aroma of pork fills the shop.
At the counter are a water dispenser, pickled ginger and spicy mustard greens. Ginger goes particularly well with Ikkousha’s rich tonkotsu broth. It cuts through the pork aroma and adds freshness. Start with a little ginger on the ramen and stir it into the soup so its flavor spreads through the broth.
Choose among five noodle textures: very soft, soft, regular, hard or very hard. It is a personal preference, though I felt extremely underdone noodles might not marry as well with the broth. Red adds heat; Black has black sesame’s nutty flavor. Side dishes include gyoza, fried rice and rice bowls, with extra noodles at JPY 150. A ‘How to Enjoy Your Ramen’ guide was provided in Japanese and English.
These are the hitokuchi gyoza we ordered with the set. Hitokuchi means small enough to eat in one bite, a size associated with Osaka and Hakata. Ikkousha served Hakata-style bite-size dumplings, pan-fried until crisp and eaten with soy sauce and ginger vinegar. The wrappers were thin and springy, with a thickness suited to frying. The filling described in the source used ground meat, onion and garlic chives without garlic, giving a relatively gentle flavor. The shop’s own soy sauce was not overly salty and suited the filling. Pickled ginger tasted fresh and helped cut the richness; the original also claims it aids digestion, a health claim that has not been verified here.
Hakata Ikkousha Main Shop · 3-23-12 Hakata Ekimae, Hakata Ward, Fukuoka 812-0011, Japan
★★★★☆ · Ramen restaurant (archived map-card rating)
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