Day 13: Fukuoka

Shin Shin

One of the most popular ramen spots is Fukuoka. Had to line up across the street, but they helpfully provided personal umbrellas for the sun and it only took about 30 minutes to get a seat. They (obviously) do Hakata-style tonkotsu ramen. The broth was very creamy and flavorful, and the charsu pork and egg were perfect. If I’m nitpicking, the noodles were thinner than my preference, but overall this was excellent ramen.

Ohori Park

A big park with a lake in the middle of the city. A great place to walk around and/or sit and relax.

Fukuoka Art Museum

Small but cool art museum right in the park with a modern art collection.

Izakaya Maruya

An izakaya (tavern) I had heard about. Ordering was a bit of a challenge. They gave me a tablet to order from, but it was only in Japanese and google translate wasn’t working due to bad cell reception, so I had to just go by pictures to start. Eventually I figured out the WiFi and was able to translate.

Started with salmon nagiri and fried octopus. Then some chicken skin skewers, and finally their #1 dish, sesame mackerel — chunks of raw fish tossed in a citrusy/salty sesame dressing. All were great, but especially the mackerel.

Karamen Masumoto

After a bunch of wandering around and a brief attempt to figure out how the video pachinko parlors work (absolutely no idea), it was time for some more ramen. Karamen is a distinctive chili-infused spicy ramen from the nearby Miyazaki Prefecture. I smartly (for a change) opted for only level 15 on their heat scale, with extra fresh garlic. I was still sweating a bit!