Kairyu @ Kokura Kairyu is a famous tonkotsu (pork bone broth) ramen shop in Kokura. It's a long-standing ramen shop that has been featured on TV many times, and the walls are covered with signatures of famous people! Recently, there was also a signature from Masaki Suda. The ramen is rich and you can also get extra noodles. The gyoza is small but delicious, priced at 200 yen! #Kairyu #KairyuRamen #Ramen #RamenShop #RamenLover #Student #StudentFood #StudentRamen #Kitakyushu #KitakyushuFood #Kokura #KokuraFood #HakataRamen Kairyu Kokura Honten 093-922-6666 2-1-6 Higashi Shinzaki, Kokura Kita-ku, Kitakyushu, Fukuoka https://tabelog.com/fukuoka/A4004/A400401/40001015/

I had morning ramen! It was very rich and flavorful, but I finally found a tonkotsu ramen that I really like. I definitely want to eat it whenever I go to Kyushu. The dish I had was called Kairyu Ramen for 920 yen, with 4 slices of chashu, 2 wontons, menma, green onions, and roasted seaweed.

Just about a 1-minute drive from Kitakyushu City Expressway Route 1/ Shinzaki Minami IC, you'll find "Kairyu Kokura Honten." Unlike the "Hakata Honten" with its overly eccentric chef, the "Kokura Honten" managed by his "brother" offers a pleasant customer service experience, allowing you to enjoy your ramen in a relaxed atmosphere. The richness of the tonkotsu soup remains unchanged from the past, with bone powder accumulating at the bottom of the bowl due to its richness. In a time when the soup at the "Hakata Honten" has become thin, the consistent richness of the "Kokura Honten" is truly valuable. Thank you for the delicious meal today! I'll definitely be back!

I had a job in Kokura, so I visited the main store in Kokura. I have been to Fukuoka Airport before, but this is my first time in Kokura. The soup is rich and delicious with a strong smell! The noodles are medium-thick, low water content, and cooked a little firm. The seaweed is similar to Kurume style, which is good. Instead of bamboo shoots, they use thinly sliced bamboo shoots for a nice texture. I thought it was a wonderful ramen. Next time, I will try ordering it with soft noodles.

This is a famous restaurant located a little away from the central area of Kokura. If my memory serves me right, I must have eaten here once 20 years ago. I faintly remember the face cut-out board in front of the shop. The unique pork bone aroma that permeates outside the shop is irresistible. I had the "Kairyu Ramen" and it was just as I remembered it! The thick and rich broth is addictive.

The staff was very kind. The ramen was not as strong in flavor as it smelled or looked, and it was on the lighter side in terms of salt and oil. It had a unique and intense flavor. The fried rice was only 380 yen when ordered as a set, and 5 dumplings were 200 yen, which is very reasonable. There were also many signed autographs displayed. Thank you for the meal.

I made a mistake in choosing a restaurant yesterday, so I decided to go for ramen again to make up for it. I went to Kairyu for a change. This time, I ordered the Kairyu Ramen (920 yen) with 4 slices of chashu, 2 wontons, and luxurious toppings. The service was very fast. There is a TV installed, but I didn't have time to watch it as the ramen was served in just a few minutes. The ramen here definitely packs a punch as expected. It's a thick, hearty ramen with a strong, meaty flavor that you won't find in other places. It may be a bit polarizing, but I think it's good to have such distinctive characteristics. However, for me, it's something I can enjoy maybe once every six months. It's a bit too heavy for more frequent visits, haha. Of course, finishing the soup completely is impossible...

The appearance of Kaioh Main Store, which I visited for the first time in 20 years, has not changed. The scent drifting outside the store remains the same. The Kaioh Ramen costs 920 yen. I don't remember the price back in the day, but I don't think it was this high. The ramen was served shortly after ordering. The soup had a crunchy texture that I remember, but it was much more bitter and hot than I expected. Although they advertise it as Kurume Ramen, this is not what I expected. Well, there are different interpretations, but this is not Kurume Ramen as I know it.

The nearest station is Katano on the monorail. It takes about 10 minutes on foot. I ordered the "Kairyu Ramen" for 880 yen. The soup here has a very unique taste and a strong smell, which is not to my liking. I added some fresh garlic to change the flavor, which helped reduce the strong smell. I also tried adding pickled red ginger and garlic soy sauce, but they were too salty. Overall, the "Kairyu Ramen" has a variety of toppings, so it's worth trying. Thanks to arriving early, I was able to get a seat right away. After that, it got quite crowded with both cars and people. There were also many families dining here.

The first meal out of the New Year is always ramen. This time, we went on a little excursion to a place in Fukuoka that has a nostalgic scent. It's a scent that our family enjoys, even in the parking lot. It wasn't as strong as rumored, but a certain shop in Hatchobori is more intense. We've always wanted to go, but never had the chance until the morning of the third day of the New Year when we had a family meeting to decide where to go just for ramen. We set off at 7:30 aiming for the kingdom of tonkotsu. We arrived 20 minutes before opening and when we wrote our name down, the staff said we didn't need to. They were friendly throughout. The shop had a nice pork scent. We ordered two All-in Ramen, one large serving, one Kairyu Ramen, two regulars, gyoza with rice and fried rice set, and extra noodles. The menu recommended the noodles to be cooked "normal" and they were cooked perfectly. The extra noodles were also plentiful and cooked just right. The noodles were delicious, with a slightly rough texture. The soup, made with pork bone powder, was rich but easy to drink (although it hit the stomach later). The wontons were tasty, but we were surprised by how delicious the fried rice was. Everyone was satisfied and we headed back, but the car was filled with the smell of pork. It was quite a challenge when burping afterwards!

On the way to the outlet that was built on the site of Buzen Space World, I stopped by for lunch. The restaurant had a system where you had to write down your name and wait in line. There were two groups ahead of us, so we wrote our name down and waited for about 15 minutes. When our turn came, we entered the restaurant and were greeted by a strong pork bone smell. On the table, there were red pickled ginger, special garlic, and miso paste with a sign saying that you could use the miso for things other than ramen. In Fukuoka, you might think of Hakata ramen, but here they recommended the Kurume ramen, which had noodles that were not too thin, more like medium or soft. We ordered the following: - Ramen with simmered egg (870 yen) - Chashu ramen - Negi-yaki (grilled green onions) - Nori (seaweed) My friend ordered: - Kairyu ramen (880 yen) - Chashu 4 pieces - 2 wontons - Menma (bamboo shoots) - Negi-yaki - Nori - Yakimeshi set (+380 yen) The fried rice took a while to be served, and even the ramen took some time. The waiting time outside was due to the slow service. Finally, the ramen arrived. The soup was thick and brown, and surprisingly bitter and gritty. It was the first time I had tasted bitter ramen. I tried adding red pickled ginger to make it more refreshing, or garlic to make it more palatable. The fried rice was average. It seems that Kurume ramen is quite unique. Ramen preferences vary, so it might be an acquired taste. As for me, it didn't suit my taste. After eating, when we stepped outside, we saw many people waiting in line. Maybe it's an acquired taste that you get used to over time? Thank you for the meal! (*´▽｀*)

Visited around 10:50 on Saturday. Was expecting it to be crowded, but it was not. Maybe because it's snowing? There were three customers before me. I sat at the counter and ordered the following: - Kairyu Ramen for 880 yen: 4 slices of chashu, 2 wontons, menma, green onions, and roasted seaweed. - Gyoza (5 pieces) for 200 yen. Ramen was served in about 3 minutes. The soup had a gritty texture, with crushed pork bones making it rich and flavorful. The chashu was thin but had a meaty texture. The wontons were lacking in filling. The menma was thin and short but had a good crunch. Gyoza was served in about 8 minutes. They were small bite-sized pieces. I ordered an extra: - Extra noodles for 160 yen: extra firm. The soup was slightly cloudy but delicious, so I finished it all. At the bottom, there were crushed sandy pork bones. It was gritty. Thank you for the meal.

Today I had a business trip to Kokura after a long time! As someone based in Hakata, I usually only go out within Fukuoka city, so I'm really excited to be able to go a bit further today! And at the same time, I can enjoy the gourmet food in the Kokura area~♪♪ The joy of being able to try out the food here is even greater than the fact that I can go on a trip! Haha. So, for today's lunch, I visited Kokura Kairyu, known for their famous "extremely thick tonkotsu ramen"! About 5 and a half years ago, when I first tried it at the Hakata main store, I was overwhelmed by the intense tonkotsu smell and the super rich soup, but now it's time for a rematch in Kokura! By the way, there are both a Kokura main store and a Hakata main store, but the origin is said to be in Kokura. Established in 1992, surprisingly it's younger than me at 36 years old. At my first visit to Kokura, I ordered the ramen! The soup was a really thick and dark brown color, as expected! The texture was rough and I could feel something like fibers in it. They explained that it's due to the pork bone powder giving it that rough texture, but I think those fibers are probably from the tonkotsu itself, right? As I pondered over the true nature of the soup, I quickly finished the medium-thick noodles! Because of its extreme richness, my mouth was craving more noodles, so I ordered an extra serving! The slightly moist freshly boiled noodles diluted the soup a bit, making it slightly milder. I could have probably eaten a third serving, but I restrained myself as it might affect my afternoon work. I couldn't finish the soup, which is a shame. I realized that I've never been able to finish the soup at Kairyu before, and maybe that's just how it is here. Come to think of it, they seem to be following the flow of Kurume ramen. When I think of Kurume, I think of "simmered ramen" that has been cooked for a long time (my own expression). However, Kairyu is just too extreme in its richness, and I couldn't quite grasp that feeling. Nowadays, there seems to be a demand for "ramen that isn't too smelly, too thick, and easy to eat" even in Fukuoka. In the midst of this, I hope Kairyu continues to stay true to its unique path in the future! Well, I can't eat it often, but... Thank you for the meal!!

The taste of the past log is exactly what this is about! It's hearty and delicious, and you can enjoy the aftertaste of it! Once you try it, you won't be able to forget it. As time passes, you'll crave it again. I know I shouldn't, but I can't help it! (laughs)

I've been craving the fried rice from Kairyu for a while now, so I finally went today. I ordered the fried rice in a double portion, along with a large ramen with boiled egg and some dumplings. The fried rice tasted a bit different from last time, with some variation in flavor, but overall it was delicious. I'll definitely be going back again.

The parking lot is in front of the shop. For dinner on a holiday, I went to Kairyu Dotaku for the first time in a while. The smell of tonkotsu ramen really sticks to your clothes and hair, haha. I ordered ramen, fried rice, and gyoza. The ramen was tonkotsu flavor, with the soup still having that unique texture. The noodles were just right and tasted great. However, the soup was quite salty so I couldn't finish it all. It seems like the taste has changed a bit from before. The gyoza had a chewy skin and was delicious. I decided to try the fried rice, and it was the right choice. It was fragrant and incredibly tasty, with a flavor that makes you feel like you might gain weight, which I really like, haha. I ordered the regular size but it was so good that it wasn't enough. Ah, it was so delicious!

On a certain day in November 2022, the 42nd day of my journey around Japan (the 11th day of the second chapter), I wandered around Kitakyushu City by bicycle. I had ramen in Kurosaki and on my way back to the inn near Moji Port, I had another bowl in Kokura. This place is famous for its tonkotsu (pork bone broth) ramen. I had been here a long time ago, but it was my first time going by bicycle and I got a bit lost. However, I could smell the tonkotsu broth and found my way. The ramen cost 720 yen. The tonkotsu-based soup had a strong porky smell, but when I took a sip, it really tasted like tonkotsu! It had a rich, fragrant flavor that truly represented tonkotsu. The thin noodles were cooked normally, according to the shop's preference, but I personally think they could have been a bit softer. The toppings included chashu (sliced pork), menma (bamboo shoots), seaweed, and green onions. Since the soup here has a strong porky flavor, preferences may vary. I recommend it to those who love tonkotsu ramen, so I hope you try it. Thank you for the meal.

It seems that Shohei Suda came twice! Maybe the fat has accumulated a little at the bottom? Some people may have mixed feelings about the rich tonkotsu broth, but I like it. Even the Nogizaka girls were like "wow" in one bite (lol). The fried rice is delicious, so you should order it as a set!

I went to Kairyu, the most popular ramen shop in Kokura around 4 pm. There were only 1-2 customers at that time. The staff were friendly and there were many celebrity autographs displayed inside. The soup had a unique taste, with a strong pork bone flavor. There were some chunks in the soup which seemed to be pork bone pieces. Personally, I usually eat Ramen Jiro, so I found the flavor to be a bit bland. It wasn't incredibly delicious, but I thought it was decent.

Near the Trial in Kokura Kita-ku, I had lunch at "Kairyu". It's a tonkotsu ramen shop with a strong smell, but I quite like it. I've been here many times but never wrote a review. Ramen costs ¥720, and I added green onions and seaweed for ¥100. I thought about getting the Kairyu Ramen, but decided against the wontons. I went with the regular ramen instead. The tonkotsu soup was thick and delicious as always, with a rough texture. It was really good!