Shirakawa Ramen, from Shirakawa in Fukushima Pref., is a rich but subtle soy sauce ramen served with hand-kneaded curly noodles. At Tora Shokudo Fukuoka Bunten lines form as soon as it opens just like at the parent shop. Tora Shokudo prides itself most on its hand-kneaded noodles, and you won’t taste anything like them anywhere else. The medium-thick noodles are left to age for three days, which results in a surprisingly smooth noodle. The rich, clear soup is made from chicken carcasses and soy sauce, and the umami seems to increase as you eat. There are no additives, so there are no unnatural flavors and the aftertaste is clean. The char siu, made from char-grilled pork thigh simmered in soy sauce, is a perfect fit. Topped with spinach, pickled bamboo shoots, and naruto fish cake, the entire bowl is well-balanced and visually appealing to boot. Also, try the salt ramen—only available at the Fukuoka shop—or the hand-made wonton noodles.
Menu: Hand-kneaded ramen ¥750, wonton noodles, ¥920, ramen with grilled pork ¥1,000, salt ramen ¥900 hand-kneaded tsukemen (noodles with dipping sauce) ¥830, larger noodle portion +¥200, smaller noodle portion −¥130, white rice ¥160, fried rice ball (1 pc.) ¥90, marinated soft-boiled egg ¥100, grilled pork plate ¥480, draft beer (M) ¥500 (S) ¥380, bottled beer ¥500, shochu ¥480
*Foreign language menu: None/Credit cards accepted/No smoking
Originally published in Fukuoka Now Magazine (fn254, Feb 2020)
